Secretary of State Rex Tillerson must publicly clarify if he believes the Islamic State has carried out acts of genocide, according to human rights activists and Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
The senator wrote an op-ed in The Daily Caller released Monday, in which he called for action against ISIS for "ruthlessly massacring Yazidi men and kidnapping and enslaving Yazidi women and children," three years ago, as well as putting "Iraq's ancient Christian community . . . in the crosshairs."
Rubio notes that ISIS committed the Yazidi massacre at Mt. Sinjar and days later took hold of the largest Christian city in Iraq, Qaraqosh.
"Fleeing on foot, many could not escape being killed, kidnapped, or forced to convert. Churches and other holy sites that had stood for centuries were bombed, defaced or destroyed, or turned into torture chambers and weapons storehouses. The full measure of human suffering exacted against these innocent people remains incalculable," he wrote.
"This bloodthirsty campaign targeting ethnic and religious minorities was clearly genocide—a term I do not use lightly."
He notes that previous Secretary of State John Kerry referred to ISIS as being "responsible for genocide" against Yazidis, Christians and other religious minorities.
"Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the current administration maintains this determination," Rubio continues. "It is important for Secretary Tillerson to publicly address this issue and clarify the administration's stance, which my colleagues and I have asked him to do. Even then, words without action will not change the reality on the ground."
The Washington Free Beacon notes that human rights activists, including the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom's Nina Shea, applauded Tillerson's spokeswoman Heather Nauert for saying at the end of July that the secretary "firmly believes" the ISIS attacks constitute genocide.
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