Open Doors USA and Simon Wiesenthal Center Respond to the Execution of Christians in Libya

Organizations Urge Obama Administration to Forge Action Plan Now

SANTA ANA, CA—Following the release of a video by the terror group ISIS showing the execution of 30 Ethiopian Christians in Libya, Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry along with theSimon Wiesenthal Center’s Associate Dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, and Director of Interfaith Affairs Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, issued the following call for action:

“Our teams at Open Doors and The Simon Wiesenthal Center are heartbroken over the news that 30 Ethiopian Christians were viciously executed in Libya. We have been warning Western governmentsfor months that a religious genocide of Christians was taking place. While we welcome the White House acknowledgement that these victims were targeted because of their faith, much more needs tobe done.

“First, the Administration should recognize the centrality of religious extremism to ISIS’s terrorist activities and publicly acknowledge that theologically-fueled hatred is at the heart ofthis conflict.

“Second, America must lead the way in combating such genocidal hatred and, together with its NATO allies, forge an action plan to protect endangered Christian communities across the MiddleEast.

“We must not stand idly by and watch as thousands of Christians are murdered for their faith. If Americans truly value freedom of religion, let us hold that value high and demand more be doneto protect religious freedom around the world. Governments and NGOs should treat the rights of religious minorities as a core human right. This truth must motivate our nations. If we fail tocounter ISIS’ religious Nazi ideology, it will continue to infect the hearts and minds of the ever-growing number of youth around the world, ultimately leading to more senseless persecution andbloodshed. The time to act is now.”

About Open Doors USA:
For 60 years, Open Doors USA has worked inthe world's most oppressive and restrictive countries for Christians. Open Doors works to equip and encourage Christians living in dangerous circumstances with the threat of persecution andequips the Western church to advocate for the persecuted. Christians are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. For more information,visit OpenDoorsUSA.org

About Simon Wiesenthal Center:
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largestinternational Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, theOAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).