Juan Vargas: “I thank the gentleman from Georgia, Representative Doug Collins, for his opening remarks and especially for his courage…”

“I thank the gentleman from Georgia, Representative Doug Collins, for his opening remarks and especially for his courage to speak out for religious freedom around the world and also for his courage serving our Nation in uniform. At this moment, religious freedom around the world is in a state of emergency. The recently released International Religious Freedom annual report describes ``humanitarian crisis fueled by waves of terror, intimidation, violence,'' and ``the horrific loss of human life, freedom, and dignity that has accompanied the chaos.'' From the brutality of ISIL in Iraq and Syria to Boko Haram's mass murders at mosques and churches and the displacement of over 140,000 Rohingya Muslims and 100,000 Kachin Christians in Burma, the past year has seen unspeakable violations of the basic right to practice one's religion. Additionally, blasphemy laws, the vast displacement of religious minorities, and the persistent attacks on religious communities and places of worship should all be a cause for concern. Today, I would like to highlight the plight of religious minorities in ISIL-held territories a year after the fall of Mosul. The Nineveh plains have been inhabited by Christians for the past 2,000 years and was first settled in 6000 BCE.…”