ASSYRIAN AND YEZIDI COMMUNITIES UPSET WITH GENOCIDE DENIAL APPLAUSE

Applause Followed Defeat of Motion Recognizing ISIS Acts of Genocide

(Ottawa, ON June 16, 2016) The Centre for Canadian-Assyrian Relations (CCAR), along with several members of the Yezidi community, are deeply disappointed over the conduct of several Liberal MPs following the vote to officially recognize the atrocities committed by ISIS as genocide. Several Liberal MPs proceeded to applaud the outcome of the vote leaving many in attendance dumbfounded over their cause for celebration.

“Not only did they refuse to acknowledge the loss of life and destruction as genocide,” says Aneki Nissan, president of CCAR, “but they applauded their actions. It was surreal.” Every member of the Assyrian and Yezidi community in attendance has been directly affected by ISIS efforts to end the existence of the indigenous Assyrians and Yezidis. Assyrian and Yezidi-Canadian community leaders attending the vote were left feeling dejected and extremely upset.

CCAR is therefore calling on the Prime Minister’s Office to right this horrible wrong by issuing an apology for the conduct of his MPs. While CCAR believes that the applause had no malicious intent, “It clearly demonstrated that these MPs did not truly understand or appreciate the magnitude of this vote” said Nissan.

CCAR refuses to accept that Canadian MPs be on the wrong side of history. “We will continue to work closely with them to ensure they understand that genocide is happening and ISIS is the perpetrator,” says Nissan. The European Union, United Kingdom, and American legislators, and as recently as today, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, have recognized ISIS crimes as genocide, leaving human rights activists perplexed at genocide denial by Canadian MPs.

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