YEZIDIS AND ASSYRIANS. Efforts on behalf of the Yezidis, Assyrians, and other religious minorities who are currently being forced from their homes, their women and girls kidnapped and raped. Thousands have been murdered and more thousands now live in refugee camps. The Yezidis are a Kurdish people who share an ancient religious tradition, while the Assyrian Church is one of the oldest Christian traditions.
Linda Crawford of ICP joined with the leaders of interfaith councils in Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Francisco and Silicon Valley in signing a letter calling for an end to the genocide. (Find a copy of the letter here.) If you have not already done so, please sign the statement of support at www.yezidis-assyrians.org/. Copies of that statement will be taken to the Secretary General of the United Nations on June 16th. A meeting will also take place that day with Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican Observer at the UN.
You can learn more about the Yezidis at www.yezidis.org and www.childrenofezidi.org. Read additional reports at URI and Examiner.com.
Protecting Religious Minorities from Iraq and Syria
Please help the beleaguered minorities facing genocide in Iraq and Syria by contacting your U.S. Senators and representative to support two bills in Congress. One to declare that it is genocide and the other to protect the minorities. Links to the bills and locating your congressional leaders are at https://www.yezidis-assyrians.org. It says in the Qur’an (Surat al-Maidah 5:32) that whoever saves one, it is as if he had saved mankind entirely. Please also see https://www.yezidis-assyrians.org/muslims-speak-out/ where you will find links to Muslim colleagues and organizations speaking out against so-called-ISIL and other forms of terrorist extremism.
There is a similar teaching in the Jewish Mishna (Sanhedrin 4:5) that he who saves a single life, it is as if he saved the entire world.
FYI, these two congressional bills are a direct result of God’s grace and our efforts and the efforts of many many Yezidis, Assyrians and others. Finally finally. If you have a connection with a U.S. Senator that will allow you to transmit a personal letter from us, with or without a personal note from you, please let us know. We already have a connection to one senator, but it would be nice to have more.
ON ANOTHER RELATED SUBJECT, this resolution regarding genocide was brought by the Republic of Armenia and approved by 80 nations in the UN General Assembly, including the United States. http://asbarez.com/139763/breaking-armenia-leads-un-effort-to-designate-dec-9-international-genocide-commemoration-day/
May there be a turn toward the light for those who are enduring brutal atrocities at this very moment.
Thank you for your love and support. With prayers for peace,
Will and Pam
Rabbi Pamela Frydman
Reverend Will McGarvey, Executive Director
Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County
and on behalf of Marin Interfaith Council
Silicon Valley Interfaith Council
Interfaith Center at the Presidio
http://www.yezidis-assyrians.org
Rev Will eye4cee@gmail.com
Rabbi Pam rebpam@gmail.com
Telephone 415-261-3404
