{"id":8785,"date":"2014-10-30T10:47:00","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T10:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry-51494\/"},"modified":"2014-10-30T10:47:00","modified_gmt":"2014-10-30T10:47:00","slug":"displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/","title":{"rendered":"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – ‘Their tears have run dry’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWithout question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,\u201d Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. \u201cIt is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tAt least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization \u2013 also known as ISIS \u2013 has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory \u2013 Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate.<\/p>\n

\tAll of the displaced are \u201cvery traumatized,\u201d Fr. Halemba said. \u201cNormally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPrior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000.<\/p>\n

\tFr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. \u201cWhen one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one\u2019s homeland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThey feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that \u201cit reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq \u201care not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,\u201d and so \u201cthey feel like second-class citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cNaturally there is aid from outside,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cBut in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIt is important that the displaced \u201conce again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,\u201d reflected Fr. Halemba. \u201cSo the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOnly in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.\u201d
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge.<\/p>\n

\t“Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need’s Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.”<\/p>\n

\t“I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.”<\/p>\n

\tAt least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate.<\/p>\n

\tAll of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.”<\/p>\n

\tPrior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country’s Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000.<\/p>\n

\tFr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.”<\/p>\n

\t“The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.”<\/p>\n

\tThey feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.”<\/p>\n

\tThe Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.”<\/p>\n

\t“Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.”<\/p>\n

\tThe immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said.<\/p>\n

\t“It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.”<\/p>\n

\t“But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.”<\/p>\n

\tIt is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.”<\/p>\n

\t“Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”
\n\t <\/p>\n

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

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-middle-east-africa"],"yoast_head":"\nDisplaced Christians in Kurdistan – 'Their tears have run dry'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge. “Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. All of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.” Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000. Fr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.” “The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.” They feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.” The immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said. “It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.” “But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.” It is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.” “Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”  \" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – 'Their tears have run dry'\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge. “Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. All of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.” Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000. Fr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.” “The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.” They feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.” The immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said. “It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.” “But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.” It is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.” “Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”  \" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/A_refugee_mother_with_her_child_who_is_having_stomach_problems_and_other_issues_because_of_the_heat_Catholic_News_Agency_Credit_Maria_Lozano_CNA_81414.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/\",\"name\":\"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – 'Their tears have run dry'\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge. “Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. 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Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. 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Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. All of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.” Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000. Fr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.” “The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.” They feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.” The immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said. “It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.” “But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.” It is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.” “Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”  ","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – 'Their tears have run dry'","og_description":"Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge. “Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. All of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.” Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000. Fr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.” “The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.” They feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.” The immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said. “It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.” “But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.” It is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.” “Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”  ","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/A_refugee_mother_with_her_child_who_is_having_stomach_problems_and_other_issues_because_of_the_heat_Catholic_News_Agency_Credit_Maria_Lozano_CNA_81414.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/","name":"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – 'Their tears have run dry'","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00","dateModified":"2014-10-30T10:47:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Erbil, Iraq, Oct 30, 2014 \/ 04:47 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- Christians who were forced from their homes in northern Iraq by the Islamic State this summer are a people whose soul is being destroyed, said a priest who visited Kurdish Iraq, where many have taken refuge. “Without question, we are talking about genocide here. Genocide is not only when the people are killed, but also when the soul of a people is destroyed. And that is what is happening in Iraq now,” Fr. Andrzej Halemba, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Middle East section, said Oct. 28. “It is the most tragic thing that I have ever experienced.” “I have seen people who have been deeply wounded in their soul. In the various crises in this world I have often seen people who have lost everything. But in Iraq there are Christians who have had to leave everything and take flight three or four times. They can see no light at the end of the tunnel.” At least 120,000 Christians were forced from Mosul and surrounding cities in Nineveh province in July and August by the Islamic State, a newly-established caliphate spread across portions of Iraq and Syria. The militant Sunni Islamist organization – also known as ISIS – has persecuted all non-Sunnis in its territory – Christians, Yazidis, and Shia Muslims have all fled the caliphate. All of the displaced are “very traumatized,” Fr. Halemba said. “Normally in such situations it is the women who pull everything together. But in Kurdistan I have seen women who are staring into nothingness and have closed in on themselves. Their tears have run dry. It is something that I have never seen anywhere else.” Prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's Christian community numbered around 1.5 million. That figure has plummeted, already, to 300,000. Fr. Halemba said that most of those who have been displaced by the Islamic State do not even wish to return to their homes. “When one has lost all hope, one wishes to leave one’s homeland.” “The majority do not wish to return to their homes. This is a bad sign for the future of Christianity in Iraq. The Christians feel that in Iraq they have been betrayed and abandoned, and they want to get out.” They feel they have no one on whom they can depend, Fr. Halemba reported, adding that “it reminds many Christians of the massacres in the Ottoman Era, 100 years ago, when hundreds and hundreds of thousands of Christians were slaughtered.” The Armenian genocide began in April 1915, as authorities of the Ottoman Empire rounded up, arrested, and massacred up as many as 1.5 million of the Armenian people, a minority group in the empire who were overwhelmingly Christian. According to Fr. Halemba, Christians in Iraq “are not being helped, either by the central Iraqi government or by the Kurdish regional government,” and so “they feel like second-class citizens.” “Naturally there is aid from outside,” he said. “But the Christians can only come by it through their own efforts. We have true heroes of neighbourly love in Iraq. Bishops, priests and members of religious orders, but also lay people, have done exemplary work on behalf of their fellow men and women.” The immediate challenge facing the displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan is winter, Fr. Halemba said. “It can get very cold in Kurdistan, and it can snow. The rains are already starting to come. There are efforts underway to re-house the people from tents into accommodation containers.” “But in my opinion the greatest challenge is the mentality of the people. Have they already decided to turn their backs on Iraq and the Middle East forever? This is where we must take action and give the people hope.” It is important that the displaced “once again believe in the future of their ancient and beautiful country,” reflected Fr. Halemba. “So the international community must work towards ensuring that the government in Baghdad is strengthened and incorporates all the religious and ethnic groups in the country.” “Only in this way can ISIS be ultimately defeated.”  ","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/10\/displaced-christians-in-kurdistan-their-tears-have-run-dry\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Displaced Christians in Kurdistan – ‘Their tears have run dry’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8785\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}