Greg Daly
The Government has refused to follow the lead of former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in describing the persecution of Christians in the Middle East as ‘genocide’. The Opposition has accused the coalition of turning a blind eye.
The Democratic presidential candidate has broken with President Barack Obama in saying that “we now have enough evidence” to use the word ‘genocide’ of violence against Christians and other religious minorities in ISIS-controlled territories.
She had previously been reluctant to use this term, she said, because it has “broad implications”. Under international law, once a genocide has been recognised, countries are obliged to take steps to prevent it and to punish the perpetrators.
Asked whether the Government now regards ISIS’ actions against Christians and other minorities as genocide, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told The Irish Catholic the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accepted in March 2015 that ISIS may have committed genocide but that this would need to be established by an independent and competent court.
Accountability
“We echo his call that, in order to provide accountability and justice for the victims, all crimes are investigated in line with international human rights standards, and perpetrators are brought to justice,” the department spokesman said.
The Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has studied the situation in the Middle East closely over the past year, but it is difficult to ascertain whether genocide is being committed, committee chairman Pat Breen TD told The Irish Catholic.
“We need to exhaust everything before we go down the road of genocide,” he said, adding that Ireland has raised concerns both in the EU and in the UN, but as a small country, “Ireland can’t do a whole lot without its European partners”.
Europe as a whole, he said, needs to examine the situation more closely.
Fíanna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney, who has frequently sought to draw attention to the persecution being suffered by Middle Eastern Christians, accused the Government of having “sat on their hands on this issue”.
“Ireland’s proud track record in the area of international justice has diminished greatly over the course of the lifetime of this government,” he told The Irish Catholic, adding that “International law is only as powerful as the force that is prepared to implement it, and it is time for Ireland to reflect on its capacity to deliver a message of conciliation, resolution, and peace.”