"Almost every single family in that country (Iraq) has lost somebody, kidnapped or murdered. I've visited refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, and they're living on the edge in those places, really forgotten. We worked really hard to influence the administration to have an official response (to the persecution of religious minorities). Terrible things have happened to that population as a result of U.S. action. It wasn't the intent of the U.S. to do that, but the consequences nevertheless have fallen on these poor people. Therefore we have a moral responsibility to come to their assistance."
~The Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick, who co-chaired the Coalition to Save Iraqi Christians
News & Discussion Topics:
Our guest was the Rev. Dr. Keith Roderick. The new rector of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Carbondale is also Secretary General of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights and comes to us from his most recent post as the representative for Christian Solidarity International in Washington, D.C. Father Roderick discussed the Darfur genocide and Sudanese Civil War, the state of religious minorities in the Middle East, and the connection between religious persecution and torture. He offered some guidelines for ways the average person can help, such as petitioning legislators to take a stand, writing to those imprisoned, providing care packages for internally displaced people, and sponsoring a church or family in affected areas. To learn more, contact Fr. Roderick at the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights, cdhr@dhimmi.com or father.roderick@gmail.com, (618) 364-7102.
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