{"id":7094,"date":"2014-07-31T11:16:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-31T11:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/christians-a-fundamental-part-of-iraq-ambassador-observes-43473\/"},"modified":"2014-07-31T11:16:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-31T11:16:00","slug":"christians-a-fundamental-part-of-iraq-ambassador-observes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/07\/christians-a-fundamental-part-of-iraq-ambassador-observes\/","title":{"rendered":"Christians a fundamental part of Iraq, ambassador observes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Vatican City, Jul 31, 2014 \/ 05:16 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See has lamented the ongoing persecution of Christians by ISIS forces in Iraq, stating that they are an important and historic part of the country\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cRight now with the entrance of these jihadists, ISIS, they have imposed the sword and want to kill the Christians,\u201d Habbib M.H. Al-Sadr told CNA July 24, 2014.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis is outside of our culture, of our history, because the Christians are a fundamental, historic component of Iraq\u2026they have origins here,\u201d he continued, noting that \u201cWhen the ISIS jihadists entered Mosul they forced the Christians to convert to Islam, pay the jizya tax, or to leave or escape, because they told them that \u2018this is not your country.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAl-Sadr, a Shiite Muslim, has been Iraq\u2019s ambassador to the Holy See since 2010, and spoke in wake of the July 17 departure of the last Christian families in Iraq\u2019s second largest city of Mosul.<\/p>\n

\tThe exodus of Christians from the city follows a June 10 initiative launched by members of ISIS, a militant group that operates in Iraq and Syria with the aim of establishing a caliphate in northern Syria and Iraq, who overtook Mosul and the city of Tikrit, 95 miles north of Baghdad, the same day.<\/p>\n

\tSince then the group had seized portions of Ramadi and Falluja earlier; Tal Afar was seized by ISIS June 16, and the group briefly held parts of Baquba, 37 miles outside of Baghdad, the following day.<\/p>\n

\tJuly 17 the self-proclaimed Islamic Caliphate declared to the remaining Christian community of Mosul that they either needed openly convert to Islam, pay an unspecified jizya tax in exchange for their safety while observing certain conditions, leave their homes with only their clothes and nothing more or face death.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to BBC News, the Christians had until midday to comply with the conditions of ISIS, who stated that \u201cWe offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract \u2013 involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tFollowing the declaration, the houses of Mosul Christians were marked with the letter \u201cN,\u201d signifying \u201cNazarenes.\u201d As a result the few remaining Christians left the city, marking the first time in history it has been without Christians.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThese Christians have left Mosul with just their clothes on. They did not have anything else with them,\u201d Al-Sadr observed.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe houses of Christians in Mosul have been given to the terrorists that have come from diverse parts of the world really. They have taken the houses of the Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSpeaking of the general help that citizens are receiving from the Iraqi Ministry of Migrants and Itinerants and the Ministry of Health, Al-Sadr explained that those who have fled are being provided with basic food necessities as well as one-million Iraqi \u2018dinari,\u2019 which is equivalent to 750 U.S. dollars.<\/p>\n

\tNoting how there have been 1 million Iraqi citizens internally displaced by the recent uptick in conflict, the ambassador also drew attention to the 3 million who have left the country \u201cto search for security, freedom and work\u201d following the reign of their previous dictator, Saddam Hussein.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cImmigrants right now prefer not to come back until there is tranquility in the country again,\u201d he said, stating that the government is searching for ways to convince them to eventually return, because they are considered \u201can integral part of the country and of its social fabric.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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