Parliament votes unanimously to declare IS/Daesh crimes genocide

Image: ICN/JS

"Last night the House of Commons Voted by 278 votes to zero to declare that a genocide is underway against Christians, Yazidis and other minorities in Syria and Iraq. This is the first time that the House of Commons has ever declared a genocide while it is ongoing. By a unanimous vote it has insisted on a referral to the UN Security Council: - Lord Alton writes in his latest blog.

He continues: "Sickened by the barbarism and brutality directed at Christians, Yazidis and other minorities, the House of Commons has spoken and the Government now needs to stop prevaricating, listen and act.

The Government also needs to address the absence of any formal mechanism to refer evidence of genocide to the Courts, which simply leads to Government buck passing and hand wringing.

They repeatedly say that determining whether a genocide is underway is a matter for the courts but then refuse to provide a trigger for a referral.

Parliament - as Congress and the European Parliament have done - has had to force the Government's hand. Unless we accept our obligations to prevent, punish and protect, when a genocide occurs, we might just as well rip up the Genocide Convention as a worthless piece of paper.

If what is happening to groups like the Yazidis and Assyrian Christians doesn't meet the high technical standard of what constitutes a genocide it's hard to imagine what would. The Government failed to address that question and MPs were right to assert parliament's will. To ignore this vote would amount to contempt of parliament.

The House of Commons voted 278 - 0 that this House believes that Christians, Yazidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria are suffering genocide at the hands of Daesh; and calls on the Government to make an immediate referral to the UN Security Council with a view to conferring jurisdiction upon the International Criminal Court so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.

See the full debate at:https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-04-20/debates/16042036000001/DaeshGenocideOfMinorities

The Motion was moved by Fiona Bruce MP:

Fiona Bruce: "Recognition of genocide is not the only or the final action of the international community, but it is a crucial step, and one that we should make today. I recognise that conferring jurisdiction on the ICC requires the support of other members of the Security Council, but that should not stop our country from initiating the process. I add that there is precedent for the Security Council to establish a fact-finding committee of experts, so that all current evidence can be assessed and new evidence can be collected. If the motion is passed, I appeal to the Government to consider that recommendation at the Security Council. I repeat: some may ask, "What difference will this really make?" I leave the final word to the young girl Ekhlas. To her, it would make all the difference in the world. When I asked her yesterday what her hopes were for the future, she replied, "to see justice done for my people."

She was supported by speeches from other Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Unionist MPs:

Stephen Twigg: "We have an opportunity to heed that warning from the holocaust--"never again"--and to send the message to our own Government, and also to Daesh and the wider international community, that we recognise this as genocide and want action to be taken against the perpetrators of that genocide."

Stephen Timms: "I hope that we can make a clear statement today that this is genocide, both to express solidarity with Yazidis, Christians and Shi'a Muslims who are the victims of this horrifying brutality, and to make clear our determination to ensure that those responsible face prosecution and a just punishment for what they have done.... I want to make some observations on how we can deal with the commitment to religious freedom that we all espouse.... we should be doing more... the Government should appoint a global envoy for religious freedom, who would report directly to the Prime Minister, and establish within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office a multi-faith advisory council on religious freedom."

Ian Blackford: "The UN has estimated that 5,000 men were massacred and 7,000 women were enslaved in that action. The women captured by Daesh were sold into sexual slavery, and many were displaced throughout Daesh-controlled territory. As we have heard, the testimony of survivors--Yazidis and Christians--tells of the horrific and daily violence carried out against them, and that has been a deliberate policy on the part of Daesh."

Jim Shannon: "This is not a horror movie--I wish it was. This is taking place just a plane flight away. It is time we called this what it is: it is systematic, it is calculated, and it is genocide."

Sir Edward Leigh: "It would be intolerable for the Government to whip against the motion and force members of the payroll to vote against their own consciences, or abstain. It would also be intolerable if the Government, by some sleight of hand, allowed the motion to be agreed to, and then said that it was not binding on them. If the motion is agreed to--I sincerely hope that the Minister will not speak against it, and that it will not be whipped against--the House of Commons will have spoken, and the Government should act."

The Bishop of Shrewsbury, Rt Rev Mark Davies commented: "We are witnessing nothing less than genocide being committed with horrifying cruelty against Christians and other minorities in the Middle East.

"Whole communities face annihilation and look to the international community for support. We must welcome and applaud the decision of the House of Commons to support the motion moved by Fiona Bruce MP to call upon our own Government to refer these genocidal acts of Daesh to the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court. I hope the British Government will reconsider its position and be ready to stand with other governments and international bodies in recognising this crime of genocide."

Read David Alton's earlier report here: https://davidalton.net/2016/03/18/february-18th-letter-from-leading-uk-lawyers-and-human-rights-campaigners-including-the-former-lord-chancellor-to-the-prime-minister-calling-for-the-british-government-to-declare-the-atrocities-co/

Source: Lord Alton, Parliament, Diocese of Shrewsbury