Baghdad - The deportation of Iraqi Christians from their
homes in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul has been all to familiar
over the past week, after several were murdered.
'The forced displacement is an awful scene, because it affects the
social fabric of our country,' said Pascal Warda, a human rights
activist.
'The exodus of Christians from Mosul these days is very organised
compared to what used to happen in Iraq during the years that
followed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, as it comes at a time when
the government is imposing control over vast areas of the country,'
Warda told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Over the past two weeks, at least 12 Christians have been murdered
in Mosul and thousands have fled the city after recent threats scared
them and forced them to leave their homes and jobs.
The rise in the attacks has coincided with major demonstrations by
Christian groups protesting the removal of Article 50 from the
provincial elections law, which was approved by the Presidential
Council last week.
'Armed groups and militias threaten Christian families to leave
immediately or else be killed - something that has blackened the file
of Iraqi democracy. This is why the government should work hard to
stop it,' said Warda, the second displacement and migration minister
since the US-lead invasion in 2003.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is sending seven ministers to Mosul
city to review the crisis and help displaced Christian families.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry has increased the number of police
in the city to protect the Christian neighbourhoods.
'More than one million Christians have migrated from Iraq after
being harassed. More than 40 per cent of all Iraqis who fled abroad
during the past five years are minorities,' said Warda, a mother of
two.
Various communities such as Christians, Shiites and Kurds live in
Mosul along with the Sunni majority. The city is also historically a
center for the Nestorian Christianity of the Assyrians, and is the
site of the tombs of several Old Testament prophets such as Jonah,
Yunus in Arabic, and Nahum.
'What is happening in Mosul these days - the targeting of innocent
people - grieves me deeply. I think it is a step backwards for
democracy and a clear violation of human rights,' said Warda.
The heads of churches in Mosul have meanwhile called on their
followers to stay calm, urging the media to stop stirring up
sectarian tension.
They also called on Muslim scholars to increase efforts to calm
the situation and urge citizens to respect principles of religious
freedom, according to a statement quoted by the Voices of Iraq (VOI)
news agency.
'We Christians have always lived with, and continue to coexist
with, our Muslim brothers in the same country, in a climate of peace
and fraternity and a spirit of affection and cooperation,' the
statement added.
Iraqi Christians constitute some 636,000 of the Iraqi population.
Most speak an ancient Aramaic dialect. They live in the northern
provinces of Arbil, Nineveh and Dahuk.
The head of the Shiite Endowments Authority expressed concern
Wednesday over the repeated acts of violence targeting Christians in
Mosul, according to a statement released by the authority.
The head of the Christian Endowments Authority, Abdullah Harmaz
al-Noufali, said that a Christian delegation would arrive in Najaf
city next week to meet with the top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistanti, noting that the visit has already been scheduled before
the outbreak of the Mosul violence.
USA
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