In the wake of Pope Francis' Easter Sunday address and prayers for peace and an end to the persecution of Christians, Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, called on the Administration to do more to protect the world’s Christians, who have come under sustained attack by Muslim extremists. The most recent attack on Christians occurred last week in Kenya, in which nearly 150 Christians were killed by gunmen suspected to be part of the al-Shabaab terrorist group. In February, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists kidnapped and killed 21 Coptic Christians in Libya.

     “I have seen first-hand how Muslim and Christians have not only co-existed, but worked cooperatively,” Smith said. “However, some extremist Muslims continue to target Christians, as well as Muslims who wish to live in peace with their Christian neighbors.

    “Now that Rabbi David Saperstein has been in place at the State Department as the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom for several months, we need to see a plan to take greater action to protect Christian communities, who are in danger worldwide,” Smith said. “This is especially urgent in places like Iraq and Syria where Christians are being wiped out or driven from their ancient homelands.”

    In the current State Department report on religious freedom, the agency said that in 2013 “the world witnessed the largest displacement of religious communities in recent memory.” Attacks on Christians continued last year, and the 2014 report is expected to offer a similarly grim assessment of targeting of Christians.  In recent years, Christians from Pakistan to the Middle East to Africa have been killed by various Islamist terrorist groups.

    In February, Smith’s subcommittee held a hearing and briefing on the global persecution of Christians. He has also chaired congressional hearings about abuses against Muslims and Buddhists in China, anti-Semitism in Europe, and other persecuted minorities.

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