HR-390 can’t pass the Senate and get help to persecuted Christians

The Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017 (HR-390) passed out of the House a year ago on a near unanimous vote.  Then, it sat in the Senate for many months until it was totally re-written by Senator Corker (R-TN).  Instead of aiding Christians it was turned into a bill that would set up a never-ending commission to blame Russia and Iran for the civil war in Syria which was actually financed by Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

Our friend Senator Rand Paul is blocking the bill in the Senate until the original House language is restored to assist the victims in genocide in Iraq and Syria.

The fastest way to get kicked out of the office of a congressman or senator on Capitol Hill is to tell the truth about the despotic rulers of Saudi Arabia who export their Sunni Muslim extremism by violence.  Because the Saudi rulers are Sunni Muslims, no bill can blame Sunni Muslims for genocide, war crimes, or terrorism.

HR-390 was changed to take the blame off the Sunni Muslim terrorists such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda and put the blame on Christian Russia.  That is incredible.

A few weeks ago, the Saudi Air Force deliberately targeted a school bus in Yemen with an American-made, laser-guided, smart bomb and killed 40 children.  Not a word of criticism out of the Congress or even the White House.  With the blessings of Congress, even more smart bombs are being sold to the Saudi despots.

Meanwhile organizations such as Open Doors, the Religious Freedom Coalition, and many others including those of church denominations are doing their best to help Christians in Iraq and Syria settle back into something like a normal life.

It is not easy:  In the Kurdish area of Syria the Christian schools have been shut down. The Kurds, with the help of American air power and thousand of special forces at seven American military bases, control 30% of Syria.  It is the same 30% where the Assyrian Christians have lived for nearly two thousand years.

The Kurds, with permission of the United States, are not only closing Christian schools, but forcing the Arabs and Assyrians there to speak and learn Kurdish.  The Kurds are not even the majority in the areas they hold in Syria — they are Sunni Muslims.

The reality on the ground in Iraq and Syria does not mean we give in on Capitol Hill.  The original House language defined Christians who were targeted by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda as victims of genocide and would have given them assistance including immigration priority.  We need to go back to that … Worst case scenario is this: At the end of the year when the current 115^th Congress comes to an end, we will have to start over again in the 116^th Congress, with a new bill in the House.  But with Senator Corker gone we may finally succeed.

Please pray that we can finally get some action on HR-390 to help Christian refugees.  And please pray for the Christians of Iraq and Syria who are still in great need.  Meanwhile our Christmas, diaper, and other programs will do what can be done to help.  Please pray for the safety of those who administer our programs in those nations.