On Wednesday, President Barack Obama sent out message of hope to persecuted Christians living in countries targeted by ISIS insurgents. He said that he and the First Lady were joining with people around the world in their prayers for ISIS victims.

The message, which can be read in full on the White House’s official site, reads that the couple is now praying for God protection for Christians and other groups persecuted over their religious beliefs and for American men and women that fight to maintain the peace and restore stability in the Middle East, and offer hope and relief from suffering to people living there.

The President underscored that this time of the year Church bells rang in those countries as well, as many people there preserve an ancient Christian tradition. But this year, in some areas churches that escaped destruction would remain silent.

Obama added that the silence is the ‘tragic witness’ to the humanitarian disasters ISIS and other paramilitary forces have brought to those regions and their inhabitants. The President also encouraged Americans to rejoice that they live in a free country, where they can openly celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. This freedom is currently taken away from many Christians in the Middle East.

The President also wrote that he and the First Lady held ‘especially close’ to their hearts people that were violently driven from their homes to far away places because of their religious beliefs.

The message ends with a three lines from a famous Christmas carol:

“The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The President’s message of hope and solidarity was issued in the aftermath of countless violent crimes committed by ISIS agents against Christians. Obama has been harshly criticized by Republican leaders that he is more mindful on other religions and their problems than on the tragedy of the Christians in the Middle East.

Recently, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said that the White House would welcome Muslim refugees at any time, but would prevent Christian asylum seekers from entering the country.

This summer, Mike Huckabee, another GOP presidential hopeful, criticized the President for not staying ‘focused’ enough on persecuted Christians that are being slaughtered day in day out by ISIS combatants in the Middle East.

Last month, Rick Santorum called ISIS insurgents ‘savages’ that behead and crucify Christians across the Middle East, and said that the President needed to get a grip of that reality.
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