Obama: U.S. Will Not 'Close Our Hearts' to Syrian Refugees | Sojourners

Obama: U.S. Will Not 'Close Our Hearts' to Syrian Refugees

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In a press conference Nov. 16, President Obama said that the U.S. will continue to accept Syrian refugees, even in the wake of the Paris attacks, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The press conference followed the close of the G20 summit in Turkey, who is one of a few countries bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis, and “cannot be expected to do so alone,” Obama said.

Obama continued:

"The people who are fleeing Syria are the most harmed by terrorism, they are the most vulnerable as a consequence of civil war and strife. They are parents, they are children, they are orphans. And it is very important — and I was glad to see that this was affirmed again and again by the G20 — that we do not close our hearts to these victims of such violence and somehow start equating the issue of refugees with the issue of terrorism.

"When Pope Francis came to visit the United States, and gave a speech before Congress, he didn’t just speak about Christians who were being persecuted. He didn’t call on Catholic parishes just to admit to those who were of the same religious faith. He said, protect people who are vulnerable.

"I had a lot of disagreements with George W. Bush on policy, but I was very proud after 9/11 when he was adamant and clear about the fact that this is not a war on Islam."

Read the full article here.

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