Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, last week the Drudge Report featured an article with a striking headline, ``The World's Most Ancient Christian Communities Are Being Destroyed--and No One Cares.'' This sentiment was expressed in no uncertain terms yesterday at an event in my district at St. John the Beloved in McLean, Virginia. People from around the Greater Washington, D.C., area gathered to hear directly from five senior Syrian Christian leaders, part of a delegation from the war-ravaged country and the first of its kind that I know of to visit the U.S. since the hostilities began. These men will speak at The Heritage Foundation at 1 p.m. today and will meet with Members of Congress tomorrow. Their story and that of their communities bears telling not only to policymakers, but to the American church at large, for they represent the very cradle of Christendom. They spoke movingly of their identity as Syrian Christians with ancient roots predating the apostle Paul. Today these communities face violence, kidnapping, sexual assault, displacement, and more. According to the Barnabus Fund, which is hosting this delegation, an estimated 600,000 Christians in Syria have already fled the country or lost their lives. Of course, general violence plagues Syria, but this ancient Christian community finds itself targeted by Islamist elements in the country, including a significant number of foreign jihadists who have flocked to the battlefield.…”