IRAQI CHRISTIANS PRESENT THEIR CASE IN THE UK PARLIAMENT
AINA, Assyrian International News Agency
GMT 1-25-2010 6:18:58
London (AINA) — Iraqi Christians put their case for fair treatment
by the UK government on Hrant Dink Day (January, 19) in the House
of Commons this week. Together with Turks, Armenians and Kurds, they
remembered the sacrifice of Hrant Dink who was gunned down in Istanbul
three years ago. Lord Wallace of Saltire and Lord Hylton were present.
Tributes to Hrant, with meditations on Genocide, were led by Ragip
Zarakolu, the publisher from Istanbul, Professor Khatchatur Pilikian
, the writer Desmond Fernandes and Ruth Barnett of the Holocaust
Educational Trust, Kasim Akpac (Kurdish Federation), Haci Ozdemir
(International Committee Against Disappearances, British Section).
Saad Tokatly presented the Iraqi Christian case.
"As the UK opposes a Safe Haven for Christians in Iraq, Britain
herself must become the Safe Haven."
Eilian Williams made the point that Christians are now suffering in
Iraq as a direct consequence of past policies of UK governments. He
continued… "Following the genocide of 1915, Assyrians were promised
a homeland if they would help the allied war effort in 1917-18. Their
sacrifices counted for nothing in the Paris Peace Conference after
the war, when they were prevented by the British from attending to
put their case. The British mandate which created modern Iraq ensured
that Iraqi Christians were dispersed and vulnerable, leading to the
terrible Simel masssacre of 1934. Ever since, Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriacs
have never been completely safe in their ancestral homeland.
The 2003 war instigated by the US and the UK ensured that the
country is more dangerous than ever , with over 2000 Christians
killed , mainly by Islamic extremists since the war,. Britain now
seems happy to wash her hands of her wrongdoings and to allow the
Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriacs to reap the bloody consequences. She opposes
any plan for a safe haven for Christians, but is unwilling to present
any alternative plan. The door is firmly closed to Christian refugees,
even though the government agreed to take 500 Iraqi refugees a year
ago.There is no sign that this committment has been honoured.
In fact,since our meetings in parliament of a year ago, there is no
evidence of anything at all has been done to help. A test of the
government’s good faith is how Iraqi Christians already here are
treated. It is inhuman to expect them to survive for ten years on
food vouchers without the right to work. We have examples of such
cases with us tonight. As the UK opposes a Safe Haven for Christians
in Iraq, Britain herself must become the Safe Haven"
Isaac Asia proposed that we write to the Turkish and Iraqi
governments. It was agreed , to express to them the seriousness of
the current problems, and to ask why so little is done. Following the
meeting,this suggestion for a motion in parliament was sent to MPs :
"That this House, conscious of past failures of successive British
governments to honor promises to the Assyrians and other Christians
of Iraq, and conscious of our government’s actions in making Iraq
an unsafe place for its minorities, calls on the Home Office for
compassion towards the Christians and Mandaeans refugees from Iraq ,by
allowing the relatively small number in this country to have the right
to work and study up to university level; further we find it inhuman
to allow the cases of some of them to drag on longer than five years"
Before and after the meeting Iraqi Christians explained to Adrian
Saunders MP and to Edward Davey MP’s assistant that their cases
drag on for over 10 years without any outcome. They are left in a
limbo without the right to work. Others have their families divided
in several countries.Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs
spokesman, is writing to the Foreign Office to express his concern
Saad Tokatly , Iraqi Christian Representative, gave his appraisal of
the current situation.
The current Situation
Beleaguered Christians in Iraq were recently targeted in a wave of
co-coordinated bombings. At least ten churches and convents were
blasted, tens killed and several hundred wounded.
According to the Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako, the situation for
Christians became worse after the fall of Saddam’s regime: bombings,
kidnappings, killings, threats and displacement. The targeting of
Christians, displacement, migration and the increasing threats to
their existence and their history is the greatest challenge.Women
have been forced to wear hijab scarves by extremist Muslims and some
have been made to leave their jobs because they refused the hijab.
The Iraqi Christians are afraid that the Muslim extremists will do
to the Christians exactly what they did to the Jews in 1948. This
meant complete cleansing of the people from the country
The Iraqi Constitution
Article 2, A of the Iraqi Constitution says that it’s not permissible
to make any new piece of legislation, which is not favorable to
Islamic Law.
Archbishop Sako blamed the Iraqi state, which will have to stabilize
and ensure the right of minorities and support, and maintain the long
history, and religious and cultural heritage, which is an integral
part of the heritage of Iraq. Maybe there is an urgent need to create
an Iraqi government institution, ministry or department in order to
reassure the minorities that their rights will be protected and that
their heritage can be disseminated without keeping it in the dark.
Pope Benedict
On January 24th, 2009 Pope Benedict appealed to Iraqi authorities to
defend the civil rights of Christians in Iraq, asking them to protect
the Christian community there from relentless violence. On May 9,
2009 he urged the world to make efforts to protect Iraq’s Christian
minority. In a speech to Muslim leaders in Jordan, the pontiff called
on the international community and local political and religious
leaders to try to ensure Iraqi Christians had a "right to peaceful
coexistence" with other Iraqis.
International Organizations
On December 25th, 2008, the U.S. Commission on International Religious
Freedom cited several examples in a recent report of abuse toward
Christians in Iraq.
A landmark new report on the situation of Iraqi uprooted minorities,
was issued by the Minority Right Group on the 24th of September 2009,
MRG says that many of the people who flee Iraq undertake very dangerous
journeys to get to Europe often only to be met with restrictive asylum
policies, discrimination and in some cases forcible return. Refugees
from Iraq’s minorities face insecurity and risk losing their religious
and cultural identity as they try to seek refuge in neighboring
countries and Western Europe.
Although Jordan and Syria have welcomed a large number of Iraqi
refugees, many live in a state of limbo as they are unable to secure
residency or work permits. Both countries have since 2007 begun to
tighten their visa policies, making it increasingly harder for Iraqis
to live there legally.
Solution and Proposals
There must be reconciliation between all the parties to settle the
security and safety of Iraq and the state must place its controls and
its laws on a foundation of national equality, and not on a sectarian
and factional basis.
Amendments to the Constitution, citizenship rights and equal
eligibility to public office, are needed so as to promote a culture
of responsibility and co-existence. This means accepting a change
from individuality to unity, and respecting the right of others to
be different.
There must be respect for religious freedom, which means the freedom
of conscience that is the basis for all other freedoms and a measure
for guaranteeing human rights. All that talk about "no compulsion
in religion", but the reality was different: the principle is one
thing but the practice is something else. All forms of oppression,
persecution and violence and terrorism in the name of religion,
should be denounced.
It is necessary to remove the prejudices and the distinction in order
to improve the coexistence and mutual trust. In this regard, perhaps
it is time for our Muslim fellow citizens to avoid the nauseating
accusation of Christians as being disbelievers and crusaders, and to
stop the use of the phrase "people of wealth".
The British Government must accept responsibility for their foreign
Policy failures in Iraq show compassion by accepting Iraqi Christians
to this country urgently
The Iraqi Christian Communities are looking forward to receiving more
help towards this urgent matter. I extend my gratitude and appreciation
to all of you who believe in peace, justice and love".
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