MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent attacks and abductions by Daesh in the Middle East, notably of Assyrians

10.3.2015 - (2015/2599(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Victor Boștinaru, Richard Howitt, Josef Weidenholzer, Ana Gomes, Nicola Caputo, Demetris Papadakis, Nikos Androulakis, Alessia Maria Mosca, Liisa Jaakonsaari, Tonino Picula, Neena Gill, David Martin, Arne Lietz, Kashetu Kyenge, Elena Valenciano, Michela Giuffrida, Viorica Dăncilă, Victor Negrescu, Andi Cristea, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Luigi Morgano, Miroslav Poche, Enrico Gasbarra, Marlene Mizzi, Claudia Tapardel, Zigmantas Balčytis, Doru-Claudian Frunzulică, Biljana Borzan on behalf of the S&D Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0240/2015

B8‑0264/2015

European Parliament resolution on the recent attacks and abductions by Daesh in the Middle East, notably of Assyrians

(2015/2599(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt, and in particular the one of 9 October 2013 on the recent cases of violence and persecution against Christians, the one of 19 September 2014 on the situation in Iraq and Syria and the ISIS offensive including the persecution of minorities, and the one of 12 February 2015 on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria, in particular in the IS context,

 

- having regard to the statements by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on Iraq and Syria, and in particular the one of 16 February 2015 on the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya,

 

-  having regard to the EU guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief adopted on 24 June 2013,

 

- having regard to the reports of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; having regard to statement by the UN high commissioner for Human rights on the murder of 21 Christians in Libya on 17 February 2015,

 

-  having regard to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities of 18 December 1992; having regard to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief of 1981,

 

-  having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

 

-  having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. whereas violence against Christians by the Daesh and other Islamic terrorist groups increased in countries like Iraq and Syria forcing more than 70 percent of Iraqi Christians and more than 700.000 Syrian Christians to flee their countries;

 

B. whereas the Assyrians, one of the world's oldest Christian communities, have been under increasing pressure since Daesh captured large parts of the Middle East region and imposed the harsh interpretation of the Sharia law; whereas in Iraq the 250.000 Assyrians comprise a distinct ethno-religious group and it is estimated that up to 40.000 Assyrians lived in Syria before the country's civil war broke out in 2011;

 

C. whereas on 23 February 2015, an estimated 220 Assyrians were captured by Daesh militants after sweeping into about 12 villages on the southern bank of the Khabur river, near the town of Tal Tamr in north-eastern Syria; whereas on 1 March 2015, 19 of those were freed apparently after a Sharia court ordered them to pay an unspecified amount of money levied as a tax on non-Muslims;

 

D.  whereas the attacks against religious minorities in Libya has increased due to the growing strength of Daesh and number of extremist Islamic groups; whereas the majority of Christians in Libya are Egyptian Copts; whereas on 15 February 2015, 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by a Libyan extremist group;

 

E.  whereas the United Nations and other international organisations have reported widespread serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by Daesh and associated groups in the Middle East and specially in Syria and Iraq against minority ethnic and religious groups, including targeted killings, forced conversions, abductions, selling of women, slavery of women and children, recruitment of children for suicide bombings, sexual and physical abuse and torture; whereas there are growing concerns for the welfare of those still trapped in areas controlled by Daesh forces as almost no international humanitarian assistance reaches those areas;

 

F. whereas Christian, Yezidi, Turkmen, Shabak, Kaka’e, Sabaeans and Shi’a communities as well as Sunni Muslims who do not share Daesh´s extremist interpretation of Islam have been targeted by Daesh; whereas mosques, monuments, shrines, churches, and other places of worship, tombs and cemeteries, as well as archaeological and cultural heritage sites have been deliberately destroyed; whereas a campaign by Daesh has been initiated to destroy any traces of Assyrian culture and history;

 

G. whereas the roots of Daesh´s violence are in the extreme interpretation of the Wahhabi school of Islam; whereas this interpretation of Islam has been financed, disseminated and promoted worldwide by public and private entities of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates;

 

 

 

1. Strongly condemns the recent attacks against Christians and other religious and ethnic minorities, in particular Assyrians and Egyptian Coptic by Daesh and expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims; is extremely concerned about the proliferation of episodes of intolerance, repression and violent events perpetrated by this and other terrorist organizations against religious and ethnic minorities, and most vulnerable groups; strongly condemns attacks directed at civilian targets, including hospitals, schools and places of worship, and the use of executions and sexual violence by Daesh in the Middle East; underlines that there should be no impunity for the perpetrators of these acts.

 

2.  Underlines that widespread or systematic attacks directed against civilians because of their ethnic or political background, religion, belief or gender may constitute a crime against humanity and those responsible should be referred to the International Criminal Court; strongly condemns all forms of persecution, discrimination and intolerance based on religion and belief, and acts of violence against all religious communities; stresses once again that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is a fundamental human right.

 

3. Condemns the destruction of sites representing some of the oldest civilizations in the world described by UNESCO as a campaign of "cultural cleansing"; expresses its concern about the reports that state that Daesh is selling valuable artefacts on the black market to fund its activities.

 

4. Strongly endorses the inalienable right of all religious and ethnic minorities living in the Middle East, including Assyrians, to continue to live on their historical and traditional areas in dignity, equality and safety, and to practice freely their religion; stresses that the crimes committed against Christian minorities like Assyrians, Syriacs and Chaldeans, as well as Yezidis and Shia Muslims, are a push by Daesh for a complete religious cleansing in the region;

 

 

5. Supports all those engaged in the fight against the Daesh terrorism and other armed/terrorist groups; further calls on all regional actors and governments to cooperate fully in combatting the Daesh threat; stresses that such cooperation is vital to the security of the region.

 

6. Calls on the Council and EEAS to confront particularly the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates with the need to prevent the financing of the terrorist activities of Daesh and Al-Qaeda by their private citizens and organisations;

 

7. Emphasises the need to counter the worldwide dissemination of the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, which, in its extreme form, provides the theological and ideological justification for the terrorist activities of Daesh and Al-Qaeda; stresses, in this sense, the need for inter-religious dialogue with moderate Muslim clerics and organisations;

         

 

8. Stresses the importance of all actors providing military protection to particularly vulnerable groups targeted by Daesh in the Middle East, such as ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Yazedis, Shabak, Kaka’e, Sabaeans, in the current crisis, and of their participation in future lasting solutions, with the aim of preserving their lives and tradition of intercultural, interethnic and interreligious coexistence in the region; calls on all parties involved in the conflict to respect universal human rights, to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid and assistance through all possible channels.

 

 

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the Governments and Parliaments of the EU Member States, the Government and Council of Representatives of Iraq, the Regional Government of Kurdistan, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the United Nations Human Rights Council and all the parties involved in the conflict in Syria and Libya.