(WASHINGTON, DC) — A three day conference dedicated to aiding the Christians in the Middle East opened yesterday in Washington, DC. The “In Defense of Christians” Summit (IDC) will bring together lawmakers, Eastern and Western churches, community leaders and various Christian groups to address the issues that concern Middle Eastern Christians.
Lebanese Patriarch Beshara Rai is participating in the conference.
“Christian institutions provide social service, health care and education for millions throughout the region. Christians are not only the lawyers, doctors and businessmen in their communities, they are also the servants…their very presence is the source of pluralism that has a moderating influence throughout the region,” said Doran.
“Our brothers and sisters are suffering terribly,” Baaklini said. “Our duty, the moral duty of the hundreds of you that are here today from all over the world, is to stand together under the banner of our common cause, the cause of faith, existence and tranquility.”
“We are here because there are those who are the victims of individuals around the world, who are victimized because people seek to impose on them their idea of some construct of God, some construct of morality, some construct of human existence,” Ashcroft said.
“It is very significant that the meeting is taking place between people of different Christian denominations and people of religion who believe as Christ the value of the freedom of the human person,” the Cardinal said.
