Print
See related documents
Resolution 2016 (2014) Final version
Threats against humanity posed by the terrorist group known as “IS”: violence against Christians and other religious or ethnic communities
1. The Parliamentary Assembly is deeply
shocked by the threats posed by the terrorist group known as “IS” (“Da’ish”
in Arabic), which has been causing death and destruction throughout
Iraq and Syria.
2. It draws attention once again to the situation of Christian
and other religious and ethnic communities in the Middle East in
general, and in Iraq and Syria in particular. Due to recent developments
in the region, in particular the attitude of the “IS”, the situation
of such communities has evolved from alarming to desperate. In some
places now under the control of the “IS”, those communities have
already disappeared.
3. In this context, the Assembly recalls its Recommendations 1957 (2011) on
violence against Christians in the Middle East and 1962 (2011) on the
religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, as well as its Resolutions 1878 (2012) on
the situation in Syria; 1902
(2012) on the European response to the humanitarian crisis
in Syria; 1928 (2013) on
safeguarding human rights in relation to religion and belief, and
protecting religious communities from violence and 1940 (2013) on the
situation in the Middle East.
4. The Assembly reiterates its strong condemnation of all acts
of violence. It firmly believes that the first priority should be
to stop the ongoing massacres and that member States of the Council
of Europe should do their utmost to contribute to bringing peace
to the region.
5. Alarmed by reports of the continued advance by “IS” forces
on the Kurdish town of Kobane on the Syrian-Turkish border, the
Assembly urges the international community to respond immediately
to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and protect the civilian population.
6. All States in the Middle East and in the wider international
community must condemn, together and firmly, the violent actions,
as well as the religious and ethnic cleansing, perpetrated by the
“IS” and join forces to face the current crisis and prevent similar
crises. They should investigate all human rights violations and ensure
that those responsible are brought to justice, without impunity.
7. The Assembly is well aware that the “IS” and other similar
terrorist groups active in the Middle East do not act in the name
of Islam, nor do they represent a majority of Muslims. Indeed, a
substantial number of victims are Muslims. Therefore, it welcomes
the mobilisation of the Muslim community against the actions of “IS”,
notably in the Not In My Name campaign.
8. The Assembly expresses deep concern that around 3 000 young
Europeans are fighting for “IS” in Iraq and Syria and urges the
member States of the Council of Europe to increase efforts to identify
them, as well as to identify and dismantle recruitment channels,
to prosecute those responsible and to exchange information and co-ordinate
their response to returning jihadists. In addition, the sources
of financing for the “IS” should be identified and, whenever possible,
neutralised and sanctioned.
9. The Assembly welcomes wholeheartedly the United Nations Security
Council’s unanimous adoption, on 24 September 2014, of Resolution
2178 (2014) on threats to international peace and security caused
by terrorist acts, which urges member States to prevent their citizens
from joining the “IS” in Iraq and Syria, including by adapting their
legislation.
10. The Assembly recognises that current humanitarian missions
are woefully insufficient given the unprecedented humanitarian crisis
we are now facing. Therefore, it calls on the Council of Europe
member States, observer States and States whose parliaments enjoy
partnership for democracy status with the Assembly to increase humanitarian
aid supplies to existing refugee camps across Iraq, Syria, Jordan,
Lebanon and Turkey, and further expand aid programmes.
11. As a neighbour to Syria and Iraq, Turkey opened its borders
to thousands of displaced persons from Iraq and Syria who were fleeing
the violence, including vulnerable minorities such as the Yazidis.
The number of Iraqis and Syrians in Turkey has reached almost 1.5
million, of whom almost 250 000 have crossed the border in the past
two weeks. In addition, Turkey has set up camps for more than 35 000
internally displaced persons in northern Iraq.
12. Inclusivity must be promoted at all levels, both in Iraq and
in Syria. The Iraqi Government and the Iraqi security forces have
a responsibility to ensure that reported incidents of excessive
force and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities
under the former government are not repeated.
13. The Assembly calls on member States of the Council of Europe
and the international community in general to support the Government
of Iraq in its attempts to provide its citizens with a credible
alternative to the pull of the “IS”.
14. The Assembly further recommends that the governments of its
member States use their bilateral relations with States affected
by the “IS” to encourage them to maintain the development of human
rights and civil liberties.
15. The Assembly calls on the governments of all member States
to facilitate the launch of an inclusive and Syrian-led process
that will lead to a genuine political transition, on the basis of
the Geneva Communiqué, that meets the legitimate aspirations of
the Syrian people for a free and democratic Syria, where every person
will be treated equally regardless of their religion, belief or
ethnicity.
16. The Assembly urges the international community to:
16.1. encourage the upholding of a
fair and equitable status for all citizens irrespective of their
religious or ethnic origin. Everyone should be equal before the
law, and no religious law should prevail over civil courts;
16.2. strongly encourage the region’s media sources to engage
in and uphold standards of “good practice” and therefore refrain
from inciting religious or ethnic hatred, while respecting the freedom
and independence of the media;
16.3. ensure that the appropriate conditions are met for the
safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons;
16.4. encourage and assist whenever possible Christian communities
and other religious and ethnic communities, in particular the Yazidis
and the Kurds, to actively participate in ongoing discussions on the
future of both Iraq and Syria;
16.5. develop a worldwide and well-funded programme of reconstruction
for the affected areas, supervised by the United Nations;
16.6. support the peoples of Iraq and Syria and stand up for
their fundamental rights. In this framework, all actions of the
international community should be in line with international law
and the Charter of the United Nations.
17. The Assembly further encourages the countries in the Middle
East to:
17.1. recognise that democracy
alone is not enough and ensure that respect for human rights and pluralism,
which are components of their own civilisation, is constitutionally
guaranteed;
17.2. condemn unequivocally not only deadly attacks on innocent
people, in particular children and women, but also the use of violence
in general, as well as all forms of discrimination and intolerance based
on religion and beliefs;
17.3. collaborate in bringing to justice, without impunity,
those responsible for human rights violations;
17.4. strengthen regional co-operation among all countries in
the Middle East, with a view to creating diversity in understanding
and empowering minorities.
18. The Assembly resolves to continue to follow closely, as a
priority, the situation in the region, as well as the tragic humanitarian
consequences of the current crisis and the issue of foreign terrorist
fighters.