Paul KeenanTwitter hashtag brings solidarity
Christian traditions are coming together on the social media network Twitter to show solidarity with the suffering Christians of Iraq.
As the minority community continues to face pressure in the face of the caliphate of the Islamic extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants have begun to use the hashtag #WeAreN in highlighting the situation. The hashtag was inspired by the ‘N’ symbol for Nazarat (Christians) painted onto the abandoned homes of Mosul Christians by ISIS members to mark properties to be seized as the community fled the city.
The #WeAreN represents a major attempt by ordinary Christians not to allow Iraq to drift from public consciousness amid unfolding in other parts of the Middle East and beyond.
News of the Twitter action came as Christian leaders continued to make their own efforts towards solidarity with Christian refugees and bringing their plight to the internationals stage.
In a message to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Iraq’s Chaldean leader Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako urged a concrete UN response to immediately assist Christians in his country.
“Our community has suffered a disproportionate share of hardship caused by sectarian conflicts, terrorist attacks, migration and now even ethnic cleansing,” the patriarch writes. “The militants want to wipe out the Christian community.
Calling for international pressure on the new Iraqi government to better protect ethnic and religious minorities, Patriarch Sako calls on the UN to step up humanitarian assistance in the interim.
“We urge the United Nations to accelerate humanitarian assistance, ensuring that aid reaches those communities and those vulnerable groups who are in need of urgent help. In view of the current situation, this need for assistance might take longer than a year. The displaced Christian community needs water, medicines and basic services.”