The US House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution on Monday calling the atrocities committed by the Islamic State against Christians a “genocide”.
The resolution, which was passed by 393 votes to 0, said Christians and other ethnic minorities “have been murdered, subjugated, forced to emigrate and suffered grievous bodily and psychological harm, including sexual enslavement and abuse, inflicted in a deliberate and calculated manner in violation of the laws of their respective nations, the laws of war, laws and treaties forbidding crimes against humanity”.
The move comes ahead of a deadline tomorrow for US Secretary of State John Kerry to declare to Congress whether the situation with Islamic State constitutes genocide, due to a stipulation written into an omnibus spending bill.
“It is my sincere hope that this trans-partisan resolution will further compel the State Department to join the building international consensus in calling the horrific ISIS violence against Christians, Yezidis and others by its proper name: ‘genocide,’ ” said US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.
State Department spokesperson John Kirby said Mr Kerry “understands the significance of that process”.
“But I can tell you what he’s mostly focused on is making his determination based on evidence and analysis that he’s getting from the State Department,” he said. “And I’ll also just say that he has taken very, very seriously and wants to make sure that whatever determination that he makes, it’s fact-based and that it’s adequately reflective of what we’re seeing on the ground.”
“Regardless of whether their conduct satisfies certain legal definitions, including genocide and crimes against humanity, the United States has been clear that our interest in accountability for the perpetrators remains undiminished,” he added.
The resolution, which was passed by 393 votes to 0, said Christians and other ethnic minorities “have been murdered, subjugated, forced to emigrate and suffered grievous bodily and psychological harm, including sexual enslavement and abuse, inflicted in a deliberate and calculated manner in violation of the laws of their respective nations, the laws of war, laws and treaties forbidding crimes against humanity”.
The move comes ahead of a deadline tomorrow for US Secretary of State John Kerry to declare to Congress whether the situation with Islamic State constitutes genocide, due to a stipulation written into an omnibus spending bill.
“It is my sincere hope that this trans-partisan resolution will further compel the State Department to join the building international consensus in calling the horrific ISIS violence against Christians, Yezidis and others by its proper name: ‘genocide,’ ” said US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.
State Department spokesperson John Kirby said Mr Kerry “understands the significance of that process”.
“But I can tell you what he’s mostly focused on is making his determination based on evidence and analysis that he’s getting from the State Department,” he said. “And I’ll also just say that he has taken very, very seriously and wants to make sure that whatever determination that he makes, it’s fact-based and that it’s adequately reflective of what we’re seeing on the ground.”
“Regardless of whether their conduct satisfies certain legal definitions, including genocide and crimes against humanity, the United States has been clear that our interest in accountability for the perpetrators remains undiminished,” he added.