Friday: Christian Persecution
Forty-three Christians were massacred in a Congolese Catholic Church this week.
Pope Francis called for all efforts to be made to prevent such tragedies. Then, at his Wednesday audience, he said “I renew my deep sorrow for the brutal terrorist attack that took place during the night of July 26 to 27 in Komanda, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more than forty Christians were killed in church during a prayer vigil and in their own homes.”
The killers were members of the Islamic State, ie, ISIL, whose murderous reign of terror horrified the entire world 16 years ago.
During that time, when people around the globe were watching repeated reports of ISIS’ murders of innocents and the destruction of large swaths of the Middle East, there were strident calls from the right wing press for President Obama to put “boots on the ground” —which was their cutesy phrase for American soldiers — in the Middle East and spill American blood engaging ISIS in direct warfare.
But President Obama was a competent president who refused to be swayed by a rabble-rousing right wing press. He used America’s vast network of allies and our own ability to arm and equip the defenders to stop ISIL, or ISIS as it was also called, without sacrificing American lives. He was able to do that because of the trust that people and nations had in America, a trust that was built by decades of honorable men of both political parties sitting in the White House.
Before he took office, Trump’s only contribution to the war with ISIS was to slander President Obama by telling one of his idiotic lies. In this one, he claimed that Obama was actually the leader of ISIS. Then, later, he tried to twist his lie around with another lie and say that President Obama founded ISIS. That was Trump’s contribution to ending ISIS.
Then, during his first term in office, Trump betrayed our allies, the people who had fought and defeated ISIS. He turned them over to their persecutors. Since he took office last January, Trump has worked full-time to destroy the trust that other nations have in this country with his bullying and lying.
I have serious questions as to whether Trump, or anyone in his regime, has the competence to do what Obama did and put down ISIS without spilling American blood. I also wonder if any group of people will trust him with their lives the way the Kurds trusted Obama. America is no longer a trustworthy ally.
Now, ISIL, or, as some people call it, ISIS, is back, and they appear to be targeting Catholics.
Read the story in the news links below.
1. Pope Leo on DRC attack: I pray for persecuted Christians
2. More than 40 killed in DR Congo attack linked to Islamic State
3. MASSACRE ‘OF FAITHFUL IN THE HOUSE OF GOD’ IN CONGOLESE CATHOLIC CHURCH LEAVES 43 DEAD
4. Church responds to massacre of Christians in Democratic Republic of Congo
5. Is ISIL a growing threat in the DR Congo and East Africa?
6. https://youtu.be/LLylqLealoU?si=l2UEFnYiw6xc0ruK
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In