By: MacKenzie Dreeszen
Juliana Taimoorazy, founder of the non-profit Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICRC), spoke at the Westside Conservative Breakfast Club at the Iowa Machine Shed Wednesday morning. Juliana is a native of Iran and founded ICRC in 2007. In the decade that this organization has been in existence, they have assisted more than 110,000 Assyrian Christians by distributing food, shelter, medicine, prayer support, and advocacy.
Juliana recently returned from a visit to Aleppo, and she shared her experiences. With the rise of ISIS, more than 600,000 Christians and other non-Islamic minorities have been displaced from Syria to northern Iraq. She recounted that violent terrorists threaten the populations with death if they do not convert to Islam. The area is dangerous and sex trafficking is rampant. Traveling through the mountains is treacherous, and often small children are killed by their parents because it is the only way for the family to survive the journey.
Upon arrival at the refugee camps, the hardship continues. Forced to leave all that they had behind, items like clothes, food, and medicine are scarce. Conditions that are typically very treatable in the West like high blood pressure and diabetes are fatal because of gross medical neglect. It gets cold in the winter, and they have no heat.
“I tell you these things because I want you to feel their pain. I want men to feel what it’s like to lose your livelihood and all that you own. I want women to feel what it’s like to lose your home and garden. The pain of children who cannot attend school, and the pain of families who are uncertain and afraid for their children’s futures,” said Juliana.
Juliana continued by asking everyone to advocate aid for these victims of ISIS with their lawmakers, and to talk to their pastors and church leaders about getting the word out and adopting Assyrian churches.
“Now more than ever it is important to support these refugees as a Christian community. Knowledge bears responsibility. By doing nothing, we devastate these people. As Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ. If one part suffers, it affects everyone. As conservatives, we understand the threat of Islam.”
Juliana went on to express frustration with The Left for their lack of response.
“What frustrates me about feminists and liberal advocates from the West is that they are not showing more outrage over this injustice. Instead, they say nothing because they don’t want to be perceived as being Islamophobic”.
Juliana warned that Islam is becoming a national security threat not only in the Middle East, but in the US as well. She explained that with 300 million Islamic radicals, they are beginning to infiltrate American communities. In some cities, Muslims are becoming a powerful force on city councils and other governing bodies. Abandoned churches and schools are taken over and replaced with Islamic schools and mosques.
Organizations like ICRC provide light in the midst of darkness. By providing living essentials like food, clothing, and medicine to these Iraqi Christians, they are reviving their hopes. Additionally, ICRC works closely with Israel and members of the Jewish community.
“I want you to walk away with empowerment. Talk about what is happening with your children at dinner. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors,” Juliana urged before concluding by reciting the Lord’s Prayer in her native language, Aramaic.
MacKenzie Dreeszen is a legislative liaison for the Iowa House and a political consultant specialized in fundraising.
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