Islamic State (ISIS)

One important theme of the pontificate of Pope Francis has been a message of hope to Christians in the Middle East and Africa that they are not forgotten.

Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq was the first of its kind in papal history. The remaining Christians in Iraq long anticipated his visit, including to an Assyrian city just 23 miles (37 kilometers) east of Mosul.

As shocking as the January 6 lawlessness was, I was surprised how quickly people who should know better switched gears and called for some version of the Global War on Terror to be fought—not on some distant desert or foreign mountain top—but inside America against American citizens.

Extremists are slowly extinguishing of some of the world’s oldest Christian communities, while the world remains largely silent.

The story of Kurdish Christians and all other religious minorities in the Middle East is one of great suffering, but it is also a story of survival and great resilience. Fortunately, there is time to save northeast Syria as a refuge for these communities, but only if the international community offers immediate support.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has extended his menacing military involvement to the South Caucasus, where Turkish army personnel are assisting Azerbaijan in a massive invasion against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia.

Grey zone conflicts—like those in Ukraine and the South China Sea—are major threats both to a just peace and American security interests. The just war tradition needs to consider them more.

Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq now pose a threat greater than the services they once provided.

World Refugee Day is an appropriate time to reflect on how policymakers should address these challenges while ensuring refugees have religious freedom.