By Baghdadhope
In this historical period it is not easy to be a Chaldean Catholic bishop. Even if you do not live in Iraq, the epicentre of violence that decimated the already small Christian community now fleeing to the four corners of the earth. It is not, in fact, even for Mgr. Michel Kassarji, the Chaldean bishop of the diocese of Beirut, Lebanon, since 2001.
In Rome for a few days, Monsignor Kassarji agreed to be interviewed by Baghdadhope to renew his appeals for help. We reached him immediately after his meeting with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches where Monsignor Kassarji has again pleaded the cause he dedicated his life to: the fate of thousands of Iraqi Christians who in Lebanon hoped to escape the threats, the kidnappings, the targeted killings, the bombs that hit churches and that, even when they don’t kill anyone, by spreading terror reach their aim: to delete the Christian presence in Iraq.
A cause that, as the bishop underlines, "is not charity, but duty. We do not help these people for charity, we 'are' these people, our people who are suffering in Iraq but also in Lebanon."
CAN YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION OF IRAQI CHRISTIANS IN LEBANON?
There are no official estimates but we could say that my community has doubled in number in recent years. The escape of Iraqi Christians had already begun before the war of 2003, but it concerned 40 or 50 families. After the war and everything that followed it we reached the number of almost 5000 refugees. Desperate people who left everything behind them to save their life, who are now living in poor conditions and whom the church tries to help.
WHERE DO THE PEOPLE ASKING FOR YOUR HELP COME FROM?
Difficult. Lebanon is a small country that had to deal with this human tide without being prepared. According to some figures reported to me we are talking about 75,000 Iraqis on Lebanese soil. They arrive illegally by paying huge figures to whom helps them to cross borders. They have no home, work, welfare, schools, rights. Once in Lebanon their being clandestines makes them easy preys for the illegal work market and so, even when they work as beasts all day long, money is never sufficient if we consider that the rent for a small house is $ 400 per month, a huge figure for them. Daily concerns added to anxiety for the future and memories of the recent, terrible past.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH DOING TO HELP THESE PEOPLE?
Many things because it’s a hard work, but it is obviously too little considering the needs. We have many problems to solve. One is the school, for example. Many Iraqi youth and children with no permit to stay cannot attend public schools, undermining in this way their already uncertain future. For those who are forced to work during the day we opened an evening school, and with regard to children we pay, but only for 400 of them, the fees of enrolment to private Christian schools, the only they can attend. Another problem is health because public facilities don’t accept illegal immigrants. For this reason we have a medical dispensary, but it lacks necessary equipments. During a trip I recently made to Switzerland an entire dentist’s surgery has been given to this dispensary but we are still waiting for its arrival. The cost of living in Lebanon, furthermore, is high, and for this reason the Chaldean church every month gives parcels of food to the most needy. A ration of oil, sugar, condensed milk, tea and legumes worth $ 22 that not only fails to cover the needs of a family, but that, given the scarcity of funds, goes only to 500 people, a very little number.
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WHO IS HELPING YOU?
The problem of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, and Christians in particular, is underestimated. Lebanon, despite its problems, is not considered a country at war. For this reason, and despite the goodwill of a few, the aid is insufficient. In addition to this I want to point out a way to operate in the field of aid that is not particularly effective: to send aids through international organizations means not only a waste of money - big organizations have obviously operating expenses to consider - but also of human resources and time. Why, I ask, who wants to help the Iraqi Christians refugees in Lebanon does not do it through us? We do not have operating expenses, we 'live' the situation, we have direct contact with these people who come to ask for help and whom we visit. With $ 10000 and with no operating expenses, we are able to distribute 455 monthly food rations.
IT IS SAID THAT LEBANON IS FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS ONLY A COUNTRY WHERE THAY CAN WAIT TO EMIGRATE TOWARDS OTHER CONTINENTS. IS IT TRUE OR THOSE PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THEIR GOING BACK TO IRAQ?
Most of them would like to go back to their country. They are Iraqis and proud of it. I do not think, however, that the conditions for their going back are possible, at least for now. It is also true that many of them dream of America or Europe, but it is a mistake, and our mission is this: to convince these people to stay in Lebanon and give them the opportunity to do it. Lebanon is gradually losing its Christian component, and the presence of the Iraqi faithful could help to rebalance the figures, allowing them also to remain in the Middle East not loosing completely their roots. It is clear, however, that these people cannot live on tradition and ancestral ties. For this reason we are pursuing a specific project. The Maronite Church has given us a big plot of land on which we could build houses for these people helping them to live there legally. The problem however is, as usual, money. We calculated that to accommodate one family would cost from $ 15,000 to 20,000 for the house (pre-fabricated) and $ 1500 per year for the residence permit, in addition to daily expenses until the family is able to earn its living by its work .
They could write in English, French, Italian and Arabic to the Chaldean Eparchy of Beirut at chaldepiscopus@hotmail.com and ask for information on our activities, projects, and how to help.
YOUR LAST APPEAL?
My appeal is not to forget the Chaldean refugees in Lebanon. The war is not only bombs and armies but also the terrible struggle that these Christians are obliged to fight day by day and that is culpably forgotten by the world. For this reason I ask everyone to help them, not to forget them, to spread the news about their status. Last year a journalist of a weekly magazine called me "The Flying Bishop" with reference to my activities. It is true. For this reason, for the projects I must, I repeat, I must, organize for these people, I have to be able to fly to them with solutions to their problems, but I can only do it with the support of those who want and can help me to help them. "