Strasbourg, 12/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - In a joint resolution penned by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, Greens/EFA and EFDD, adopted by the plenary on Thursday 12 March, the European Parliament condemned the brutal actions by Islamic State/Da'esh against Assyrians in Syria and the Copts in Libya, which it says are the equivalent of crimes against humanity and war crimes that can be described as genocide.
The EP says it is “shocked and saddened at the brutal actions by ISIS/Da'esh extremists against the Assyrians in Syria and the Copts in Libya, and condemns them in the strongest terms; expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and with the Assyrian Christian community in Syria and Coptic Christian community in Egypt, as well as all other groups and individuals affected by ISIS/Da'esh violence” and “is extremely concerned at this terrorist group's deliberate targeting of Christians, Yezidis, Turkmen, Shi'ites, Shabak, Sabeans, Kaka'e and Sunnis who do not agree with their interpretation of Islam, as part of its attempts to exterminate any religious minorities from the areas under its control.”
The EP “supports the international efforts against ISIS/Da'esh, including the military actions of the international coalition, coordinated by the United States, and encourages the EU Member States who have not already done so to consider ways of contributing to these efforts, including tracing and interdicting ISIS secret funds held overseas.”
The EP “urges the EU and its Member States to take a proactive and preventive approach towards the threat of ISIS/Da'esh expansion into countries and regions beyond Iraq and Syria; in this light, is extremely concerned about the situation in Libya, not least because of its geographical proximity to the EU as well as to conflict areas in Africa (…) and urges the EU and its Member States, as well as NATO partners, to address the issue of certain countries' ambivalent roles in the conflict, in particular where they contributed, or still contribute, actively or passively, to the rise of ISIS/Da'esh and other extremist groups; is very concerned, in this context, about the financing of the dissemination of the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam by public and private entities of countries from the Gulf region and calls upon these countries to stop this financing; furthermore, urges these countries to stop the financing of terrorist organisations from within their territories; calls upon Turkey to play a positive role in the fight against ISIS/Da'esh and without delay allow Christian minorities and other persecuted people fleeing from Syria to cross the border into Turkey and seek safety.”
Describing Da'esh's announcement that it was setting up a caliphate in the regions under its control as “illegitimate,” the EP condemns the destruction of cultural sites and artefacts by Da'esh in Syria and Iraq.
Finally, the EP “urges the EU to further explore counter-terrorism policies (…) and to continue to work with Member States to enhance policies that counter radicalisation on EU soil.” (Emmanuel Hagry)