Iraq (ODM) — The Iraqi government has set up a committee to document Christian persecution, according to Catholic news agency Agenzia Fides. The aim is to take appropriate measures to curb the violence against and abuse of Christians in Iraq, especially in Baghdad. The move comes after calls from a Christian member of the Iraqi Parliament and the leader of the Chaldean Patriarchate for greater protection of Christians.
The past few months has seen an increase in kidnappings of Christians and illegal expropriation of Christian-owned homes and land. These crimes will be a main focus of the investigations. The committee, which was set up by Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi, is being assisted in the collection of information by the headquarters of the Chaldean Patriarchate in Baghdad. The Patriarchate delivered the first dossier, containing 14 cases of illegally-taken houses and land to the leaders of the committee on Monday.
(Photo courtesy Open Doors Ministries)
In Baghdad, 4 Christians have been kidnapped within 2 weeks in June and July; 2 of whom were found dead in spite of the ransom which was paid. According to the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Baghdad Beituna [Baghdad Our Home], there have been more than “7,000 violations against properties belonging to Iraqi Christians in Baghdad” since 2003. A Baghdad official says that almost 70% of the Baghdad’s Christian homes have been illegally taken.
Henriette Kats, persecution analyst for Open Doors World Watch Research, states: “This is a positive first step, by which the government acknowledges that something is wrong with the way Christians are being treated in Iraq and that this needs to change. It is the first time that the government is officially investigating this, after decades of discrimination and abuse.
“The establishment of the Islamic State (IS) in June 2014 has brought about a further radicalization of Iraqi society–a development that has been ongoing since the U.S. invasion in 2003. Corruption plays an important role in the persecution of Christians as can be seen in the ransoms demanded and the illegal taking of Christian-owned houses and land mentioned above.
“We see here a combination of the 2 persecution engines–Islamic extremism and organized corruption–where the vulnerable position of religious minorities, such as Christians, is being exploited. Corruption is deeply rooted in Iraqi society, right up to the highest levels. Also, it is especially people in or close to political power who are occupying not just Christian-owned homes, but also churches and monasteries.
“It will be hard to eradicate this. Acknowledgement and documentation of this phenomenon is a careful first step, which will need to be followed by bold and clear measures.”
Article courtesy Open Doors Ministries. View the original article here.
