US accuses Islamic State of genocide against Christians, others

The Trump administration is denouncing the Islamic State group for carrying out “genocide” against Christians and other religious minorities in areas under its control.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the group is “clearly responsible for genocide” against Christians and Yazidis in Iraq and Shiite Muslims in Syria and elsewhere. His comments are made as the State Department releases its annual report on international religious freedom.

Tillerson says he was making the pronouncement to “remove any ambiguity” about previous genocide assertions made by his predecessor, John Kerry, who in March 2016, determined that genocide was occurring in Islamic State-held areas. Neither administration’s genocide determination carries with it any legal obligation for the US or others.

“ISIS has and continues to target members of multiple religions and ethnicities for rape, kidnapping, enslavement and death,” Tillerson tells reporters.

“ISIS is clearly responsible for genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims in areas it controlled. ISIS is also responsible for crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing directed at these same groups, and in some cases against Sunni Muslims, Kurds and other minorities,” Tillerson says. “The protection of these groups — and others who are targets of violent extremism — remains a human-rights priority for the Trump administration.”

The religious freedom report, which is mandated by Congress, covers 2016. A section on Israel notes relations between Jews, Muslims and others remains “strained,” and notes the Israeli government’s failure to open the Western Wall plaza to non-Orthodox groups.

In addition to the Islamic State, Tillerson and the report calls out Bahrain, China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkey for persecuting, stigmatizing or otherwise restricting the rights of religious minorities.

— AP, with Times of Israel staff