杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis on Wednesday appealed to the world to take action in favour of the rights of the persecuted Yazidis, and he described the religious minority as 鈥渋nnocent victims of a senseless and inhumane barbarity.

His words of support and condemnation of religious intolerance and hatred came during an in the Vatican with representatives of Yazidi refugees from Iraq and Syria who have found shelter in Germany.

Saying that it is unacceptable that human beings continue to be persecuted and killed because of their religious affiliation, the 杏MAP导航 called for the recognition, protection and respect for persecuted minorities and said that every person has the right to freely profess his or her own faith without limitations.

鈥淥nce again, he said, I raise my voice in favour of Yazidi rights, above all for the right to exist as a religious community: no one can claim the power to obliterate a religious group because it is not tolerated.

Serhat Ortac, President of the society of Yazidi Academics was amongst those representing the Yazidi people during today鈥檚 audience with the 杏MAP导航:

Ortac told Vatican News that a people the Yazidis are very grateful for the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 invitation and they are very thankful for his support.

鈥淲e hope to stay in contact with the Vatican to maintain the support and the attention of the world鈥� on the fate of persecuted minorities in Iraq and across the globe, he said.

Ortac said that the Yazidis have been persecuted and are confronted with genocide since August 2014; since then, he continued, many thousands have been killed and there are still about 4,000 kept hostage and we don鈥檛 know where they are.

鈥淲e need the help of the international community to help these people鈥� he said.

He also said that from 300,000 to 400,000 Yazidis are still in refugee camps and cannot go back to their homeland because they may still face persecution.

The State, he noted, is not capable of protecting these minorities including many Christian communities who have been forced to flee their homeland.

鈥漌e have to support these people, he concluded, so they can go back and live in their homelands鈥�.