After Defeat of ISIS, Iraq’s Christians and Yazidis Adjust to Uneasy Peace

By The Daily Signal
Nolan Peterson

Some 20 miles from Mosul in northern Iraq's Nineveh Plains, this Christian monastery has stood high on the slopes of Mount Alfaf since the year 363. Once home to about 7,000 monks in the ninth century, it's among the oldest Christian monasteries in the world.

Over the centuries, St. Matthew's Monastery has survived attacks by Kurds, Muslim tribes, and the Mongol emperor Tamerlane. Yet perhaps the direst threat of all came in 2014 when the Islamic State's terrorist army rampaged across Syria and northern Iraq to take control of Mosul.

Bolstered by a U.S.-led bombing campaign, a force of Kurdish peshmerga fighters--who are Sunni Muslims--stopped the advancing Islamic State militants just 2.5 miles from the beige stone citadel of St. Matthew's.

Today, Christians from Mosul and the surrounding villages make the trek up to the historic Syriac Orthodox monastery every Sunday to celebrate mass.

"It's safe for us to pray here," says Besman Naif, 42, a Christian man from the nearby village of Mergey at the foot of Mount Alfaf. "We aren't safe anywhere else."

A coalition of Kurdish and Iraqi forces liberated Mosul from the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in 2017. Yet Naif, who is originally from Mosul, says he won't return to the city anytime soon.

"The Daesh mentality is still there, many well-known terrorists just blended back into the community," Naif says, using a pejorative Arabic nickname for ISIS. "There are still Daesh cells operating in the city. It's very dangerous."
Living on the Edge

The U.S. declared victory over the Islamic State in March after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces overran the terrorist group's final stronghold in the Syrian village of Baghuz.

As a territorial power, the caliphate is no more. Yet, the underground ISIS network of sleeper cells and sympathizers remains a lethal threat to Iraq's religious minorities.

Across the country, Christians and Yazidis continue to live on edge, wary about publicly demonstrating their faiths for fear of violent reprisals. And for those who sought refuge from the Islamic State's wrath by fleeing to safety in Iraqi Kurdistan, returning home to places such as Mosul or Sinjar remains a prohibitively frightening proposition.

"The threat from remaining ISIS members and followers remains. It is a big mistake to think that ISIS is completely defeated," says Pari Ibrahim, founder and executive director of the Free Yezidi Foundation, a nonprofit that provides assistance to displaced Yazidis. (Yezidi is an alternate spelling for Yazidi.)

"There are many thousands of ISIS members and huge numbers of ISIS sympathizers and supporters throughout areas in Iraq and Syria," Ibrahim tells The Daily Signal. "Even if the attacks become insurgent operations, we should remember that there are many towns and areas that believe in what ISIS said. That is an existential threat to Yezidis, especially, and to all civilians, and it will remain so."

The bedrock, ideological catalysts that spawned the Islamic State--and drew many fighters from Iraq to join the terrorist army's ranks--still exist within the region's shadows, posing a perpetual, existential threat to Iraq's religious minorities. The region, therefore, remains a fertile breeding ground for the Islamic State's brand of militant Islamist extremism.

"The Islamic State was excessively brutal, but it did not come from a vacuum," says Elizabeth Monier, a fellow in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge.

"There is certainly lingering distrust. This is clear from the slow return of Christians to their homes in northern Iraq," Monier says, adding:

The cause is not just fears that ISIS might return ... ISIS is not an isolated threat. There is mistrust toward Muslim neighbors, some of whom were complicit in the violence and looting, and a lack of confidence in the commitment and ability of the central government to guarantee security of minorities.

Trump Aims to Protect Persecuted Christians, But Some Aren't Sure He's Helping

By Religion News

Just weeks into President Trump's first term, David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network asked the businessman-turned-politician whether he would make the plight of Christians facing religious persecution abroad a priority of his administration.

"Yes," Trump said. "They've been horribly treated."

The president spoke about Christians fleeing violence in Syria, concluding: "We are going to help them."

The U.S. State Department has backed up Trump's statement, recently convening its second ministerial to advance religious freedom, intended to draw attention to the plight of religious minorities all over the world.

But an increasingly vocal band of advocates and experts says the Trump administration's policies have failed to address many of the challenges faced by Christians, Yazidis and other religious minorities abroad -- especially those in the Middle East. Some argue the administration's efforts to scale back refugee resettlement, deport Chaldean Christians living in the United States and potentially end temporary protected status for Syrians have only made their situation worse.

"I can tell you they feel completely abandoned," Philippe Nassif, Amnesty International's advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa and former executive director of the advocacy group In Defense of Christians, told Religion News Service. "They feel ignored, and in some cases, they feel used."

Many critics point to the administration's decision to reduce the number of refugees allowed into the United States from 110,000 under President Obama to 45,000 shortly after Trump took office. Trump later reduced the cap to 30,000 people -- the lowest since the refugee resettlement program started in the 1980s -- and White House officials are now reportedly mulling eliminating refugee resettlement altogether.

The reductions have sparked outrage among the nine nonprofit groups that help the government resettle refugees, six of which are faith-based.

Matthew Soerens, U.S. director of church mobilization for the evangelical Christian organization World Relief, has tracked refugees coming into the U.S. and found that Christian refugee admissions have fallen as well.

"The numbers don't lie," said Soerens, whose group is among those that resettle refugees.

The number of Christian refugees entering the U.S. dropped from 37,521 in fiscal 2016 to 22,747 projected for the end of fiscal 2019 -- a 39% decrease, according to Soerens' calculations using data from the State Department's Refugee Processing Center.

Among countries that show up in the top two tiers of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's list of "Countries of Concern," the decline is more drastic: 14,551 Christian refugees were resettled in the U.S. from those nations in fiscal 2016, compared with 5,457 projected for the end of fiscal 2019. That represents a decrease of 62.5%.

Only 87 are expected to be resettled this fiscal year from Iraq, one of 11 countries where officials have instituted additional vetting procedures for refugees. That is down from 1,524 Iraqis resettled as refugees in 2016.

There have also been reductions in the number of Syrian Christians: The U.S. took 68 Christian refugees from the country in 2016; this year it is projected to resettle 37.

Rebuilding Hope: Iraqi Priests Reflect on the Future of Christians in the Region

By National Catholic Register
Lauretta Brown

Catholic priests in Iraq face a “very complicated” situation in shepherding their beleaguered flocks in a region devastated by war and genocide.

Three spoke to the Register this week during the State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. The priests, who represented a few of the many victims of persecution by the Islamic State (ISIS), came to Washington to discuss international aid efforts and how to rebuild the shattered lives of the minorities in the region.
Chaldean Father Thabet Habib, a pastor to the Iraqi Christian towns of Karamles and Teleskov, told the Register that the Christians are “returning after the liberation from ISIS … so the people now feel at peace, but they have some worry about the future, about the situation in Iraq and in Nineveh. Our existence and our peace is conditioned by the situation of Iraq.”
“They have another worry about some plans to create demographic change by other groups, by [the] Iraqi government sometimes,” he added. “Our land is the first thing we have to protect.” Father Thabet explained that there are Iraqi militia in the Nineveh Plain, “accused by the common opinion that they have a good relationship with Iran.”
“When we returned after the liberation, a leader of this militia, he wanted to take the lands in Karamles and rebuild a house,” he said. “That leader declared, ‘I am a leader in the militia, the PMF [Popular Mobilization Forces]. I killed many ISIS members.’”
After refusing the militia leader’s request to rebuild a house for himself in the town, Father Thabet received death threats on social media. However, he said in that case the Iraqi government intervened and did not permit the militia leader to rebuild the house.
“We hope to live in Iraq, modern Iraq, not [with] militia but official forces to protect the people,” he said. “We want to resolve this problem because maybe the PMF was founded in that time when the ISIS arrived to Baghdad … but the healthy situation [is] to have official forces; Iraqi forces belong to Iraq, not to these groups.”
Father Thabet said that in all the region’s towns, roughly 40% of the Christian families have returned, except in the town of Batnaya, where “destruction is the highest and [there are] some problems from the militia.”

Praise for U.S. Help
He praised some of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s efforts in the region, saying they have been helpful with equipment to clear rubble and restoring electricity as well as helping with hospitals in the towns. However, he said there was room for improvement.
“We hope this aid will be more efficient, more direct with the groups, because using these funds and budget through many NGOs and institutions — that means you have less money from this budget,” he said. “So it should be more direct and more flexible, so in this way we can reach good goals.”
Father Thabet praised the Trump administration’s increased focus on the issue, particularly the efforts of Vice President Mike Pence.
“I hope to meet him because it’s unusual to listen, to hear about this language to help the Christians; before, we didn’t hear this,” he said. “Now, with the new government, with Mike Pence, we are usually hearing about the help for the minorities — especially in Iraq — so it’s a new thing.”
“We hope this will be a normal procedure, to help the minorities in Iraq and in the Middle East,” he added.
The priest outlined several things Iraqi Christians need to feel safe to remain in their homeland.
“For the Iraqi Christian the logistics are very important, to give him rights and to protect his identity in the towns,” he said. “Reconstruction of these towns and create the dignity of work; develop the zones, so in this way we can protect the Christians in Iraq and they will stay in Iraq and continue their mission started 2,000 years ago.”

In Northern Iraq, Christians face obstacles on the road to rebuilding

By Catholic News Agency
Matt Hadro

As some Christian genocide victims rebuild their homes in Northern Iraq, a tenuous security situation still threatens their future in the region.

“Every week we have two, three families leaving,” Father Salar Kajo, a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Teleskov, Iraq and member of the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee, told CNA last week at an international religious freedom gathering in Washington, D.C.

However, he added, “we will not lose our hope and our faith.”

Fr. Salar spoke with CNA at the Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, held at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. from July 15-19. The ministerial was attended by religious and civic leaders from all over the world, including representatives of 106 countries; it was held to draw attention to religious persecution and to promote freedom of religion.

A major discussion topic at the ministerial was the role of U.S. assistance in Northern Iraq to help Christian and Yazidi survivors of the ISIS genocide rebuild for the future.

ISIS was driven from Mosul in 2017, and the last remaining town of the original caliphate in Syria fell earlier this year. Yet many Christians who fled the ISIS onslaught in 2014 have not returned to their homes in Mosul and the Nineveh region, and an estimated 360,000 Yazidis are still displaced in Kurdistan and have not returned to Sinjar.

The primary obstacle to their safe return is a lack of security, said Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, in an interview with CNA at the ministerial.

Although the territorial ISIS caliphate is gone, the security threats to Christians and Yazidis in the region are two-fold: ISIS splinter cells that continue to operate, and Iran-backed militias that commit abuses with impunity.

There are up to 15,000 ISIS fighters estimated to have remained in Iraq, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Meanwhile, militias that are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have committed abuses against Christians, Yazidis and other minorities, and Iran’s influence in the PMF has grown. Militias are harassing Christians, extorting them and stealing plumbing and wiring materials from their homes as part of Iran’s “colonization” effort in the area, Anderson wrote in an April op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

Despite the abuses, the Iraqi central government has failed to hold the militias accountable, allowing them to operate with “impunity,” panel members at last week’s ministerial said in agreement.

The security situation in Teleskov is “okay,” Fr. Salar told CNA, but other towns are far less secure; residents of Batnaya and Tall Kayf, for instance, will not return until the militias there are gone, he said. The tension in the area has only been exacerbated by the threat of a U.S.-Iran regional conflict.

The U.S. had a direct hand in sparing the town of Teleskov from a conflict between militias and the Peshmerga around the time of the Kurdish referendum in 2017, Fr. Salar said. Most families had fled the town, but Fr. Salar remained with around a dozen young people despite orders to leave from the militias. He contacted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for help. “They supported us, and they stopped everything,” he said.

Patriarca caldeo: No a una milizia ‘cristiana’ armata

By Asia News

Il patriarcato caldeo “rifiuta con forza" la presenza di movimenti o milizie “armate” in Iraq che si richiamano a una generica identità o denominazione “cristiana”. Intervenuto già in passato sulla questione, ieri il primate caldeo ha pubblicato una dura nota ufficiale, inviata per conoscenza ad AsiaNews, in cui si oppone alla nascita di una forza paramilitare legata alla minoranza religiosa. Un tema annoso, emerso negli anni passati durante la lotta contro le milizie dello Stato islamico (SI, ex Isis), nella campagna di liberazione di Mosul e della piana di Ninive. 

“Al contrario - si legge nel documento a firma del card Louis Raphael Sako - incoraggiamo i nostri giovani a unirsi all’esercito ufficiale irakeno e alle squadre della polizia federale”. Per quanti vivono nella regione autonoma del Kurdistan irakeno, aggiunge il porporato, vi è la possibilità di aderire “alle forze Peshmerga” (i combattenti curdi). 

“Rispettiamo la singola decisione - afferma la nota del patriarcato - di unirsi alle forze di Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi [le le Unità di Protezione popolare, filo-sciite, ndr] o di impegnarsi in politica, ma non siamo d’accordo sulla nascita di una ‘brigata’ cristiana. Perché la creazione di una milizia armata connotata da una denominazione cristiana contraddice in primis lo spirito cristiano, che si richiama ai valori dell’amore, della pace, della tolleranza e del perdono”. 

Nell’ultimo periodo è riesplosa una feroce polemica sulla possibile nascita di una milizia cristiana a “difesa” della popolazione del nord, soprattutto nell’area della piana di Ninive dove è preponderante  della minoranza religiosa rispetto al nord del Paese. Durante le fasi della lotta contro i jihadisti del “Califfato” era emersa la formazione “Brigate Babilonia”, le quali hanno sempre ostentato la propria caratteristica di milizia anti-Daesh e la loro componente cristiana, pur essendo noto il collegamento con gli sciiti di Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi.

Dalle brigate è poi nato il “Movimento Babilonia”, che ha ottenuto un buon risultato alle elezioni del maggio 2018 conquistando due dei cinque seggi parlamentari riservati ai cristiani. Secondo i critici, una affermazione che è anche frutto dell’aiuto in termini di voti ricevuto da elettori sciiti. Fra le personalità più controverse del movimento vi è anche Ryan al Kildani, meglio noto come “Ryan il caldeo”, colpito di recente da sanzioni mirate degli Stati Uniti. Egli è sospettato di appropriazione abusiva di terreni agricoli e di guidare gruppi paramilitari che, di fatto, impediscono il ritorno delle famiglie di sfollati nelle loro case della piana di Ninive.

“Il decreto - sottolinea il primate caldeo - concorda con le linee guida delle varie entità politiche e con la nostra missione di cristiani irakeni”, che è quella di “consolidare” qualunque iniziativa che favorisca “la coesistenza armoniosa sul terreno”. “Esso - aggiunge - servirà inoltre a consolidare i pilastri di un governo forte che si fonda sui principi del diritto, cittadinanza e uguaglianza”. Il patriarca Sako conclude ribadendo il sostegno al decreto del premier Adel Abdul Mahdi del 1 luglio che “limita le armi nello Stato, ne rafforza le istituzioni e l’appartenenza all’identità nazionale”. 

Leggi anche: Fides
La Chiesa caldea ribadisce totale disapprovazione nei confronti di sedicenti ”milizie cristiane”

Chaldean Church Refuses the Presence of any Iraqi Armed Christian Militias

By Chaldean Patriarchate

Referring to the decree issued by the Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Adel Abdul Mahdi on July 1, 2019, we would like to emphasize that the Chaldean Church considers this declaration as an important step in the right direction and supports it. This decree would limit the weapons to the state; strengthen its’ institutions; and reinforce national awareness among Iraqis, in terms of their national identity.

From our side, we are officially announcing our “refusal” of the presence of any Iraqi armed movement that carries Christian name or feature. On the contrary, we encourage our youth to join the Iraqi official army and the federal police services, while those in Kurdistan region of Iraq to join Peshmerga forces. We respect individual decisions to join Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi or to get involved in politics, but not to form a Christian “brigade”. Since forming a Christian armed militias contradicts the Christian spirituality that calls for love, tolerance, forgiveness and peace.

This decree agrees with the guidelines of many political entities, and with our mission as Iraqi Christians in consolidating whatever leads to harmonious coexistence on the ground. It will also solidify the pillars of a strong government of law, citizenship and equality.

In Kurdistan, Iraq, a new Catholic hospital and university bring hope to an embattled Christian community

By Aid to the Church in Need

Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, Kurdistan has been the prime mover behind the establishment of two major new Christian institutions in the region. In 2016, the Catholic University in Erbil opened its doors and late summer will see the formal opening of the new Catholic hospital in Erbil, the Maryamana, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. For more than three years, the Archdiocese of Erbil hosted more than 120,000 Christians who fled the 2014 onslaught of ISIS on the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq. While some 40,000 faithful have since returned to their homes, many thousands have made Kurdistan their permanent home. The university – the only Catholic university in Iraq – and hospital will be a significant boost for the re-established Christian communities on the Nineveh Plains as well as for the local Christian community in Kurdistan. The archbishop spoke with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the significance of both projects.

 What is your vision for the new Catholic hospital?
The overall goal of the hospital is to bring effective and affordable healthcare to a war-torn region that is totally lacking in resources and modern equipment. This is partly due to decades of continuous conflict but also because of the inactivity of the government. It is likely that in the next decade there will be even more refugees, IDPs, and older persons in need. We will be in a position to support the neediest patients and offer them discounts of up to 60 percent.
 The hospital must also be important, especially for Christians, in generating jobs in a region with high unemployment?
 The provision of jobs will show Christians that we are building a future for them in Erbil.
Christians and other minorities are often denied jobs and are overlooked for promotion due to a prejudiced political system. There are few if any politicians willing to stand up for the rights of Christians. This has a direct correlation to people leaving the country. Along with the university, Maryamana is a crucial and pivotal project that aims to keep Christians in Erbil and on the Nineveh Plains. Both institutions demonstrate that Christians matter and that they are an integral part of Iraqi society.
Will the hospital serve only Christians?
 The hospital’s mission aligns with that of the Church. Any person, regardless of religion or race, can receive treatment at Maryamana Hospital; priority will be given to those whose medical needs are most urgent. It is well known that Muslims trust Christian healthcare professionals; hopefully, Maryamana will also facilitate our communal reconciliation efforts by addressing the health-care needs of other faiths.
What medical services will the hospital provide?
The hospital will have 70 beds and seven operating rooms, all of which we expect to be in constant use. The hospital will be able to serve 300 outpatients per day and will offer most medical services. In addition to the care of pregnant women and pre-term infants, there will be clinics for a full range of specialties. The hospital will have up-to-date laboratory equipment and be able to administer the full spectrum of diagnostic tests (e.g., MRIs, CT scans); there are two emergency departments, as well as a pharmacy. In some three years, we hope the Maryamana can become a teaching hospital. Planning for an oncology center at the hospital is also underway.
What is the mission of the Catholic University in Erbil?
The Catholic University in Erbil was founded to secure educational and professional opportunities for our young people so that they will be encouraged to stay in Iraq and become the future leaders of the Christian community here and elsewhere in the country. Eventually, when our young people are getting good jobs in a majority Muslim country, they will find hope and turn to the university as their conduit to succeed and thrive in their careers in Kurdistan and Iraq. We hope that the university will inspire religious minorities and prove to them that they have viable and bright futures here. We are trying to establish Erbil as a long-term home for the Christian community—and people choose to stay when there are jobs and when there is a strong infrastructure of services and institutions. The school will give the Christian community a major sense of worth and belonging.
How many students does the university have now and what is your goal?
Currently 108 students are enrolled, including 10 Muslims; academic degrees are awarded in Accounting, English, International Relations, Information Technology and Computer Science Our target for the academic year 2022-2023 is to have 825 students enrolled – 615 Iraqi Christians, 125 Muslims and 85 Yazidis, from Kurdistan, Mosul, the Nineveh Plains, Duhok, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Basra. To attract students, we are aiming to build and establish additional departments in core academic disciplines: Economics, Engineering, Health & Medical Sciences, and Education.
We want to establish the university as an international anchor project to keep Christianity in Iraq. We are building relationships with the relevant ministries here and working internationally with many universities to establish the brand of the Catholic University in Erbil. Iraqi Christians and other minorities are drawn to the university because the teaching is done in English and because of its location in Ankawa, the Christian quarter of Erbil, an environment that promises safety and care. The new Maryamana Hospital is also located in Ankawa.
What are your main concerns regarding these initiatives, the hospital and university?
The key challenges were getting both institutions built and operational. With the hospital, the priority is to repay our loans, but we know that the hospital will be fully utilized and become profitable. The demand is there. In Kurdistan, there are more than a million refugees and hundreds of thousands of elderly people; clinics in Erbil and Duhok serve more than 1,000 patients each month; as many as 2,000 chronically ill patients rely on our local clinic, St. Joseph’s, for very expensive drugs.
The university, still young, requires more funding, since most of our students – many of them from Qaraqosh on the Nineveh Plains – are attending on full scholarships. We need to expand academically, since the number of departments correlates with the number of applicants. It is difficult to recruit native English speakers as teachers, as consulates say that Kurdistan is unsafe. We can only attract people through word of mouth and testimonials from visitors, but I believe that we will succeed. Currently, 14 of our local young people are earning Master’s degrees in the US, the UK, Italy and Australia. Upon their return home, they will play key roles at both the university and the hospital. I thank all our benefactors with all my heart and prayers; they are doing a magnificent job for all of us here. God bless them all.

For the past two years, ACN has supported the Catholic University in Erbil and the Maryamana Hospital with funding for scholarships and for the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment. From 2014 through 2017, ACN sponsored projects totaling more than $40M in support of the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil as it provided food, medical care, housing and education for the IDPs who had fled the Nineveh Plains after ISIS captured the region.

Crisi Usa-Iran. Card. Sako: la gente ha paura, il futuro è incerto

By Vatican News
Amedeo Lomonaco

Sono sempre più inquietanti le ombre che si addensano sulla regione mediorientale e, in particolare, sui Paesi del Golfo. Come ricordato anche ieri a New York dall’osservatore permanente della Santa Sede presso l'Onu, mons. Bernardito Auza, è necessario trovare soluzioni pacifiche. Lo scenario si è aggravato dopo il ritiro unilaterale degli Stati Uniti dall’accordo sul nucleare con Teheran. In questi giorni si sono registrati, nelle acque del Golfo, gravi episodi tra cui l’abbattimento di un drone statunitense e una serie di attacchi ad alcune petroliere attribuiti ai pasdaran, le guardie della rivoluzione iraniana. L’amministrazione americana ha reagito cominciando ad ammassare forze militari e inasprendo il blocco economico contro Teheran.

A Vatican News il cardinale Luois Sako sottolinea che se la situazione degenererà in un conflitto, sarà un disastro per tutto il Medio Oriente:

Siamo molto preoccupati, non sappiamo cosa succederà. La gente ha paura, non c’è un futuro sicuro. Nelle guerre ci sono sempre interessi ma questi Paesi devono risolvere i problemi con il dialogo, non con le armi. Alcuni atti sono inaccettabili, per esempio quanto successo alla nave britannica e gli episodi dei droni caduti… C’è una vera tensione e in tutta la regione questo potrà essere un disastro. Quando si comincia una guerra, non si può sapere come finirà.

Quale è il suo appello alle amministrazioni di Washington e Teheran?

Ho lanciato un appello che abbiamo lasciato alle due ambasciate qui a Baghdad: bisogna promuovere il dialogo, con la guerra tutti perdono. Ma non c’è ascolto e ognuno pensa a sé stesso. Noi soffriamo per la distruzione del Paese, per i tanti morti! Perché queste guerre assurde?

L’Iraq, intanto, è in attesa di un evento eccezionale: lo scorso mese di giugno Papa Francesco ha annunciato la volontà di recarsi proprio in questo Paese…

Penso che, in questo contesto, una visita sia incerta, vista l'attuale situazione di tensione nella regione. Tutti gli iracheni aspettano questa visita, sia cristiani sia musulmani. E noi abbiamo bisogno di questa presenza del Santo Padre, del suo incoraggiamento, ma non vedo come e quando sarà possibile.

Il popolo iracheno ha bisogno di incoraggiamentoela Chiesa è vicina al popolo. Dal primo al tre luglio si è svolto in Iraq il meeting dei partner della Caritas irachena. Quali sfide sono emerse?

La Chiesa è al servizio della gente. Come al tempo di Gesù, noi aiutiamo tutti: musulmani, cristiani, senza distinzioni. E siamo anche nelle città sunnite e sciite. Questa è una testimonianza di carità. Bisogna cambiare la mentalità, questa cultura settaria e improntata alla violenza. Bisogna essere realisti, rispettare la vita, il pluralismo e la diversità delle religioni, delle etnie. Bisogna anche rispettare la natura. E invece non si preoccupano della natura, degli alberi, delle foreste, dell’acqua. Dove sono i soldi? La gente a Bassora ha bisogno di acqua...

L’Iraq, nei libri di storia, è ricordato come il Paese dei due fiumi: il Tigri e l’Eufrate. Ma il deserto avanza e c’è, come ha ricordato, una grave emergenza, legata alla siccità, nella regione meridionale di Bassora…

Sì, è una situazione di emergenza. In passato, tutti sognavano di venire in Iraq perché c’era l’acqua, l’agricoltura funzionava, c’era la civilizzazione. Oggi, invece, l’Iraq ha perso quasi tutto. Non c'è l‘industria, tutto viene da fuori e l’unica fonte di ricchezza è il petrolio. Ma questo non può coprire tutti i bisogni della gente. Poi la corruzione è quasi totale ed è dappertutto.

Ambassador of Republic of Iraq to Holy See Meets with Undersecretary of State

By Republic of Iraq. Ministry of Foreign Affair

The Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Holy See,  Dr. Amal Moussa Hussein met with  Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, in his office in the Ministry building in the Vatican City.

The Undersecretary welcomed the Ambassador and thanked her for initiating the visit, wishing her success in her work and representing her country, which the Pope looks forward to visit next year.

In turn, the Ambassador thanked her host for welcoming her and expressed her happiness and that of the people of Iraq for the declaration of His Holiness Pope Francis on his intention to visit Iraq and the aspiration of all Iraqis for this historic visit which will be the main support for the Christians of Iraq to stay in the country and also encourage the pilgrimage of Christians to the birth city of the prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) to the historic city of Ur.

The two sides discussed the proposed program of the Pope’s visit and the places that His Holiness wishes to visit in order to prepare the necessary preparations by the Iraqi government to achieve the desired objectives.

Sanzioni USA colpiscono anche Ryan “il caldeo”, leader delle “Brigate Babilonia"

By Fides

Il Dipartimento del del Tesoro degli Stati Uniti ha imposto sanzioni mirate contro quattro esponenti politici iracheni, tra i quali spiccano i nomi dell’ex governatore della provincia di Ninive, Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan, dell’ex governatore della provincia di Salah ad-Din, Ahmed al-Jubouri, e di Ryan al-Kildani (Ryan “il caldeo”), leader del Partito politico “Babilonia”. I tre, insieme accusati di corruzione, furto di denaro pubblico, abuso d’ufficio per interessi personali e violazione dei diritti dell’uomo.
In particolare, secondo quanto è stato riportato da reti televisive satellitari, Ryan al Kildani è accusato di essere coinvolto nell’appropriazione abusiva di terreni agricoli nella Piana di Ninive, e di guidare gruppi paramilitari che con la loro presenza sul territorio stanno di fatto ostacolando il ritorno alle proprie case di decine di migliaia di sfollati, fuggiti nl 2014 da quella regione caduta sotto il controllo dei jihadisti dello Stato Islamico (Daesh). Il Partito guidato da Ryan al Kildani è sorto come evoluzione politica delle cosiddette “Brigate Babilonia”, formazione paramilitare sorta negli anni in cui ampie parti del territorio iracheno erano state conquistate dai jihadisti di Daesh. Le Brigate Babilonia hanno sempre rivendicato la loro etichetta di milizia anti-Daesh composta da cristiani, anche se risultava documentato il loro collegamento organico con milizie sciite come le Unità di Protezione popolare (Hashd al Shaabi).
Il Movimento Babilonia ha ottenuto una discreta affermazione alle elezione irachene del maggio 2018, conquistando due dei cinque seggi parlamentari riservati alle minoranze cristiane. Dopo le elezioni (vedi Fides 17/5/2018), voci critiche nei confronti della spregiudicatezza del Movimento Babilonia accusarono la formazione politica di aver prevalso grazie ai voti ricevuti anche da elettori sciiti.
Il 17 e 18 luglio alcuni rappresentanti della Chiesa caldea hanno preso parte alla conferenza sulla libertà religiosa e la difesa delle minoranze organizzata a Washington su iniziativa del Dipartimento di Stato USA. Il Vice-Presidente USA Mike Pence, intervenendo all’incontro, ha espresso parole di soddisfazione per le sanzioni disposte contro Ryan al Kildani e gli altri politici iracheni.
Di recente, come riferito dall’Agenzia Fides (vedi Fides 4/7/2019), I capi delle Chiese in Iraq hanno diffuso una dichiarazione comune per deplorare il modus operandi ri Rayan al-Kildani, considerato irrispettoso nei confronti di realtà e simboli cari alla sensibilità ecclesiale.(GV) (Agenzia Fides 20/7/2019).

Reuters
19 July, 2019

U.S. imposes sanctions on four Iraqis over human rights and corruption

Arcivescovo di Bassora: la riapertura della chiesa della Vergine Maria ‘segno di speranza’

By Asia News

Il luogo di culto “ha riaperto solo come santuario” per permettere ai fedeli “di pregare la Vergine Maria”. Un luogo “aperto a tutti” e al quale “tutti potranno accedere” senza distinzioni o divieti su base etnica o confessionale. È quanto racconta ad AsiaNews mons. Alnaufali Habib Jajou, arcivescovo caldeo di Bassora, nel sud dell’Iraq, commentando la riapertura della chiesa della Vergine Maria dopo decenni di chiusura e abbandono. “Questo è un segno di speranza - aggiunge il prelato - per la popolazione locale”. 

Nei giorni scorsi sono tornate a risuonare le campane della chiesa, per decenni in disuso e in stato di rovina. La data di avvio del lavori di costruzione risale al 1907, mentre l’inaugurazione ufficiale è del 1930. L’edificio della chiesa è stato progettato in stile gotico da architetti italiani. 

Secondo i committenti, essa avrebbe dovuto diventare la cattedrale di Bassora (al- Qishla) e rimpiazzare la piccola chiesetta già esistente. Il luogo di culto ha assunto la forma di una croce romana ed è stata gemellata con una chiesa della città eterna. 

Per Bassora è un luogo di culto importante, spiega mons. Habib Jajou, e “dal 1954 al 1971 è stata utilizzata anche come quartier generale del vescovo”. Tuttavia, la guerra fra Iraq e Iran negli anni ’80 ha portato alla chiusura della chiesa (nel 1981), che “è stata riconvertita in un campo profughi dedicato in special modo alle famiglie povere”, grazie anche alla collaborazione di una associazione caritativa caldea. 

Negli anni le suore hanno gestito la scuola di Al- Fayhaa, costruita nell’aria adiacente la cattedrale al cui interno sono stati battezzati, negli anni, 3877 bambini. Al termine dei lavori di ristrutturazione, sostenuti a livello finanziario anche dalla Banca centrale irakena, la chiesa è stata riaperta ufficialmente al culto nel giugno scorso e in poche settimane è diventata un punto di riferimento per la preghiera e il raccoglimento dei fedeli della città.

Un modo, sottolineano i cristiani locali, per riportare alla memoria i numerosi ricordi che custodisce al suo interno.

Bassora è il centro più importante del sud dell’Iraq ed è stata teatro nel recente passato di gravi violenze, che avevano spinto la Chiesa a sospendere tutte le attività extra-pastorali. Una situazione di criticità che ha caratterizzato la storia recente di tutto il Paese e ha determinato un drastico calo della popolazione cristiana, passata da 1,5 milioni pre-invasione Usa del 2003 agli attuali 300mila fedeli. “La situazione oggi - conclude l’arcivescovo - non è poi così negativa. Come cristiani dobbiamo affrontare le stesse sfide del resto della popolazione”. E la visita del papa, in programma il prossimo anno, potrebbe essere una ulteriore occasione di rinascita. 

Baghdadhope
19 giugno 2019

Riapre la cattedrale caldea di Bassora.
Il restauro finanziato dalla Banca Centrale e da banche private

 

Chaldeans in northern Iraq face uncertainty in return to homes

By The Catholic Register
Dennis Sadowski

Chaldean Christians in northern Iraq are determined to continue their 2,000-year-long mission despite the near-deadly blow inflicted by Islamic State forces and new challenges from nongovernment militias, said a priest ministering in the region.

"The situation is so complicated in Iraq, but our faith and principles are that Christian religious communities should be there. Our mission is to be there and not in another place," Chaldean Father Thabet Habib told Catholic News Service July 17.

"We have faith at this time. We feel the hope. That gives me a sense to be optimistic," the priest said after addressing a session during day two of the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Father Habib recounted a story of determination on the part of Christian families who were forced to flee towns and villages on Iraq's Ninevah Plain just ahead of advancing Islamic State forces in August 2014 to an audience of 300 at the United States Institute of Peace. The session was part of a daylong look at religious freedom in development and humanitarian assistance.

The villages of Karamless and Teleskof, where Father Habib serves as a parish priest, were virtually destroyed by the Islamic State. Residents in the communities, located about 15 miles east of Mosul, were sheltered and supported by the Archdiocese of Irbil.

After coalition forces liberated much of the Ninevah Plain region in November 2016, about 45% of residents have returned with more expected in the next year, the priest said.

"We found our churches burned and desecrated and our homes burned, looted and destroyed," he said. "My own family home was destroyed completely, but still count this as our home and we are determined to return and rebuild."

Father Habib stressed it was important to tell the story of destruction and suffering so that the story is not overlooked by the rest of the world. He also said that since being forced to flee to Irbil he better understands "clearly the important place of Christianity and minorities to the future of Iraq."

"In this belief, I am not alone," he said. "In fact, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States has said Iraq without minorities is not Iraq."

Despite such comments, Father Habib said, minority religious communities, including Yazidis in the region, continue to face threats from nongovernment militia. He called on the Iraqi government to clamp down on the militia in order to assure transition to democracy in the country.

"In this way, we can protect and keep the ancient cultures of Iraq," he said.

Father Habib also cautioned the representatives of humanitarian and development agencies present, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, which coordinated the day's events, that they must not solely determine how best to rebuild a community.

"There must be honest conversation and dialogue with the people to define priorities and not to have all needs made by the decision of the donor," he said. "After this honest consultation, there is the need for the donor to make decisions which show the good will, moral values and the good name of the donor country or agency.

"Promises which are never fulfilled or always delayed, this brings great harm, not help. On the other hand promises which are made with honest intention and are fulfilled with proper focus of the people, reflect what is the best in us all and fill us with hope for the future," Father Habib added.

He particularly cited aid from the U.S.-based Knights of Columbus and the government of Hungary as addressing specific needs that have helped Karamless and Teleskof "in a flexible way that has us restore our communities more quickly."

"We are optimistic that they will survive," Father Habib said. "In other towns where we were not able to move quickly, the towns have remained empty and other groups have tried to take control. The future of these towns is not so optimistic."

In a panel discussion that followed, U.S. diplomats assigned to posts in Iraq and USAID staff discussed the work to rebuild communities in northern Iraq, many of which are home to religious minorities.

U.S. imposes sanctions on four Iraqis over human rights and corruption

By Reuters

The United States imposed sanctions on two Iraqi militia leaders and two former Iraqi provincial governors it accused of human rights abuses and corruption, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday.

The sanctions target militia leaders Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado, and former governors Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan and Ahmed al-Jubouri, the Treasury said in a statement.

“We will continue to hold accountable persons associated with serious human rights abuse, including persecution of religious minorities, and corrupt officials who exploit their positions of public trust to line their pockets and hoard power at the expense of their citizens,” Sigal Mandelker, Treasury under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said.

The Treasury said many of the actions that prompted the sanctions occurred in “areas where persecuted religious communities are struggling to recover from the horrors inflicted on them” by Islamic State, the militant group that controlled parts of Iraq for several years.

The Treasury said Kildani is the leader of the 50th Brigade militia and is shown cutting off the ear of a handcuffed detainee in a video circulating in Iraq last year.

It said Qado is the leader of the 30th Brigade militia which engaged in extortion, illegal arrests, and kidnappings.

Sultan and Jubouri were designated for being engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, and other misdeeds, the Treasury said.

Iraq in March issued a warrant for the arrest of Sultan, the former governor of Nineveh province, on corruption charges after at least 90 people were killed in a ferry accident in the provincial capital Mosul.

As a result of the designation, any property the four persons hold in the United States would be blocked and U.S. persons are barred from business dealings with them. 

Read also:
Huffington Post
May 23, 2018

A Mostly Non-Christian Militia Won 2 Of Iraqi Christians’ Parliamentary Seats. Now Christians Want Trump To Intervene.

In Iraq la pace rinasce da una stalla

By L'Espresso
Angiola Codacci-Pisanelli

La pace si costruisce passo dopo passo, pulcino dopo pulcino, vitello dopo vitello. La pace sta tornando in Iraq, tra mille difficoltà. Anche nella valle di Ninive, un territorio che dal 2014 al 2016 è stato sotto il controllo dell’Isis. Sono stati anni di violenze, incendi, distruzioni. Gli occupanti si sono accaniti particolarmente su edifici e simboli di questa zona, che era l’enclave cristiana più grande del Paese. Dei 50 mila abitanti di Qaraqosh, capoluogo della regione, almeno metà sono fuggiti all’arrivo delle truppe dei fondamentalisti islamici. Molti non sono ancora tornati e probabilmente non lo faranno.
Per chi è tornato, però, la vita riprende. «Come una donna che siamo riusciti a coinvolgere nel nostro progetto di riapertura degli allevamenti», racconta Daniele Mazzone dell’Avsi, associazione italiana impegnata nella cooperazione allo sviluppo in 31 Paesi, dall’Ecuador alla Birmania, dal Mozambico al Kosovo. «Aveva perso tutto, anche gli uomini della sua famiglia. Ora le abbiamo affidato dieci vitelli e le abbiamo insegnato come allevarli. Ha rimesso in piedi l’azienda di un tempo, però ora la responsabile è lei».Liberare la valle di Ninive dall’Isis è stato il primo passo verso la pace, ma non sarebbe bastato. La ricostruzione va di pari passo con il ritorno degli abitanti, grazie a progetti di associazioni umanitarie che aiutano a investire nel modo più produttivo i fondi messi a disposizione da governi e donatori privati: per i progetti dell’Avsi in Iraq, gli sponsor principali sono Unicef, Aics (l’Agenzia italiana per la cooperazione e lo sviluppo) e Prm (il dipartimento di Stato americano per il sostegno ai rifugiati e ai migranti).
Il progetto per Qaraqosh è uno dei dieci che l’organizzazione sta portando avanti nel paese. Sono principalmente incentrati sulla protezione dei più giovani e sugli interventi per ricostruire la coesione sociale. A Qaraqosh ed Erbil si restaurano e riaprono giardini pubblici, scuole e asili, ma si offrono anche cure per la leucemia infantile. E si cerca di rimettere in moto la vita quotidiana, a partire dalla rete di piccole imprese di allevamento che un tempo erano l’orgoglio della zona.
«Qaraqosh era il pollaio dell’Iraq», racconta Mazzone. Il progetto di cui è Deputy Country Director opera principalmente su due fronti. Il primo è rilancio delle aziende, finora centouno, danneggiate dalla guerra. Vanno ricostruite, i macchinari rubati vanno ripristinati. Tutti i tetti sono stati smontati: le travi di metallo erano particolarmente preziose per l’Isis, che se ne serviva per costruire la copertura dei tunnel dentro i quali i miliziani si spostavano senza essere visti.
Quando la zona è stata liberata, di animali non ce n’erano più. Nei mesi scorsi sono tornati i pulcini, poi i vitelli, pochi giorni fa sono stati consegnati 650 agnelli. Non mancano aziende di apicoltori, e persino allevamenti di struzzi. Dopo aver firmato un impegno a rispettare un codice etico, gli imprenditori ricevono dall’organizzazione anche mangime e assistenza pratica e sanitaria: il veterinario dell’Avsi, Jolar Kaka, visita regolarmente le aziende per controllare la salute degli animali. «Gli allevatori di qui tengono i bovini all’ingrasso per sei mesi», spiega Mazzone. «Quelli che partecipano al nostro progetto, in autunno li rivenderanno e ci restituiranno parte del ricavato. Che noi riutilizzeremo qui, per finanziare altri investimenti».Il secondo polo del progetto è forse più impegnativo: perché riguarda la ricostruzione delle persone, dello spirito della comunità. In questo campo viene coinvolta in particolare l’associazione delle donne di Qaraqosh: fondata prima dell’arrivo dell’Isis, si è ricostituita dopo la fine della guerra. Nelle sale del Seminario, anch’esso appena ricostruito, si tengono lezioni di terapie psicologiche di gruppo: lezioni ma soprattutto attività collettive per far rinascere l’autostima e la capacità di fidarsi in persone devastate da anni di guerra.

Altri corsi riguardano la lavorazione e la conservazione del cibo, che permetteranno di rilanciare il commercio al dettaglio. E l’istruzione, a partire dall’asilo per i bambini e dalla scuola che prevede anche corsi pomeridiana di danza, sport, inglese. Il Saint Paul center for Church Services è un centro sociale dedicato agli adolescenti, c’è anche una sala di registrazione a disposizione dei giovani musicisti.
È evidente l’intervento della Chiesa, particolarmente interessata a sostenere la comunità cattolica locale. Sono suore francescane e domenicane a gestire gli asili: per dare un’idea delle dimensioni, solo la scuola intitolata all’Infante Gesù accoglie oltre 500 bambini. E la scarsità di musulmani è evidente anche dall’abbigliamento: nelle aule piene di giovani studentesse e di maestre, sono solo le suore a portare il velo.
Padre George Jahola, che ha ricostruito e dirige la più grande chiesa dell’Iraq, è stato fra i primi a rientrare a Qaraqosh - o Baghdeda come la chiamano i cristiani - dopo la liberazione dall’Isis. Per molti anni è stato in Italia. Oggi dirige il Church Supreme Board for Reconstruction Baghdeda, un’organizzazione che si occupa di raccogliere donazioni e aiuti provenienti da tutto il mondo per ricostruire le case distrutte nella regione: finora ne hanno restaurate oltre quattromila.

Il Sinodo caldeo apre (per la prima volta) le porte ai laici, sostegno alla vita della Chiesa

By Asia News

Il prossimo Sinodo dei vescovi caldei in programma a Baghdad dal 3 al 13 agosto apre, per la prima volta, le porte ai laici che parteciperanno ai lavori con l’obiettivo di “sostenere la partecipazione popolare nella vita della Chiesa” in un momento critico. La conferma è contenuta all’interno di un paragrafo, nella lettera ufficiale di convocazione inviata dal patriarcato ai prelati caldei di tutto il mondo. 

“Incoraggio ognuno di voi - scrive il patriarca caldeo, il card Louis Raphael Sako, rivolgendosi ai vescovi - a scegliere uno o due laici, di entrambi i sessi, della vostra diocesi, per partecipare agli incontri in programma nei primi due giorni del Sinodo 2019”. “La persona scelta - aggiunge il porporato - dovrà essere familiare con le questioni ecclesiastiche. Questa proposta intende sostenere la partecipazione delle persone alla vita della Chiesa”. 

Il Sinodo 2019, che si terrà all’interno della sede patriarcale, si aprirà con una due giorni di ritiro guidata dall’arcivescovo maronita di Cipro Youssef Soueif. A seguire, i laici delle diverse diocesi della Chiesa caldea in Iraq, del Medio oriente e della diaspora prenderanno parte ai lavori il 6 e il 7 agosto. Fra i temi al centro dei lavori, la situazione dei caldei in Iraq e fra i Paesi della diaspora, i progetti della Lega caldea in un’ottica di solidarietà ecclesiale e la possibilità di finanziare l’apertura di una televisione caldea. 

“I fedeli laici, uomini e donne, sono membri e partner della nostra Chiesa - scrive il patriarca Sako - per la loro fede e il sacerdozio comune”. Il porporato appare determinato a “sfruttare il loro carisma” al servizio della Chiesa in un momento di grave difficoltà tanto in Iraq, quanto nella vicina Siria sia da un punto di vista ecclesiastico, che sociale, politico ed economico. 

In una situazione di crescente tensione nella regione, che mette a rischio la visita del papa in Iraq annunciata per il prossimo anno, il porporato auspica che il Sinodo, aperto ai laici, sia fonte di “incoraggiamento” per le nostre comunità, perché rafforzino sempre più il loro “ruolo” nelle rispettive diocesi e nella vita della Chiesa. Essi, avverte il patriarca, “capiscono la nostra società e i suoi cambiamenti. Sono di grande aiuto per noi” vescovi e sacerdoti e la stessa tradizione cristiana favorisce la loro presenza e partecipazione attiva. 

Il Sinodo sarà inoltre occasione per la nomina di vescovi in alcune diocesi tuttora vacanti e in attesa da tempo di un pastore stabile. Infine, si parlerà del processo di canonizzazione dei martiri caldei e dell’iscrizione dei santi all’interno del calendario liturgico.

Iran seeks to open consulate East of Mosul to provoke Christians

By The Baghdad Post

The Iranian Militia in Iraq and Syria (IMIS) has been paving the way for the next step in Iran’s devious scheme in Iraq, including the inauguration of Al-Komeini School in Nineveh plains, East of Mosul, in order to spark a demographic change and spread extremism by exporting the approach of the Khomeinist revolution.
The IMIS seeks through these actions to agree with the ambassador in Baghdad to open an Iranian consulate on the remains of the Christian component in Iraq.
However, these steps were rejected by Arab tribes in the conflicted areas between Erbil and Baghdad, including Nineveh plains.
Observers further noted that Iran seeks to end the existence of Christians in Iraq, urging the Iraqi government to provide the necessary protection against the Iranian spread.
Christians in Iraq also vow to escalate and file an international case in case the government of Adil Abdul-Mahdi chose to remain silent and refrain from protecting around 250 thousand Christians in Iraq.
Worth mentioning that the number of Christians in Iraq was reduced from around a million and a half Christian, before ISIS occupied Mosul.

Christian Duhok couple presented with International Religious Freedom Award

By Rudaw

A Christian couple from the Kurdish city of Duhok were among this year’s recipients of the International Religious Freedom Award bestowed upon them on Wednesday by the US State Department for their role in furthering religious freedoms and defending minorities. The pair warned that the Christian population in Iraq is at a perilous state due to mass migration owing to persecution and instability.
The award was given on Tuesday for the first time, in what the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described as the “largest human rights gathering ever at the State Department”. 
The US State Department praised William and Pascale Warda for their advocacy efforts to advance “religious freedom and other human rights in Iraq.”
“The Wardas’ advocacy and leadership in advocating for the rights of members of religious minorities and of women in Iraq highlight their commitment to advancing religious freedom.” 
The couple founded Hammurabi Human Rights Organization (HHRO) in 2003 – a non-profit organization that monitors and advocates for human rights in Iraq. The organization is described by the US State Department as “one of the first organizations to document ISIS’ atrocities against Yezidi and Christian women, girls, and members of other minorities.”
ISIS militants targeted Yazidi and Christian minority groups when they swept through Iraq seizing large swaths of territory including Iraq’s second largest city of Mosul where they declared a so-called caliphate in August 2014.
Following the conferment of the award, Pascale spoke to Rudaw about the problems facing Iraq and how displacement has dramatically affected the standing of minority populations in the country.
“The solution to our problem is [building] a democratic country. The rule of law will be respected when there is democracy. You don’t need anything else when the law rules,” Pascale said. 
She also spoke about the displacement and migration of Christians and other minority groups in the aftermath of the spiral of sectarian wars that plagued Iraq following the US-led invasion in 2003, including the disaster brought upon them by the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014.  

“Migration has wreaked havoc on us,” Pascale said.In his recent address in London, the Archbishop of Erbil Bashar Warda warned of the dwindling Christian population in Iraq due to centuries of persecution and called on the British government to do more to protect the minority.
The Christian minority in Iraq is “perilously close to extinction,” he said in May 2019, warning that the population of the minority group has dwindled by 83 percent – from around 1.5 million in 2003 to just 250,000.
Pascale currently heads HHRO and was Minister of Migration and Displacement in the Iraqi Interim Government formed following the invasion of the country in 2003. Her husband manages HHRO’s public relations and is also head of the Alliance of Iraqi Minorities Network.During their offensive, ISIS slaughtered thousands of minority men, burying them in mass graves during the genocide against Iraqi minorities. Women and children were abducted and sold into slavery – many facing years of repeated sexual violence.
Over 125,000 Christians are believed to have been displaced by the violence.