| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| 'Iraqi Christians fleeing their homes' |
| 2010-12-18 |
| [Iran Press TV] Thousands of Iraqi Christians are leaving the cities of Storied Baghdad and djinn-infested Mosul to save their lives from targeted attacks against the minority group, the UN refugee agency says. The "slowly but steady" move started after a deadly Storied Baghdad church siege on October 31. More than 70 people were killed when bully boyz took over the Our Lady of Salvation church in the Iraqi capital during Sunday Mass, 53 of the people killed in the strike were Christians. Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said on Friday that Christians are heading to other parts of Iraq, such as the Kurdish region, or to neighboring countries, in search of protection. "Our offices in neighboring Syria, Jordan and Leb are reporting a growing number of Iraqi Christians arriving and contacting UNHCR for registration and help," Fleming said. Some of the Iraqi Christians were reportedly forced to leave their homes after receiving death threats. "We have heard many accounts of people fleeing their homes after receiving direct threats. Some were able to take only a few belongings with them," the agency said in a statement. "Churches and NGOs are warning us to expect more people fleeing in the coming weeks," she added. The UNHCR official has also criticized Sweden for forcibly returning a group of 20 Iraqis, five of whom were Christians from Storied Baghdad, calling on host countries to "refrain from deporting Iraqis who originate from the most perilous parts of the country." Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Christians -- a minority group in the country -- have frequently been the target of violence, with hundreds killed and several churches attacked. The US troops' inability to protect Iraqi Christians has left them with no other choice but to leave their home country. About 700,000 Iraqi Christians have decamped abroad in the face of violence. There are currently about 500,000 Christians in Iraq. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Are they fleeing their homes and going to Iran? Didn't think so. Is Iran aiding those who are causing the fleeing? Good chance. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-12-18 09:58 |