Fox's Bream Erroneously Reports The White House Has Not Condemned Violence Against Christians

Written by Samantha Wyatt

Published

Fox's Shannon Bream claimed that the Obama administration has remained silent on violence against Christians in the Middle East and Africa, ignoring that the White House has condemned violence targeting Christians in the region.

On September 21, armed terrorists shot and killed at least 62 people and wounded more than 150 in a terrorist attack on the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The Associated Press reported that only non-Muslims were targeted by the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab in the attack.

On the September 23 edition of Fox News' America Live, host Shannon Bream claimed that “despite an increase in these kinds of attacks in Kenya and Pakistan, we still have not heard anything specific from the White House about whether the treatment of Christians in this part of the world has to change”:

Contrary to Bream's claims, the White House has denounced violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt. During an August 21 press briefing, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest stated that the Obama administration has condemned “in unambiguous terms all the violence” in Egypt, including attacks on Christian churches:

I can tell you that we have condemned in unambiguous terms all the violence that's been perpetrated there in Egypt.  We have been concerned and condemn the violence that was perpetrated by the government against peaceful protestors.  And we're just as outraged and just as concerned about reports that Christian churches have been targeted.

The violence in Egypt should come to an end.  It needs to stop.  And that is the way that we're going to facilitate the kind of reconciliation that will allow the interim government to make good on their promise to transition back to a democratically elected, civilian government.  We need to see an inclusive process get started there, and that's something that we are encouraging the interim government to undertake.

The White House also condemned the September 21 terrorist attack at Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya in press briefing that day, labeling it a “despicable terrorist attack on innocent civilians.”