Author: Karakhanian Suren

Nashua Telegraph, NH
High court to hear church sale case
By ALBERT McKEON, Telegraph Staff
[email protected]
Published: Saturday, Apr. 2, 2005
Preservationists and former parishioners of St. Francis Xavier Church in
Nashua have taken one last stand against the building’s sale.
Opponents of the transaction between the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Manchester and a proxy for the Armenian Orthodox Church have appealed to the
state Supreme Court. Judges at the superior and probate court levels have
rejected the dissenters’ arguments.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate
of Jerusalem, has approved a Nashua-area developer’s purchase of the church
and his stated intent to use the building for an Armenian Orthodox parish.
Developer Vatche Manoukian received Manoogian’s blessing, attorney Gerald
Prunier said. Manoukian has a $1 million purchase-and-sale agreement with
the Manchester diocese and intends to donate the St. Francis Xavier property
to his faith, according to Prunier, who represents Manoukian.
But the transaction is on hold. Dissenters who first fought the diocese over
St. Francis Xavier’s closing in 2003 and then over the proposed sale are
taking one last legal action.
`They’re unanimous; they don’t want to give up,’ attorney Randall Wilbert
said of his group of clients. The group consists mostly of former
parishioners of the French Hill neighborhood parish, and a few who admire
the building’s architectural value.
`The struggle ahead is difficult,’ Wilbert said. `It’s certainly the last
hurrah. They can accept that, but they want to try everything.’
Wilbert filed the appeal two weeks ago. He has asked the state’s high court
to interpret a statutory trust that governs stewardship of the church.
The trust stipulates that Bishop John McCormack, leader of the Manchester
diocese, must act in the interest of former parishioners and forward the
proceeds from a sale to their new parish. When St. Francis Xavier closed, it
technically merged with St. Louis de Gonzague Church, and many parishioners
moved there.
In dismissing the plaintiff’s suit, a Hillsborough County Superior Court
judge said he could not speculate whether McCormack would use the proceeds
for any other purpose, and said the diocese is, to date, following the
conditions of the trust.
Albert McKeon can be reached at 594-5832 or [email protected].

Armenian president, US military official discuss Karabakh settlement
Mediamax news agency
30 Mar 05
Yerevan, 30 March: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today discussed
issues of settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict with Deputy
Commander of the United States European Command Charles Wald, who is
on a working visit to Yerevan.
Gen Wald said that the USA and Europe were interested in preserving
peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
The sides also discussed issues of bilateral military-technical
cooperation between Armenia and the USA, the press service of the
Armenian president told Mediamax new agency today.

Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska)
March 25, 2005 Friday
City Edition
Lecture at Lied on U.S. foreign policy
Lincoln, NE
Pulitzer-winner Power to speak at Thompson Forum.
Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize-winning author on the subject of
genocide, will speak on “U.S. Foreign Policy and Human Rights” at
3:30 p.m. today at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
Power’s talk is part of the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues. It
is free and open to the public.
A pre-forum talk will be at 3 p.m. in the Lied Center’s Steinhart
Room. The talk will be streamed live on the Web at and
carried live on KRNU radio at 90.3 FM and on Channel 21 on Lincoln
Time Warner Cable.
Power is the founding executive director of the Carr Center for Human
Rights Policy and adjunct lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University. She won the 2003 Pulitzer
Prize for general nonfiction and the National Book Critics Circle
Award for “A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.”
The book is a scholarly analysis of the U.S. policy toward genocide
in the 20th century that asks: Why do American leaders who vow “never
again” repeatedly fail to stop genocide?
In the book, Power traces the United States’ policy on genocide: the
Turks’ slaughter of Armenians in 1915, the Holocaust, Cambodia,
Saddam’s gassing of the Kurds, the ethnic cleansings of Yugoslavia,
and the Hutus’ genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Power was a journalist for U.S. News & World Report and The
Economist, for whom she covered the war in Yugoslavia from 1993 to
1996. In 1996, she joined the International Crisis Group as a
political analyst, helping launch the organization in Bosnia.
She has begun work on a book on the causes and consequences of
“historical amnesia” in U.S. foreign policy.

PRESS RELEASE
Analysis Research & Planning for Armenia (ARPA)
18106 Miranda Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Contact: Hagop Panossian
Tel: (818) 586-9660
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
ARPA Institute and AESA present the lecture “Armenia 2020: Visions
of Nation” on Saturday, April 2, 2005 at 5:30 PM in the lecture
hall of the Armenian Society of Los Angeles (Iranahaye Miutiun).
The presenter is Dr. Noubar Afeyan.
The address is 221 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204. Directios:
>From the 134 FWY exit on Brand and go south. From the 5 FWY exit on
Glendale and go north, turns into Brand.
Abstract: The lecture will cover scenario planning as well as
socioeconomic research conducted by Armenia 2020 relating to the
future prospects of Armenia. Established in 2002, Armenia 2020 is an
organized network of individuals working to build a shared vision and
a prosperous future for Armenia. Participants include Armenians from
around the world, both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, supported
by other action-oriented professionals, researchers, experts and
problem-solvers dedicated to understanding and shaping Armenia>
‘> s future. Armenia, a small country of 3 million people, gained
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, but faces persistent
poverty despite a highly educated and accomplished population and
a sizable, wealthy and compassionate Diaspora. This project is
part of an ongoing effort to build a shared vision among Armenians
both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, focused on creating successful
Armenian companies and attractive jobs as well as a shared strategy
in which Government, private sector and the Diaspora work together
to realize their potential. The lecture will cover several topics
including research into attitudes and mental models among Armenians,
research on productivity and competitiveness within Armenia’s economic
sectors, four alternative development scenarios and project ideas to
spur transformation.
Noubar B. Afeyan, co-founder and Board member of Armenia 2020,
managing partner of Flagship Ventures and senior lecturer at MIT Sloan
School, received his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from MIT. He
is a recognized technologist and entrepreneur, having co-founded 18
life science and high technology startups over the past 17 years. He
is currently a director of two public companies and seven Flagship
portfolio companies, and serves on the Boston University School
of Medicine Board of Governors. Noubar is engaged with several
non-profit organizations focused on helping the development of
the newly independent country of Armenia. Since 2000, in addition
to co-founding Armenia 2020, he has helped found the Armenian High
Technology Council of America and YerazArt. He is also a trustee of
the Armenian Assembly of America as well as Vem Radio in Armenia.
For Information Please call Dr. Hagop Panossian at (818)586-9660 or
e-mail at [email protected]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA SUPPORTS UN REFORM PROGRAM
Pan Armenian Network, Armenia
March 23 2005
Yerevan chooses between two variants of the program of reforms
proposed by the UN Secretary General.
Kofi Anan~Rs project for UN structural reforms was passed to the
member states of the United Nations Organization. Like the other 190
acknowledged countries of the world, Armenia has to decide whether
the initiative of the Secretary General meets current demands.
Armenian representation at UN has already submitted its proposals to
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The essence of Anan~Rs proposal is the expansion of
Security Council structure which currently consists of 10
non-permanent and five permanent members ~V USA, Russia, France, Great
Britain and China, all of them having the veto. After the Second
World War serious geopolitical changes marked the appearance of other
powers on a global and regional scale. Anan proposes to take into
account the mentioned fact and submits two variants for
consideration. The first variant envisages increased number of
permanent members by involving Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Egypt
and an African country with black population. According to the second
variant the Security Council becomes a three-level organ. The first
level are the current five permanent members, the second level ~V 7-8
~Ssemi-permanent~T members elected once in 5 years with a right to be
reelected. The third level is the non-permanent members that are
changed once in two years by the principle of regional
representation.
For Armenia the first variant is more preferable first of all because
thanks to the first variant friendly countries will enter the
Security Council. We have quite a lot of resources to cooperate with
Brazil where there is an influential Armenian community. India
opposes to Pakistan ~V the strategic partner of Azerbaijan. This
circumstance of course brings together Deli and Yerevan. As for
Egypt, it was perhaps the only Islamic country that supported Armenia
during consideration of the issue concerning ~Ssecurity zones~T around
Karabakh. Besides, quite a number of Armenians live in Egypt. German
parliament that is going to accept Armenian genocide can also partner
Armenia in concrete situations. Specifically, it is known that
official Berlin in every way intends to prevent military actions
against Iran by United States.
The second variant proposed by Anan has no bright prospects and may
bring to an unpredictable situation. This variant makes it easy for
Turkey and Pakistan to enter the Security Council as the two largest
Islamic non-Arabian countries. It should be mentioned that in the
first variant the Islamic world is represented in the Security
Council not by the ~SIslamic conference~T organization with which we
have tense relations but with the League of Arab countries with which
Yerevan productively cooperates.
The vote of Armenia is only one of 128 votes necessary to approve the
program of reforms. For the present there are serious doubts about
the approval of the first variant. The thing is that many influential
countries have pretensions against countries which Anan sees among
members of the Security Council: for instance USA and Italy against
Germany, China against Japan, Pakistan against India, Mexico and
Argentina against Brazil. Africans cannot decide who is going to
represent the ~Sblack continent~T ~V UAR, Nigeria or Kenya?
Another important point in the project submitted by Anan is the
decrease of the Commission on Human Rights. This initiative is again
out of our interests. As it is known, Armenia has been elected to the
53-state commission for two terms. This enabled us to gain certain
influence on large countries. Particularly, China had to pay
attention on us when the Commission considered their question. This
created a base for Armenian diplomacy for efficient cooperation with
countries with which we have few things in common. Their votes
however mean a lot. Taking into account the circumstance we can
suppose that Armenia should not welcome the idea of reduction of the
UN Commission on Human Rights. ~SPolishing~T of the program of reforms
on the level of representations of member-states will last till the
end of summer. The final text of the program should be ready before
the September summit for the approval of heads of states. From 2006
UN will start a new life. Will the world become more secure after
that? We never know…
22.03.2005, “PanARMENIAN Network” analytical department

“EFFICIENCY OF INFLUENCE OF FOREIGN FORCES IS DEFINED BY PRESENCE OF
DOMESTIC DEMAND,” ALEXANDER ISKANDARIAN COMMENTS ON SITUATION IN
KYRGHYZSTAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The experience shows that the
post-electoral situation in the CIS countries, with the exception
of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ruled by totalitarian regimes, is
accompanied by mass discontent. Alexander Iskandarian, Director
of the Caucasian Mass Media Institute, declared in his interview
to Noyan Tapan’s correspondent while commenting on the situation
formed at present in Kyrghyzstan. According to him, usually after the
elections the opposition of the post-Soviet countries doesn’t accept
the results of the elections and considers them falsified. So, the
stage of political pressure exerted on the authorities in the form of
rallies and demonstrations begins. As for the possible participation
of foreign forces in the current events in Kyrghyzstan, Alexander
Iskandarian said: “If there is social discontent and people able to
give political vent to this discontent the foreign forces may make use
of this but not on the contrary, such events can’t be ungrounded, there
should be the respective social base, i.e. no matter how much money
milti-millionaire Soros would invest in Norway no revolution might
take place there.” In A.Iskandarian’s estimation, the interference of
foreign forces is often exaggerated. “Naturally, this interference is
often present but the efficiency of the influence of foreign forces
on the situation in this or that country is defined by the presence
of the domestic demand, the respective domestic conditions.” To recap,
the situation formed after the second tour of parliamentary elections
in Kyrghyzstan (March 13) is accompanied by mass actions of protest,
in particular, in the south of the country. Thousands of actions of
protest were held in the regions of Jalal-Abad, Isik-Kul, Narinsk,
towns of Osh, Uzgen and others. The opposition protests against the
results of the parliamentary elections and demands the resignation
of President of the country Askar Akayev.

WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN BASES FROM GEORGIA IS POSSIBLE ONLY ON COMPROMISE
RIA Novosti, Russia
March 22 2005
MOSCOW, March 22 (RIA Novosti) – The head of the State Duma committee
for the CIS affairs and relations with compatriots, Andrei Kokoshin,
hopes that a compromise decision will be found at the Russian-Georgian
negotiations on withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia.
“I hope that a decision, which will take into consideration the
interests of both sides as well as the international situation will be
found at the negotiations,” he said at the news conference in Moscow.
Answering the question concerning the formation of an anti-terrorist
center instead of the Russian military bases, which are deployed in
Georgia (one – in Batumi (Adjaria) and the other one in Akhalkalaki
(on the border with Armenia), Mr. Kokoshin said that such a center
is necessary for the whole region. “Russia and Georgia must find here
a mutually acceptable decision,” the parliamentarian said.
At the present time, he continued, the State Duma is considering this
issue. “We want to find such a formula which would meet the interests
of the security of both Russia and Georgia,” Mr. Kokoshin pointed out.
However, today’s incident, when Russian peacekeepers at the
administrative border between Abkhazia and Georgia brought their
military equipment into a Georgian village, caused a new outburst of
anti-Russian hysteria among the Georgian parliamentarians.
“The illegal bringing of heavy military equipment of the Russian
peacekeepers into the Georgian village of Ganmukhuri testifies that
they pose a threat to our national security,” member of parliament
Georgy Bokeria said.
However, according to him, the Georgian leadership is not yet ready
to raise the question of withdrawing the Russian peacekeepers from
the country.
“When raising such questions we must clearly see their consequences.
Our closest task is to seek thewithdrawal of the Russian military
bases from Georgia and then to get rid of the Russian peacekeepers,”
the parliamentarian said.
At the same tine, at the plenary session of the Georgian parliament
on Tuesday, the opposition rebuked the pro-presidential faction,
the National Movement – Democrats, that the Georgian leadership is
not in a hurry to raise the question of the immediate withdrawal of
the Russian peacekeepers from the country.
“In their election campaign, the representatives of the power now in
force promised the people to complete the withdrawal of the Russian
peacekeepers from Georgia. However, when they came to power, they
are not in a hurry to do it,” a member of the opposition faction,
New Right-Wingers – Industrialists, Gocha Dzhodzhua, said.
As a spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry’s press service
told RIA Novosti, Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili intends to hold
on Tuesday a special briefing concerning the bringing of the heavy
military equipment of the Russian peacekeepers into the Georgian
village of Ganmukhuri.

ZAMBIA’S AMBASSADOR HANDS OVER HIS CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIAN PRESIDENT
ArmenPress
March 22 2005
YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: Zambia’s ambassador to Armenia
Peter Lusaka Chintalan, seated in Moscow, Russia, handed his
credentials today to president Robert Kocharian.
Kocharian was quoted by his press office as saying that exchange
of multilateral information is necessary to specify possible areas of
bilateral cooperation.
The ambassador said his government is interested in establishing
cooperation with Armenia and that for that purpose all potential will
be examined.
Scientific research, education and health were mentioned as areas
where cooperation is possible.

Middle East Media Research Institute, DC
Inquiry and Analysis Series – No. 213
March 21 2005
The Plight of Iraqi Christians
By Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli*
Introduction
The kidnapping of Archbishop Basil Georges Casmoussa on January 17,
2005 in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, and his subsequent release
the following day, highlighted the plight of Iraqi Christians, like
other Iraqi communities, facing threats from Islamist terrorists bent
on plunging Iraq into ethnic conflict.
Deep Roots and Current Violence
The Iraqi daily Al-Mada recently carried a report about the ruins of
what is believed to be the oldest Eastern Christian church,
discovered in 1976 by an archeological team in the desert west of the
holy Shi’ite city of Karbala. The church, known as Al-Qusair Church,
was built in the 5th century, 120 years before the appearance of
Islam and almost two centuries before the spread of Islam in what is
known today as Iraq.
The church (53×13 feet) had fifteen arched doors. Inside
archeologists found remnants of an altar and gammadion crosses. There
were two small cemeteries, one within the church walls intended for
the priests and one outside the walls for other church members.
During the Saddam regime, the eastern side of the church was
converted into a training target for an artillery unit of the Iraqi
army. A number of unexploded shells have been found within the
church’s perimeter. After the fall of Saddam, the tombs were
desecrated by looters, who hoped to find gold buried with the dead.
The Iraqi Department of Antiquities has recognized the historical
significance of the church, and restoration and preservation are
being considered. [1]
The Iraqi Christians
Iraqi Christians represent three percent of the Iraqi population
(which is estimated at 26 million). [2] The overwhelming majority of
Iraqi Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church – the Iraqi
branch of Roman Catholicism. Chaldean Catholics are also known as
“Assyrians.” The patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church has
clarified that “Assyrian” is an ethnic identity and “Chaldean” is a
religious one. [3] There are other churches in Iraq, including the
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Nestorian and Armenian. However,
the distinction between these churches is not really understood by
most Iraqi Muslims, who look upon all Christians as “People of the
Book,” as they are referred to in the Koran.
Under the secular Ba’th regime, the Christians in Iraq, who presented
no threat to Saddam, enjoyed considerable religious freedom. In an
interview with the Arabic-language London daily Al-Hayat, the Latin
Patriarch in Iraq, Jan Suleiman, said that whenever Saddam Hussein
was approached regarding a problem affecting the Christian education
system in Iraq, he would intervene to resolve it. [4]
Violence Against Individuals
The high level of violence in Iraq has affected every sector of the
Iraqi population, and Christians are no exception. Christians,
however, have been specifically targeted by Islamists, who either
accuse them of collaborating with the “invading crusading army” or
label them infidels. As Islamist pressures mounted in Iraq, following
its occupation, Christian businesses were destroyed, Christian
university students were harassed and Christian women were forced to
wear the veil. [5]
Suspected of Collaboration
Most Christian children attend Christian schools, where the teaching
of a foreign language, primarily English, is a high priority in the
curriculum. It is therefore understandable that the multinational
forces have tapped the Christian community for office and translation
work. However, the Christians are concerned that a prolonged
occupation of Iraq by the multinational forces under the command of
the United States will only heighten the accusations that they are
collaborating with an occupation “originating from a Christian
country.” [6]
Recently, the unidentified “Brigades for the Liquidation of Christian
Agents and Spies” has threatened to liquidate those working with the
multinational forces and to “pursue them in their homes and
churches.” In placards posted in Christian areas, the Brigades wrote:
“The Christian minority enjoys peace and security in the land of the
Muslim and in our country in particular. Its members have held senior
positions in the State. But their malevolence toward Muslims became
evident when the occupier entered our country. He found great support
among them in the form of translators and agents who acted as
informers against Muslims. Their churches receive evangelist groups.
They spread moral corruption and pornography in our streets. Muslims
have been arrested, women raped and houses destroyed as a result of
Christians being agents of the occupiers.” [7]
Violence Against Churches
In August 2004, five churches, one in Baghdad and four in Mosul, were
hit in one day, in a coordinated attack that killed 12 people. In
October, five churches in Baghdad were hit on the first day of the
Muslim month of Ramadan. In November, eight people were killed in two
church bombings. [8] The August attack on churches was followed on
September 10 by mortar attacks against the Assyrian town in Bakhdeda
(also referred to as Qarqosh ) in the Ninevah Governorate in northern
Iraq. [9]
The Destruction of Businesses
With the public sector and the military all but closed to them,
Christians have focused on the services sector of the economy and
retail business. Because of Islamic restrictions on alcohol
consumption, Iraqi governments have limited the liquor retail
business to Christians, who, in turn, have been meeting an obviously
high demand for alcoholic beverages among a large segment of the
Iraqi Muslim population. In fact, a considerable amount of money
under the “Oil for Food Program” was used by the Saddam regime for
the import of the most expensive brands of alcoholic beverages for
Saddam Hussein, his sons, and the high echelons of the secular Ba’th
ruling party. At one time, the Coalition Provisional Authority was
contemplating a public auction of high quality vintage wine and
champagne found in the cellars of the palaces of Saddam, his sons,
and their cronies.
Shortly after the fall of Saddam, Islamists, who took control of the
streets of many Iraqi cities, began to target Christian owners of
liquor stores. They first ordered the owners to close their
businesses; if the owners failed to comply, the Islamists gutted the
stores and often killed the owners. An example is liquor merchant
Bashir Toma Alias, who was shot in the head in the center of a bazaar
in Basra while on his way home to celebrate Christmas. [10]
Writing about the “deplorable attack against Chaldean Christians in
Iraq,” the Chaldean New Agency wrote on October 7, 2004:
“Not only did those heinous crimes result in the loss of innocent
lives, but worse, they have created tremendous hardships for those
Chaldean families whose very livelihood were attacked. With a lack of
alternative jobs, many of them are currently living off the
charitable contributions of the local Chaldean churches.” [11]
The report goes on to warn that unless these “Islamic terrorists” are
brought to justice, “Iraqi Chaldeans will continue to be an easy
target for such criminals who are bent on imposing their distorted
version of Islam by force.” [12] It was reported that in the southern
city of Basra, the second largest city in Iraq, armed Shi’ite groups
with names such as “The Revenge of Allah,” “Hizbullah,” and “The
Organization of Islamic Doctrines,” roam the streets to mete out
“Islamic punishment” on traders and users of alcohol, as well as on
prostitutes. Four hundred Christian stores were closed. According to
Faysal Abdullah, the head of the Organization of Islamic Doctrines,
Islam “rewards those who seek martyrdom and who were designated by
Allah to uproot vice.” [13]
Often the police stand idly by in the face of crimes committed in
their presence because they are afraid of the armed Islamists or
because they sympathize with their aims.
The Christians complain that after they were driven out of the liquor
business by Islamist groups, Muslims have taken over the business and
continue to sell liquor publicly. [14]
The Islamists have also targeted barber shops run by Christians
because the Islamists object to haircuts and to shaving. [15]
Harassment of Students
Christian students at Iraqi universities are also subjected to
harassment and often to violence. At the University of Mosul, the
second largest university in Iraq, 1,500 Christian students recently
decided to suspend their studies because of threats to their lives by
Islamists who have taken control of the university. [16] Because many
of these students traveled to campus in buses from outside the city,
they were afraid that their transportation would be bombed if they
persisted in attending the university. [17]
A survey among Christian students carried out by the Iraqi daily
Al-Mada has found similar sentiments among Christian students
attending other institutions of higher learning in Iraq. They do not
understand why they are being victimized. Anna Mirfit Boutrus, a
22-year-old student at the Technological University of Baghdad,
expressed her distress:
“Why do the terrorists want to prevent us from performing our
religious rites? Why do they bomb our churches? Why do they want to
kill us~E What have we done to them? We are citizens of this land.
This is our country. We will not give it up and we will not replace
it with another.” [18]
For female Christian students, there is incessant pressure to wear
the veil or put their lives in jeopardy. [19]
Christmas Celebrations
Christians celebrated Christmas in their homes, for fear of attacks.
Most churches avoided the traditional midnight Mass or large
gatherings of church goers. [20] Indeed, the churches called upon
their parishioners to avoid coming to churches on Christmas out of
concern for their safety. [21] Asked to comment on the situation on
the eve of Christmas, Patriarch Emanuel III, the Patriarch of
Babylon, responded:
“As leaders of the Christian communities in Iraq, we are pained by
what has happened to our country. There is destruction of our people,
resources, buildings and churches. We grieve the tragic death of many
of our children and the injuries and psychological shocks suffered by
others. Many of our citizens were subject to humiliating kidnapping,
thefts, and expulsion.” [22]
Sister Warda of the Daughters of Mary Convent commented that the
cancellation of Christmas celebrations must be viewed in perspective.
She said: “We cannot celebrate in isolation of what our relatives and
brothers are subjected to in our wounded country.” [23]
Conversion to Islam
Chaldeans also complain about pressures to convert to Islam. When a
parent converts to Islam all minors in the family are forcefully
converted regardless of the wishes of the other parent. [24]
Leaving the Country
The plight of Iraqi Christians is part of a rapidly deteriorating
situation that is forcing Christians throughout the Middle East to
seek refuge in the West. A recent article by Majid Aziza in the Iraqi
daily Al-Zaman, a newspaper with a long-standing liberal pedigree,
highlights the plight of Christians in the Arab and Muslim world:
“Christian natives of Arab countries are escaping their countries of
origin. Statistics show that a large number of them have emigrated to
countries which offer them and their children greater security, such
as the United States, Canada, Australia and some European countries.
The reason is the harassment to which they are subjected in countries
they have inhabited for thousands of years. Sometimes the harassment
originates from the regime; at other times it comes from extremist
groups.”
Saddam and the Iraqi Christians
On the one hand, Saddam Hussein supported Christian education; on the
other, he forced Christians out of their villages in the north as
part of the Arabization of Kirkuk and its environs. Many other
Christians opted to leave their villages in the north because of the
unsettled conflict between the Kurds and Saddam’s regime. Now
harassment by Islamists is forcing these transplants to return to the
villages of their ancestors in the north. In the words of one person
who plans to relocate: “Some of the Muslims consider us infidels. We
are being targeted. They will eat us alive.” [25] For Christians who
have left Iraq, Syria remains the preferred country for temporary
residence for two reasons: first, no visa is required and second, it
provides security at a low cost of living. [26] Jordan is another
country populated by a large number of Iraqi Christians.
Voting in the Elections
In a meeting with a Christian delegation, Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani denounced the attacks on the churches and called upon
Christians to participate in the elections to ensure maximum
participation. [27] Al-Sistani has also been quoted as saying that he
would have no objection for a Christian to be elected president of
Iraq if he met the appropriate qualifications. [28]
There were no fewer than eight Christian parties that competed in the
January 30 elections. The Christians were determined to vote because
they believed an elected government would provide them with a measure
of security they now lacked. They also counted on massive
participation of Iraqi Christians in the Diaspora to vote for their
parties. [29] The low rate of participation in the elections of
Iraqis in exile must have been disappointing to the Christians.
In the elections, one Christian party, the National Rafidain,
received approximately 37,000 votes, entitling it to one seat in the
275-seat assembly.
The low turnout of the Christian voters was involuntary. Many of the
Christians live in Sunni provinces, particularly in Ninevah and
Salahudin in the so-called Sunni triangle. Tens of thousands of
Christians who intended to vote discovered on election day that the
Independent Elections Committee did not provide ballot boxes in these
two provinces because of security concerns. Christians complained
that tens of thousands of their community were in essence
disenfranchised, particularly in the city of Mosul, for no fault of
their own. Many others may have sought the security of their homes
rather than risk violence while going out to vote. [30]
*Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli is Senior Analyst of MEMRI’s Middle East
Economic Studies Program.

Four CIS peacekeepers detained by Georgian police
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
21 Mar 05
Members of a Georgian rapid-reaction unit have detained four Russian
[CIS] peacekeepers near the administrative border with Abkhazia. One
of the detained men is ethnic Armenian, another Kabardian and another
Russian. The identity of the fourth man, who had no papers on him,
is yet to be established.
Georgian officials have said that the men were armed and trying
to enter the yard of a private house in the village of Ganmukhuri
[Zugdidi District, Samegrelo province].
The peacekeepers have said that they were searching for a lost horse.