Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on President Trump’s decision to begin providing direct assistance to persecuted Christians in the Middle East:
Vice President Pence’s Wednesday night announcement is welcome news indeed. As he pointed out, while “radical Islamic terrorists” continue to wage a campaign of genocide against Christians throughout the Middle East, the UN has been woefully ineffective in providing help to the terrorists’ Christian victims. A number of faith-based groups with proven track records stand ready to help, the Vice President said, but “the United Nations too often denies their funding requests.”
So now the United States will provide assistance to these faith-based and private groups directly, rather than funneling U.S. funds through the United Nations, where they are too often misdirected or misused.
For far too long, persecuted Christians in the Middle East have waited in vain for the world community to come to their aid. And for far too long, the world community has failed to provide even adequate humanitarian assistance. Now, as Vice President Pence said, “those days are over.” America will take the lead in helping these beleaguered people.
This action should give new hope to all those suffering Christians, and to all who believe in the sacred cause of religious freedom. The president continues to deliver on his promise to fight religious persecution and to defend religious liberty, both here at home and around the world.
