European unity and solidarity for Christians in the Middle East

After months of preparation and negotiation on a political consensus, the EPP Group's resolution asking for international assistance for victims of persecution and abduction by the Islamic State was adopted today in the European Parliament. Support for Christians in distress now has an overwhelming majority in the Parliament.

During the plenary debate György Hölvényi MEP, co-initiator and negotiator of the resolution, reminded the Parliament of the recent call for help issued by patriarch Louis Sako to save ancient Christian culture in the Middle East from complete eradication. Military operations and increasing jihadist aggression have severely aggravated the humanitarian situation in the region. Hölvényi underlined: "There are no plans to save the thousands of families fleeing. If Europe does not provide considerable humanitarian assistance, noone else will."

"It is important and it is a significant step forward having the EP now commited to establishing a protective zone on the Nineve plain, a historic homeland for many ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq,"  said Lars Adaktusson MEP who recently visited the region and was co-initiator and negotiator of the resolution.

In the resolution all political groups denounce the abductions, murders and destruction of the Islamic State. The resolution specifically deals with cutting financing to the jihadists (including oil income and sale of valuable artefacts), and calls for increased military presence by allied forces. It also states that spreading of extremist, fundamentalist ideology must be countered.