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Church of England Urges David Cameron to Offer Iraqi Christians Asylum

  • Carrie Dedrick Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated Aug 28, 2014

The Church of England is urging British Prime Minister David Cameron to offer asylum for Iraqi Christians and religious minorities facing Islamic State persecution. 

Archbishop of York John Sentamu said that the prime minister should “take a lead” on the serious acts of persecution that the Islamic State continues to commit. The time for “speeches and condemnation has passed,” he said. 

Sentamu said that he wrote the Cameron a letter explaining the immediacy of the situation, but has not yet received a reply from the prime minister. 

The Archbishop said, "In that letter I also raised the issue of asylum recognizing that the granting of asylum will not bring an end to the crisis but is a humanitarian act aimed at relieving suffering.

"I await a substantive reply. I raise this not to embarrass the Prime Minister, for whom I pray, but to urge him and his colleagues to act justly and swiftly in the face of suffering."

France, Germany and Australia have already offered Iraqi Christians and religious minorities asylum. 

Publication date: August 28, 2014