Assyrian Christians and other minorities of the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq are under attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These jihadists are persecuting religious minorities based solely on their beliefs. Our country is committed to religious freedom and we must take necessary action to protect the people facing this unjust persecution. In a letter signed by 16 of my colleagues to Secretary of State John Kerry, we urged him to do more to protect these innocent victims. We have the resources to help and Congress approved funds to assist Iraqi Christians.

“The Fiscal Year 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (P.L. 113-235) included language directing the State Department to support programs designed to assist vulnerable Iraqi ethnic and religious minorities in the Nineveh Plains region, as well as the larger Iraqi Christian community,” we wrote in the letter.

Read the letter in its entirety below.

We have an obligation to promote religious tolerance worldwide. As an advocate of religious freedom, I will continue to monitor progress and push for assistance we can provide to these Iraqi Christians.