Christians Targeted in Iraq

Pope Benedict XVI expressed concern last month over what may be considered a mass exodus of Christians from the Middle East, particularly Iraq. In that country, as the world is well aware, violence has been rampant and brutal; what is not so well known is the particularly harsh treatment that has fallen upon Christians in the region.

As in most Muslim countries, Christians in Iraq face constant pressure to convert to Islam. If they do not, they are often targeted for persecution, or, as in Iraq, given the choice of leaving the country or facing death. If they are overly open about their faith or seek to convert a Muslim, they may very likely be killed for “dishonoring the Prophet.” In Iraq, in June, a Catholic priest was kidnapped and later released, while another priest was killed in Mosul. Father Bernardo Cevelera, of AsiaNews, states, “There is a continuing pressure to close Christians in the Middle East in a kind of ghetto.” On July 16, Dutch parliamentarian Joel Voordewind made the claim that a number of Christians in Iraq have been crucified by militants.

Though all Christians are suffering the violence in Iraq, it is understandably most notable among the most numerous group of Christians, the Assyrians. The Assyrian Church is indeed in dire straits. According to the U.N., over half of the 1.5 million Christians living in Iraq before 2003 have fled the country, and many more have fled to quieter northern Iraq.