June 23, 2014 - Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador for Religious Freedom, today issued the following statement:
“Canada condemns in no uncertain terms the targeting of Christian Iraqis based solely on their faith.
“Forced conversions, by threats of death, are an egregious violation of the right to freedom of religion.
“As I have said before, democracy cannot find fertile ground in any society where human rights, including freedom of religion, are not respected. The very notion of religious freedom is what the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) intends to eliminate and what the Iraqi people cannot surrender.
“Canada calls upon all Iraqi leaders to come together and govern for all Iraqis, regardless of religion, for the sake of the country’s security, democracy and prosperity.”
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