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U.S. Bishops Call for Protection of Iraq's Christians
GMT 10-31-2006 1:31:34
Assyrian International News Agency
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WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB)
Committee on International Policy has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice to consider measures that would help improve the deteriorating situation
for Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.
In a letter to Secretary Rice, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando (FL) notes
that Christians in Iraq continue to decline from a pre-war population of
over 1.2 million to a current estimate of 600,000, and according to the U.N.
High Commission for Refugees, over 40 percent of Iraqi refugees are Christian
even though they represent only about 4 percent of Iraq's total population.
"The growing and deliberate targeting of Christians is an ominous sign of
the breakdown in Iraqi society of civil order and inter-religious respect
and represents a grave violation of human rights and religious liberty,"
Bishop Wenski wrote, pointing to the recent beheading of a Syriac Orthodox
priest in Mosul, the crucifixion of a Christian teenager in Albasra, the
kidnapping for ransom of four priests and the rape of Christian women and
teenage girls as indicators that the situation has reached a crisis point.
"The vulnerability of Christians and other religious minorities is dramatic
evidence of the serious and growing security challenges facing the entire
nation of Iraq," Bishop Wenski said.
In order to improve the particular security situation of Christians and other
minorities in Iraq, he urged the U.S. government to consider the creation
of a new "Administrative Region" in the Nineveh Plain Area that would be
directly related to the central government in Baghdad.
Since the Kurds play a key role in stabilizing Iraq, Bishop Wenski urged
the U.S. government to work with Kurdish authorities to ensure the safety
of Christians in the Plain of Nineveh and to provide protection and assistance
for religious minorities in areas directly under Kurdish control. An urgent
review of economic reconstruction aid programs is also needed, he said, to
ensure that aid is distributed fairly so that all elements of Iraqi society
are able to rebuild their communities. Finally, Bishop Wenski called for
the U.S. government to adopt a more generous refugee and asylum policy, including
the possible resettlement of at-risk cases to the United States.
The complete text of Bishop Wenski's letter follows.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C. Street, N.W.
Room 7327
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Madame Secretary:
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I am writing
to you to express our deep concern and growing alarm at the rapidly deteriorating
situation of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.
We deplore the sectarian violence engulfing the Shia and Sunni communities
in Iraq. We are especially and acutely aware of the deliberate violence perpetrated
against Christians and other vulnerable minorities. Christians continue to
decline from a pre-war population of over 1.2 million to a current estimate
of about 600,000. The growing and deliberate targeting of Christians is an
ominous sign of the breakdown in Iraqi society of civil order and inter-religious
respect and represents a grave violation of human rights and religious liberty.
The recent beheading of a Syriac Orthodox priest in Mosul, the crucifixion
of a Christian teenager in Albasra, the frequent kidnappings for ransom of
Christians including four priests--one of whom was the secretary of Patriarch
Delly, the rape of Christian women and teenage girls, and the bombings of
churches are all indicators that the situation has reached a crisis point.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that approximately
44% of Iraqi refugees are Christian, even though they represent only about
4% of the total population of Iraq.
While thousands have fled to Syria, Jordan and Turkey, the remainder in Iraq
are increasingly leading lives of desperation. Many no longer feel safe gathering
in churches and Christian institutions, resulting in the closing of parishes,
seminaries and convents. Others are fleeing to the north of Iraq in search
of some measure of safety and sanctuary.
The vulnerability of Christians and other religious minorities is dramatic
evidence of the serious and growing security challenges facing the entire
nation of Iraq. Efforts must continue to end all sectarian violence and to
make Iraq secure for everyone. At the same time, we also urge you to take
several specific measures to improve the particular security situation of
Christians and other minorities in Iraq. First, we hope that the U.S. government
will consider the creation of a new "Administrative Region" in the Nineveh
Plain Area that would be directly related to the central government in Baghdad.
This could provide Christians and other minorities with greater safety and
offer more opportunity to control their own affairs with assistance from
the central government. Since the Kurds are key to any real efforts to stabilize
Iraq and many Christians and other minorities are fleeing to the north of
Iraq, we ask that the U.S. government work with Kurdish authorities to ensure
the safety of Christians in the Plain of Nineveh and to provide adequate
protection and assistance for religious minorities in areas controlled directly
by the Kurds.
We also believe that an urgent review of economic reconstruction aid programs
is needed to make sure that the aid is distributed fairly so that all elements
of Iraqi society are able to rebuild their communities. Finally, we urge
the U.S. government to adopt a more generous refugee and asylum policy, including
the possible resettlement of at-risk cases to the United States, and to work
with the governments of Turkey, Jordan and Syria to grant visas to allow
Iraqi Christians and others compelled to leave Iraq access to economic, health
and other necessary assistance and help until they are able to stabilize
their own situation, return to Iraq or make other plans for their future.
Thank you for your attention to this important concern. We would be happy
to meet with you to discuss this urgent and dangerous situation further.
Sincerely yours,
Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski
Bishop of Orlando
Chairman, Committee on International Policy
U.S. Newswire