[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 139 (Friday, November 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SPEECH BY ROBERT GHAZOOL

                                 ______
                                 



                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 14, 2014

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share a speech given by one 
of my constituents, Robert Ghazool of Huntington, NY, when he 
introduced me during my visit to St. Peter's Syriac Orthodox Church. It 
was a pleasure working with Mr. Ghazool in setting up my visit to the 
church.

       ``The persecution of Christians and other religious 
     minorities in the Middle East is an affront to human rights 
     and cannot be allowed to endure. We must stand with this 
     community and stand up against this violence''.
       This quote was sent to me by Congressman Israel and read 
     during our rally for our brethren in front of the United 
     Nations.
       Congressman, as in the rally in front of the United 
     Nations, our church has been at the center of a movement that 
     has taken on life both here and abroad. Genocide is occurring 
     and many Christians of the world can no longer be on the 
     sidelines of history and see it happen. As we all know this 
     genocide did not begin in June and July as the ISIS thugs 
     poured in from neighboring Syria. This was the culmination, a 
     last straw if you will, in what has been happening to the 
     Christians in Iraq since 2003. For the sake of time, instead 
     of giving you an exact timeline here is an overview of what 
     our brethren have endured.
       They have endured over 60 church bombings, countless 
     kidnappings and executions, our priests being killed, the 
     massacre of the church of Sayidat Al Najat, the ethnic 
     cleansing in Dora, which was once called the Vatican of 
     Baghdad for the amount of churches and Christians that lived 
     there, our Archbishops being killed in Iraq and taken hostage 
     in Syria. Due to all this most of the Christians of Iraq have 
     fled the persecution they endured, and what was once a 
     population of 1.5 million is now estimated to be 500,000.
       In the last few years, the perils of the Christians of Iraq 
     are now being faced by our brethren in Syria. The Christians 
     of the Middle East are now in a precarious situation of 
     failed nation states that cannot or will not come to the aide 
     of the minorities being persecuted, democratic elections 
     being held only to see Islamists coming into power as we saw 
     with Hamas in Gaza and the Islamic Brotherhood in Egypt. The 
     void left by lack of strong central governments has 
     unfortunately been filled by groups like Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra, 
     ISIS, and Khorasan just to name a few.
       Now we come to the events that have brought us here today. 
     ISIS came in with their black flag of hate and ignorance into 
     Mosul and the Nineveh plains in late June. The ultimatum was 
     clear--leave, convert or the only thing left for you is death 
     by the sword. The conclusion for ISIS was simple; these 
     people would simply lie over and convert to their brand of 
     Satanic Islam. This would show the world how weak 
     Christianity is and how powerful the Islamic State has 
     become. I am so proud to tell you how wrong they were.
       Even after the thugs of ISIS branded the homes of the 
     Christians with the Arabic N which means Nazarene, none 
     converted and after vicious threats and attacks and with 
     minutes numbered they fled north to first the Nineveh Plains 
     and then farther north with nothing more than the clothes on 
     their back. Everything was confiscated, deeds to their houses 
     taken, IDs burnt, anything of value even down to a mere 
     wedding band taken. Some walked countless miles when their 
     cars were taken on the border of Mosul, others were beaten 
     and unfortunately many were killed.
       All of them no matter what the circumstance said with one 
     voice NO. NO, we will not convert, no we will not pay a 
     Jizya, and if you kill us, we will be with a full heart 
     knowing that we died for our Lord and Savior. You see my 
     brethren these last souls were and are the bravest of our 
     brave. They were the ones that no matter what the 
     circumstance stayed to preserve our heritage, our language, 
     our culture, and my God probably the last chance of civility 
     in a land that frankly has little of it. Our Savior told us 
     to leave everything and follow him. Our brethren in Nineveh 
     have reminded us all what it is to be a true Christian. They 
     are the modern day bearers of the cross, like our forefathers 
     who themselves carried the cross as in 1890 Dierbekkar and 
     the Christian Genocide of 1915. We cannot let their sacrifice 
     go in vain. For if we do, we lose the voice of moderation 
     that the Christians have always had in that region. We lose 
     the teachers that taught literacy to the people that came 
     after us. We lose a part of Judea-Christian History that once 
     lost will be difficult to find once again. Today for the 
     first time in over 1600 years no Christians are in Mosul. The 
     sounds of the church bells are replaced by the sounds of war, 
     our crosses, statues and signs of peace and love in the 45 
     Church facilities taken over by ISIS, now replaced by their 
     black flag of hate, death and destruction. We are the 
     indigenous people of that land and we deserve and want 
     better.
       Congressman Israel you have been a leader in Congress when 
     it comes to issues of human rights and religious equality. 
     You were influential in the response and letters about 
     Darfur. You sit on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, and 
     were quick to stand with us and acknowledge what was 
     transpiring to the minorities of Iraq and Syria as was 
     evident in your statement that was read in front of the UN. 
     You have visited Iraq and Afghanistan nine times which puts 
     you in a unique position to be our voice in Congress. Our 
     people are in harm's way, they have endured more than any 
     people should and we need your help.
       I would be remiss if I did not mention the great sacrifice 
     that our Armed Forces are enduring to bring the fight to 
     ISIS. Their heroism makes us all proud to be Americans. Our 
     thoughts and prayers are with them and for the families of 
     the four American and British citizens that have been 
     beheaded by theses cowardice vultures.
       Without further ado, on behalf of Reverend FR. Gabriel 
     Adde, the board of trustees, and the congregation of St. 
     Peter's Church please help me in welcoming the Honorable 
     Congressman Steve Israel.

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