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In the wake of recent deadly violence against Christians in northern Iraq, the top executive of the National Council of Churches has welcomed the urgent call by Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, for the UN and the Iraqi government to denounce expulsion threats against the country’s Christian minority.

Michael Kinnamon, general secretary of the New York–based NCC, said on October 20 that “Americans have a special responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for Christians and all Iraqi civilians.”

When four men affiliated with Christian Peacemaker Teams were abducted in Iraq, media coverage
made little mention of the fact that one of them is gay. This wasn't
because we'd finally gotten to a place where this was not considered
newsworthy. Instead, it was the result of a coordinated effort to keep
Canadian Jim Loney's sexual identity quiet for his own safety.