Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback The security of Christians in Northern Iraq remains “tenuous” and will require close attention in the future, the US State Department’s religious freedom ambassador has told members of Congress.
While the situation is “far better in Northern Iraq right now” for Yazidis and Christians, who in 2016 were recognised by the State Department as genocide victims of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, there is still a lack of “true security in the area”, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said.
Ambassador Brownback testified on June 27 at the hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on ‘Violations of the International Right to Freedom of Religion’ of Christians.
The hearing was held two months after bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killed more than 250 people, targeting churches and hotels.
Study
A recent Pew Center study showed that Christians are persecuted in more countries around the world than any other religious group, in 144 countries.