“Governors who publicly refuse to consider allowing Syrian refugees are fostering fear and prejudicial treatment of Syrians,” said Iowa Conference Bishop Julius C. Trimble. “The governors are creating an environment of racial profiling.”
The Bishop’s remarks came against a backdrop of calls to “pause” admitting refugees from Syria. The backlash comes following the tragedy in Paris, last week, when some 128 people were killed in terror attacks.
“I want to invite people to remember we are all part of one human family and to remember that as Gods people we are all immigrants.” Bishop Trimble added. “Refugees seeking safety, who are from Syria or any other country where violence and conflict is a daily reality, need to find a safe place to live. “
Even Iowa’s Governor Terry Branstad has directed state agencies to stop work on resettling Syrian refugees. Women and children make up 75% of the nearly 4.3 million directly affected by violence in Syria, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and that trend is “accelerating dramatically.”
Bishop calls on governors to be “promoters of peace”
“While attending conference on global migration issues, held in Germany in 2014, I had an opportunity to hear from a family seeking refugee status in Germany,” the Bishop noted. “The father of one family, a doctor from Aleppo Syria, fled to Germany seeking to save his children.”
“We cannot claim to be the church and not challenge our Governors to be the voices of reason and respect and promoters of peace not fear,” Bishop Trimble concluded.
Full text of Bishop Trimble's remarks
“I want to invite people to remember we are all part of one human family and to remember that as Gods people we are all immigrants. Refugees seeking safety, who are from Syria or any other country where violence and conflict is a daily reality, need to find a safe place to live. “
“Governors who publicly refuse to consider allowing Syrian refugees are fostering fear and prejudicial treatment of Syrians. The governors are creating an environment of racial profiling.”
“While attending conference on global migration issues, held in Germany in 2014, I had an opportunity to hear from a family seeking refugee status in Germany. A doctor from Aleppo Syria fled to Germany seeking to save his children.”
“We cannot claim to be the church and not challenge our Governors to be the voices of reason and respect and promoters of peace not fear.”
