|
On the Hill: Plight of Iraq’s religious minorities focus of new caucus’s inaugural briefing
April 18, 2008
By Beth Hearn
A panel of experts discussed the plight of religious minorities and the wider refugee situation in Iraq at the inaugural briefing of the Caucus on Religious Minorities in the Middle East on April 18.
Robert Carey, Vice President of the International Rescue Committee, said that the number of Iraqi refugees is between one and two million, although this figure is “difficult to pinpoint with precision.” This, he said, is because the Iraqi refugee situation is “largely a hidden crisis” where refugees face visa restrictions and fear of deportation, resulting in “constant fear of discovery and forced return to Iraq,” he said.
According to Nina Shea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, the persecution of Iraqi Christians is the “fiercest, hottest religious persecution in the world today.” She gave numerous examples of this persecution: 12 priests and many other individuals have been killed so far this year, and thousands have been forced to flee the country. They are being specifically targeted for their faith, and “when the dust settles there won’t be any minorities left,” she said.
Joseph Kassab, Executive Director of the Chaldean Federation of America, also cited the frail economy, security problems, government discrimination and land confiscations as particular problems for minorities.
Shea asserted that the United States has a strong interest in protecting the Christians in Iraq. “These minorities are a bridge between the East and West,” she said. “They’re a moderating influence, and it’s in all our interests to ensure the minorities survive.”
But it is not only Christians who are vulnerable in Iraq, said Emily Gish, Middle East program officer at Mercy Corps. Other groups are particularly at risk regardless of religious affiliation: young people, who are disenchanted with a lack of education and employment opportunities; women, whose basic rights are often not respected or understood; and people with disabilities, of whom there are a very high number due to war and a deteriorating health system.
Carey emphasized the importance of resettlement “as a lifesaving humanitarian tradition and a durable solution for the most vulnerable refugees,” but criticized the slow response of the U.S. government. “While a flood of Iraqis have fled their country,” he said, “the number of Iraqis resettled in the United States has been a trickle.”
|
