Washington, DC– In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, expresses gratitude to President Donald J. Trump and congratulates President-Elect Joseph R. Biden, while affirming the importance for the new administration to support Christians and other historic communities in the Middle East.

IDC commends the Trump Administration for its historic assistance to the persecuted Christian communities of the Middle East, including: Over $350 million in assistance to Christian and Yazidi survivors of the ISIS Genocide in Iraq; over $50 million to genocide survivors in Northeast Syria; and an Executive Order Advancing International Religious Freedom.

IDC commends President-Elect Biden for pledging to hold Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accountable for Christian persecution through actions such as recognizing the Armenian Christian Genocide; calling for the historic status of the Hagia Sophia to be respected; and condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan for bombarding the historic Christian community of Artsakh.

IDC commends the president and the president-elect for championing strong humanitarian assistance to Lebanon and supporting U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

“We would like to thank President Trump and his administration for their unprecedented efforts to preserve Christianity in the Middle East. They made many historic accomplishments for this cause,” said IDC President Toufic Baaklini. “We are encouraged by President-Elect Biden’s positions taken during the campaign regarding the need for a stronger policy towards Erdoğan and an urgent U.S. response to protect Armenian Christians in Artsakh. We will advocate with his administration, and the 117th Congress, to ensure his stated positions materialize into U.S. policy,” he added.

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