The bishops of England and Wales have welcomed a unanimous vote by the House of Commons declaring atrocities committed by ISIS as genocide. Cardinal Vincent Nichols said the 278-0 vote recognised “the tragedy being suffered by the people of Syria and across the Middle East”. “Their plight demands our attention and action,” said Cardinal Nichols, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. “The violence must stop, and that will require international assistance.” The British Government has consistently resisted attempts to recognise the alleged genocide of Christian, Yazidi and Shiite Muslim minorities in Syria and Iraq at the hands of ISIS, also known by the Arabic term Daesh. It has insisted that it would be guided instead by any decision of the International Criminal Court to pursue and prosecute members of the terror group. The motion, introduced by Conservative MP Fiona Bruce, called on the Government to reverse its policy and to demand that both the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court act swiftly to pursue the group for genocide. The motion said: “This House believes that Christians, Yazidis, and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria are suffering genocide at the hands of Daesh and calls on the Government to make an immediate referral to the UN Security Council with a view to conferring jurisdiction upon the International Criminal Court so that perpetrators can be brought to justice.” Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury, who had used his Easter homily to call on the Government to recognise the genocide, said: “We are witnessing nothing less than genocide being committed with horrifying cruelty against Christians and other minorities in the Middle East. Whole communities face annihilation and look to the international community for support.” He applauded the MPs’ decision, adding: “I hope the British Government will reconsider its position and be ready to stand with other governments and international bodies in recognising this crime of genocide.” During the debate, Ms Bruce told politicians that “no fewer than seven resolutions have been passed around the world, condemning the actions of Daesh as genocide, including the Council of Europe in January, the European Parliament in February, and the US House of Representatives in March.” She referred to US Secretary of State John Kerry announcing that ISIS was genocidal by “self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions”. “If this is the position of the US government, why is it not the position of our own?” she asked. The Government had previously ensured the failure of an amendment to the Immigration Bill in the House of Lords which might have led Britain’s High Court to recognise ISIS crimes as genocide. Ahead of the House of Commons debate, the Government also directed ministers and parliamentary aides to abstain from the vote. Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood told the House of Commons that while he personally believed ISIS was committing genocide, it was a matter for the UN Security Council to decide.