Christian community in Iraq consider mass exodus
Questions have been raised about the future of one of the oldest Christian congregations in the Middle East after the recent attacks on Iraq’s decreasing Christian community, which left 62 people dead and at least 103 wounded, as well as warnings by Islamic militants that more murders will follow.
On 1 November 2010 the Islamist organisation Islamic State of Iraq claimed credit for a massacre at a Baghdad church where Christians were listening to a bible reading. After the gunmen killed the priest, they attacked the nearby stock exchange, and then stormed the church and took 120 Christians hostage. Killings followed.
The group seeks the establishment of Islamic law in Iraq and has said that all Iraqi Christians are legitimate targets for killings.
In another attack on 9 November 2010, Islamic militants struck 10 times in six different locations in Baghdad, almost all of them Christian houses. Mortars damaged two homes in the south. Improvised bombs damaged four in the north of the city and four in the east. A total of four people were killed and 25 injured. Worse was the effect on the city's already traumatised Christian minority, which now seems more fearful than ever – and potentially poised for another mass exodus from the country.
Church leaders called on the Iraqi government to protect the Christian population and bring those responsible for the killings to justice.
“There is a clear scheme aimed at forcing Christians out of Iraq’s central and southern areas,” said priest Gebrial Korges. “The question is: Who is behind these crimes against Christians and why doesn’t the government bring them to justice?”
Archbishop Athanasios Dawood, who is based in the UK, said Christian community had been without protection since the US-led invasion in 2003.
The U.N. Security Council said on 10 November 2010 that it was appalled by the attacks on Iraqi Christians, calling them a blow against religious diversity and democracy. The 15-member council issued a statement condemning “all incitement to and acts of violence, particularly those motivated by religious hatred” and urging countries to work together to “bring the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.”
On 8 November 2010 about 350 people gathered in front of UK Parliament demonstrating against the killings. The demonstrators asked the British government to condemn the attack and put pressure on the Iraqi government to afford more protection to Christians living in Iraq. A spokesman at the demonstration said:
“We are concerned that there has recently been a call for a mass exodus of Christians from Iraq which if it takes place, could mean a huge impact on the European Community and on the United Kingdom in particular. We appreciate how compassionate and caring the British public is however we are asking the government to do more to protect those that wish to stay in their own country but at the same time welcome some of those that wish to leave and accept them into this country.”
Christians have been living in Iraq since long before it was called Iraq and centuries before Mohammed was born. Ancient Assyrians converted to Christianity during the first century A.D.
Human Rights Watch says that the number of Christians in Iraq had fallen to about 675,000 in 2008 from 1 million at the time of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
Sources
USA Today
Washington Post
BBC News
Guardian
IRIN News
ICN
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