Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Erbil (Agenzia Fides) - "We have documented many cases of intimidation and violence by security forces. Christian communities and other religious communities are in a state of obvious distress. This is why Human Rights Watch (HRW) has seen fit to document and denounce this situation. And religious freedom, which is one of the most fundamental human rights, is not guaranteed and communities have great difficulty practicing their religion." This is what Agenzia Fides learned in a conversation with Joe Stork, Vice-Director of HRW's Middle East Department and one of the writers of the Report "On Vulnerable Ground," produced and released yesterday by the organization.
The document highlights the conflict existing between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government, which has taken on violent manners, enough to make the situation cause for concern and endangering the lives of ethnic and religious minorities. The Report states that, especially in the region of Nineveh, there is risk for "another human rights catastrophe for the small minority communities," echoing and documenting incidents of extreme violence against minorities: Christians (550,000), Yazidi (220,000), Shabak (ethnic minority of about 60,000), as well as Turks and Kakai Kurds (communities that practice a syncretic religion). These minorities, denounced the report, "find themselves in an ever more precarious situation, as the Arab-dominated central government and the Kurdistan regional government are fighting for control of disputed territories."
Human Rights Watch in particular accused the Kurdish forces of using "arbitrary arrests and detentions, acts of intimidation and in some cases low-intensity violence against minorities that challenge the control of the regional government on disputed territories." In addition, there are "Sunni Arab extremists, who consider these minorities as 'crusaders' and 'infidels', and have launched devastating attacks that have killed hundreds of civilians.”
Attacks against Christians in Mosul, which occurred a year ago, have caused the exodus of thousands of Christians from the city. Across the country, the Christians in Iraq, which were over 900,000 in 2003, are now 675,000, while approximately 20% of Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries are Christian.
The organization calls on the government and the Kurdistan regional government in Baghdad to make an unbiased investigation and to stop the violence, ensuring respect for human rights for all Iraqi citizens, no matter the religion or ethnic group they belong to. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2009)
