Religious Liberty Partnership
Releases Statement on Syria, Calls for International Day of Prayer
(APRIL 15, 2013) Religious liberty organizations united
under the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) have released a statement on the
crisis in Syria asking the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria to pay
particular attention to “vulnerable ethnic and
religious minorities”, and calling for a designated
day of prayer for the country.
Called the Istanbul Statement on the Church in Syria, it
expresses concern about the exodus of Christians and other ethnic and religious
minorities from Syria and calls on the international community to” provide sufficient protection for all ethnic and religious
communities as well as their historical, religious, and cultural sites.”
“There was overwhelming support
at our 2013 Consultation in Istanbul to speak out about the urgent situation
facing Christians and other religious minorities in Syria at this present time,” said Mervyn Thomas. Chairman of the RLP, and CEO of
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, UK. “We urge Christian leaders
around the world to respond to this call to prayer and action now in order to
bring peace and stability to this troubled nation.”
According to the
statement, drafted during the annual gathering of member organizations held in
Istanbul in late March, the Religious Liberty Partnership commits “to raise awareness and work toward a peaceful solution of
the current crisis, including reconciliation among the various ethnic and
religious communities; and to utilize practices that prioritize the well-being
of all Syrians when providing assistance and advocating on behalf of the
vulnerable.” The full Istanbul Statement is available at
the RLP website: www.RLPartnership.org, www.cswng.org, @cswng10
The Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) is a collaborative
effort of Christian organizations from over 20 countries focused on religious
liberty. The RLP seeks to more
intentionally work together in addressing advocacy, assistance, and in raising
the awareness of religious liberty issues globally. Besides RLP Chairman, Mervyn Thomas, the RLP
Leadership Team is made of: Godfrey
Yogarajah, of the World Evangelical Alliance; Ron Boyd-Macmillan, Open Doors
International, Netherlands; Anne Brandner, Global Peace Initiative, Canada;
Andy Dipper, Viva, UK; Daniel Hoffman of Middle East Concern; and Linus
Pfister, HMK Switzerland. A listing of
RLP members is on the Istanbul Statement.
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