For Immediate Release | September 24, 2019
Urges Him to Call Out, Hold Accountable Anti-Christian Persecutors
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, President Donald Trump personally convened an unprecedented “Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom” on the margins of United Nations General Assembly meetings. In its course, he spoke movingly about his commitment, and our country’s, to this foundational liberty.
Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC)—a grassroots organization launched by a coalition of non-governmental organizations, faith leaders and others determined to counter the oppression around the world of some 327 million followers of Jesus Christ—was gratified that, in addition to expressing solidarity with every religious tradition experiencing intolerance, Mr. Trump on two occasions yesterday specifically addressed the plight of Christians.
First, the president noted incredulously that, every day, on average 11 people are murdered simply because they follow Jesus Christ. And second, Mr. Trump saluted Pastor Andrew Brunson, whom he rescued from prison in Turkey last year by holding accountable that missionary’s persecutors and imposing real costs for their crimes against humanity.
Save the Persecuted Christians is heartened by such statements, as it has been urging President Trump to give particular prominence during his time at the United Nations this week to the singularly horrific persecution being experienced by followers of Jesus. Unfortunately, while the “Global Call” event was well-attended, scores of the heads of states most in need of hearing its message were not in that audience. But they likely will be today when Mr. Trump addresses the plenary session of the General Assembly.
Save the Persecuted Christians accordingly calls on the president to use today’s platform to serve collective notice on those who are directly responsible for state-sponsorship of anti-Christian persecution and those who simply tolerate its practice by others. Like the government of Turkey, they must be held accountable and subjected to significant costs for denying Christians the right to religious freedom.
Frank J. Gaffney, President and CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians, observed: “President Trump was right to make the example of Andrew Brunson a focus of his ‘Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom.’ After all, it was a powerful instance of America using its moral authority, political influence and economic leverage with decisive effect to penalize those responsible for the pastor’s persecution in Turkey.”
He added, “Given the enormity of the scale of the persecution of Christians globally—a population roughly the size of that of the United States is currently being afflicted—and the fact that this catastrophe is intensifying (by some estimates 30 million more followers of Jesus are being heavily persecuted this year than in 2018), it’s time to impress upon those responsible that they will no longer be able to do so with impunity. If they persist, their countries risk getting ‘the Brunson Treatment.’”
The mission of Save the Persecuted Christians is to save lives and save souls by holding the persecutors accountable for their crimes against humanity. To that end, it will disseminate actionable information about the magnitude of such crimes and bring to bear a movement of concerned Americans determined to hold persecutors accountable for such crimes and create real costs for perpetrating them against those who follow Jesus.
Because most of these crimes are not covered in the media, Save the Persecuted Christians developed a dedicated news aggregator—www.ChristianPersecutionNews.com—to capture current instances of persecution and to provide readers an easy way to share these heartbreaking stories with others.
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To interview a Save the Persecuted Christians representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com