ICC Note: As more than 100,000 of Iraq’s Christians have fled their homes, and thousands have already left the country, Iraq’s government officials have at least given promises that they will do more to protect Christians from the brutal ISIS jihadists. Christians have largely felt abandoned by the government, and security forces fled leaving Christians and other minorities vulnerable to ISIS attacks. The protection must come soon, before the exodus of Christians from Iraq becomes complete.
11/04/2014 Iraq (Ecumenical News) The Iraq government has given Christian leaders a commitment that it will do more to protect their dwindling followers in strife-torn areas terrorised by the group calling itself the Islamic State.
Chaldean Patriarch Raphael Louis I Mar Sako, who led the Christian delegation at the November 2 meeting, said Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi voiced sadness over the exodus of Iraq’s Christians.
The Fides Catholic news agency reported that Mar Sako said the bishops appealed to the prime minister to free the territories that have fallen under the control of IS.
Prime Minister al Abadi repeated several times he personally feels responsible for the protection and defense of Christian citizens also,” Mar Sako said.
“He deplored the phenomenon of the exodus of Christians, defining it as a great loss to the nation.”
Al Abadi explained that the solution to the IS problem should not be merely confined to military action as the matter needs a long-term approach so as to achieve a sustainable peace in the region.
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