Press Releases

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) voted in support of legislation to recognize the persecution of Christians at the hands of ISIS as genocide and called on the Obama Administration to hold ISIS and the Assad Regime accountable for their crimes against humanity.

“Every day, atrocities are committed against Christians, Yezidis, Kurds, and other religious minorities across the Middle East by ISIS. Their homes as well as their churches and places of worship are being destroyed with little to no recourse. Last year, Congress passed legislation requiring President Obama to report to Congress on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East by violent Islamic extremists, evaluate whether the situation was a mass atrocity or genocide, and provide a detailed response plan to end this genocide. We cannot stand for religious freedom around the world and do nothing when radical terrorists slaughter innocent Christians because of their faith in Christ. The United States must lead on this issue.

“Elsewhere in the Middle East, the brutal and illegitimate dictator of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, commits crimes against humanity with impunity. The resolution passed by the House this evening, calls on the President to support the establishment of a war crimes tribunal at the United Nations where these heinous and repulsive crimes can be adjudicated.

“Tonight’s overwhelmingly bipartisan votes demonstrate that Congress is ready to act, but in order to protect persecuted Christians and bring Assad to justice, we must have Presidential leadership on both fronts.”