Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I myself want to make a brief statement first. As far as the notion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, I consider those titles unacceptable and repugnant, as well as the whole notion that this terrorist group is an Islamic state. I want to have that on record, number one.
Number two, I know Reverend El Shafie did not intend this because he was testifying at large volume, but I want to make sure there's no ambiguity with respect to the government's position or my position. No amount of persecution justifies the kind of terrorism we're seeing. In fact, it's interesting that Reverend El Shafie mentions the years and years of persecution of minorities and Christians in Iraq. Of course, no such action at all has ever been taken. There's no justification whatsoever for taking innocent people and beheading them or crucifying them, or some of the things we've seen that are just humanly barbaric and to a magnitude that we haven't seen.
Reverend, thank you, first off, for the courage to go underground and bring back some information that is not only very relevant from the ground but very current.
I want to ask you about the marking of the doors of Christians particularly.
But first I want to ask you what the situation is for Muslims who are peace-loving and moderate in Iraq. Are they suffering at the hands of the extremist elements in Iraq as well?