In remarks a few days ago in Turkey, President Obama said this:
Turns out he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His own administration claims to be—rightly and lawfully—following the very policy he called “shameful.”
Here is a quote from an unclassified email from the Department of State:
This email acknowledges one problem with our refugee program: we take most refugees from the UN system, and Christians are under-represented in it.
The email also states what is obvious: that Christians are a uniquely vulnerable religious minority who need special treatment. Special treatment for religious minorities is part of US law; it is why “Iranian members of certain religious minorities are eligible for processing and are considered under a reduced evidentiary standard for establishing a well-founded fear of persecution,” to quote from the report on “Proposed Refugee Admissions FY 2015” from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration. As the report acknowledges, “Persecution of religious groups is common in many countries in the Middle East and South Asia that are countries of origin for refugee populations entering the United States.” You bet. And here’s what that document says about Iraq and Syria:
In Syria, the government increased its targeting and surveillance of members of faith groups it deemed a “threat,” including members of the country’s Sunni majority. This occurred concurrently with the escalation of violent extremist activity targeting Christians and other religious minorities as the current civil war continues.
I do not believe the State Department has been effective in admitting persecuted Christians into the United States, but what President Obama said was that paying attention to the religion of refugees is “shameful.” It is not only not shameful, it is U.S. law and his State Department claims to be following the law.
How can we explain this? Mr. Obama’s desire to deride his critics likely got the better of him once again. But he should study the law and come clean. Helping persecuted Christians is lawful and it is moral. What’s shameful is ignoring and abandoning them—and mocking Americans who want to help them.
