The brutal murder of James Foley has once again reminded the world of the extraordinary stakes in the ongoing struggle between the forces of human rights and democracy and those of barbarism, repression, and savagery. The Jihadists of ISIS and their ilk are truly enemies of all mankind. From their threatened genocide against the Yazidi community to their "convert or die” ultimatum against the ancient Christian communities of Syria and Iraq, they have demonstrated conclusively that their vicious cruelty knows no bounds, nor will it respect any national boundaries. It is incumbent upon responsible leaders to recognize that unless this evil force is confronted and defeated, it will find its way to our own shores and our own doorsteps.
The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice calls upon the leaders of the civilized world to act decisively and in concert to defend the fundamental human rights of the imperiled people in the path of this murderous horde. James Foley courageously sacrificed his life to bring the story of this suffering region to the world’s attention and his tragic death must strengthen the world’s resolve to defeat this grave threat to humanity.
Once again, the words of Congressman Lantos sound prophetically in our ears; “The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians and we can never rest”.