Flight of Iraq Christians continues in Mosul

Tuesday 14th October, 06:17 AM JST

MOSUL —

More Christian families have quit their homes in Mosul, a local official said on Monday, as the United Nations voiced concern at the community’s plight in the northern Iraqi city.

One Christian was killed and his nephew wounded late on Sunday when gunmen opened fire in the eastern neighborhood of Hay al-Ekhaa, the latest in a spate of a dozen murders of Christians in the city over the past fortnight.

But there were no reports of violence on Monday after nearly 1,000 additional police moved into the city.

The violence that began late last month has provoked the exodus of more than 1,000 Christian families since Friday, although the numbers of those leaving had started to drop since the police reinforcements arrived on Sunday, according to the head of Mosul’s bureau of displaced people, Jaweat Ismael.

Another 109 families had quit the city on Sunday and Monday, Ismael said, although there was “no new wave of displacements.”

A correspondent said Mosul was filled with police manning checkpoints and patrolling churches and residential neighborhoods in the multi-religious city while volunteer organisations, including the Red Crescent and various church groups, were handing out food and water.

But Jamil Jeto Abdul Ahad, who heads an inter-faith Christian council in the city, was critical of the help offered by the authorities.

“The assistance from the government is very little. We call on the international community to help,” he said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations special representative to Iraq Staffan de Mistura expressed concern at the violence targeting Christians and “strongly condemned” the murder of civilians.

“These acts are aimed to fuel tensions and exacerbate instability at a critical time,” he said in a statement.

The envoy “expressed his concern at the spike in violence that has targeted the Christian communities in recent days, particularly in and around Iraq’s northern city of Mosul.”

He noted the flight of families from Mosul and said the United Nations was assessing the situation closely.

The agency had provided help to 102 families as well as emergency assistance on Sunday to another 400, he said.

De Mistura noted that the displacement of families came at a time of heightened tension over minority representation in provincial elections.

Iraq’s 275-member parliament passed a controversial law last month that will allow provincial elections to go ahead in early January, but crucially it struck a clause that would have reserved seats on local councils for Christians.

“Iraq’s minorities have historically been, and remain an integral part of the country and its social fabric, enriching both its culture and politics,” de Mistura said.

“Respecting and guaranteeing the political and legal rights of minorities in Iraq is fundamental to a stable and democratic future for the country.”

Iraq’s third largest city, U.S. and Iraqi commanders consider Mosul to be the nation’s most dangerous center and the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 more than 200 Christians have been killed across Iraq and a string of churches attacked, with the violence intensifying in recent weeks, particularly in the north.

Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq at the time of the U.S.-led invasion, but the number has since shrunk by around a third as the faithful have fled the country, according to the Chaldean archbishop of the northern oil city of Kirkuk, Louis Sako.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered an investigation into the attacks on Christians and pledged to take all steps necessary to protect the threatened community.

Wire reports

11 Comments

adaydream at 07:40 AM JST - 14th October

But there were no reports of violence on Monday after nearly 1,000 additional police moved into the city.

Get the troops out of Iraq and put the Iraqi Army and police to work. < :-)
Helter_Skelter at 09:18 AM JST - 14th October

Christians and Jews and other non-Muslims have been ethnically cleansed from many ME Muslim Arab nations. Not sure why Iraq would be any different. I hope as many Christians as possible are able to get out.
WilliB at 10:42 AM JST - 14th October

Helter Skelter:

" Not sure why Iraq would be any different. "

Iraq was different under Saddams relatively secular dicatorship. Remember Tariq Azis? He was a Christian.

Under the Shiite theocracy which the US has helped established, Iraq will be more like any other islamic hellhole, where non-muslim live under permanent threat. You are right there.

adaydream:

" put the Iraqi Army and police to work "

The "Iraqi Army and police" under Malikis Shiite control. Groan...
goodDonkey at 11:14 AM JST - 14th October

A correspondent said Mosul was filled with police manning checkpoints and patrolling churches and residential neighborhoods in the multi-religious city while volunteer organisations [organizations], including the Red Crescent and various church groups, were handing out food and water.

It seems the theories that all Muslims are out to get Christians flies out the window when you consider the Red Crescent, helping out, is a Muslim organization.
WilliB at 12:35 PM JST - 14th October

Donkey:

" the Red Crescent, helping out, is a Muslim organization. "

Reality check: The Red Crescent is the name the Red Cross is forced to operate under in muslim countries, since the cross symbol is "offensive" to islam.
skipthesong at 12:59 PM JST - 14th October

I wonder why this hasn't ignited more discussion
WilliB at 04:02 PM JST - 14th October

>

" I wonder why this hasn't ignited more discussion "

Because it is only Christians who are receiving end, and jihadists doing the violence, so there is not much news value. The brutalization of non-muslim minorities in the muslim world is so common and so uninteresting for the media that it gets generally ignored.
Helter_Skelter at 04:05 PM JST - 14th October

WillB

Iraq was different under Saddams relatively secular dicatorship.

I agree. It was better for Christians under Saddam's regime. Nevertheless, any Christian or non-Muslim living in an Islamic nation is at risk of religious persecution, or worse. Best get out if at all possible.
Madverts at 05:12 PM JST - 14th October

Say it as it is....

...we were all better off with Saddam kicking the fundies into line.
goodDonkey at 11:48 PM JST - 14th October

WilliB

It was the Iraqi Red Crescent. There is no such thing as the Internationa Red Cross. Thhere is an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and currently 186 National Societies are recognized by the ICRC and admitted as full members of the Federation. Each entity works in its home country according to the principles of international humanitarian law and the statutes of the international Movement. The ICRC, IFRC and the 186 National Societies are different organizations that are legally independent from each other. No one was forced to operate under the name of the Red Crescent.

It was a good thing that the Red Crescent helped the Christians. Why would any one want to be dismissive about Muslims coming to the aid of Christians?
goodDonkey at 11:50 PM JST - 14th October

Here is the address of the Iraqi Red Crescent.

http://www.iraqredcrescent.org/