WASHINGTON, DC – After much pressure, Secretary of State John Kerry finally acknowledged that ISIS is guilty of carrying out genocide against Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. This announcement was made after a press conference with the European Parliament, U.S. Commission on International Religious Liberty, and many other groups. Just a few days before the welcomed announcement, the U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution 393-0, stating in part that the atrocities perpetrated “against Christians, Yezidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.”

Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, said, “For too long the United States has remained silent in the face of widespread genocide, where Christians and religious minorities are beheaded, roasted over burning flames, and drowned. It is about time we acknowledge this as genocide. To help our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters, Liberty Counsel established Liberty Relief International which provides humanitarian relief to help the suffering. The announcement from the State Department is an encouraging step in the right direction. We must join together and stop this barbaric genocide,” said Staver.

Now that the State Department has acknowledged the ISIS genocide, the State Department and the Obama Administration need to take appropriate action. “We must take aggressive action against ISIS. Christians must not be pushed to the back of the refugee line. Christians must be represented in any peace plan or land division in Syria and Iraq. While we welcome the acknowledgement of genocide, we now demand concrete action to stop the genocide and to give Christians opportunity for their future,” said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.