The Persecution of Religious Minorities

Speakers at the United Nations, at an event sponsored by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN today offered testimony about atrocities perpetrated against Christians and other religious minorities, and called for an end to genocide in the Middle East.

«I will not let the suffering become normal. Every human being should act,» said Carl Mueller, a speaker at the conference, quoting his daughter Kayla, an American medical volunteer who was held captive by ISIS and murdered in Syria 2013. Carlo Mueller, and his wife Marsha, were given a standing ovation after they described their daughter’s struggle to keep her faith in God and humanity despite horrific tribulations.

The United Nations session highlighted the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. A major goal is to convince the United Nations to label the situation genocide so that appropriate international measures can be enacted.

The conference heard scholars and diplomats describe the world political issues while also hearing from those who have been victimized by Islamic extremist groups. Among them was Samia Sleman, a Yazidi 15-year old girl who was held captive by ISIS. «They raped and violated myself and the girls in captivity,» she said about her trauma, speaking through a translator. «They forced us to convert to Islam. They separated us from our parents,» she said about the events that took place when she was 13.