Iraq: Thousands of Christians flee country in wake of jihad attacks

And the world yawns. But leave bacon in a park where Muslims are gathering, and brace yourself for the outcry!

"Mosul Iraq's 'Most Dangerous City' For Christians," from Worthy News, August 20 (thanks to Lachlan):

MOSUL, IRAQ (Worthy News)– Mosul is now one of the most violent cities in Iraq with Christians and other minorities singled out for attacks and thousands continue to flee from the troubled nation, a Christian group said Thursday, August 16.
The attacks against Christians in Mosul and all of Iraq amount to "religicide," warned Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA, the American branch of the international Open Doors group.

"Christians in cities like Baghdad and Mosul are gripped by terrorism. They are fleeing in droves. Today it was reported that at least 20 people died in blasts and shootings across the country," he added.

Before 2003, Mosul was home to 75,000 Christians with some 70 percent belonging to the Chaldean Church, while the rest were Syriac Orthodox and Catholic, according Open Doors estimates. "Now approximately 25,000 Christians live in Mosul, which has a population of 2 million. Many more Christians live in the surrounding Nineveh province," the organization added in a statement.

Christians have left the Iraqi city since 2003 when U.S. forces deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The war triggered a wave of continuous violence in the second largest city in Iraq.

FORGOTTEN NATION?

"With the spotlight currently on Syria, Nigeria and Afghanistan and the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq last December, Iraq has been placed on the back-burner," Moeller said. "But we as Christians in the West must continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Iraq, who face extinction if we don't pray and advocate for them."

He said that almost no day passes without someone being killed by bombs or bullets in what is the capital of Nineveh province.

Besides Christians, policemen, soldiers or officials working for the government have also been killed.

"In the midst of all this, it's not difficult to find examples of growing hostility towards Christians" including in May when 20 families in Mosul received "threatening letters," Open Doors said. The letters reportedly warned them to move out of Mosul or face possible violence or kidnapping.

A Mosul Christian was quoted as saying that "terrorists in Mosul visited four real estate agents, asking the names of Christians who recently sold their houses." With this information, Open Doors said, "they know who has money and might be possible targets for kidnappings."

AGENT KILLED

One of the agents who refused to give information "to the terrorists was killed," Open Doors said. Also in Mosul, the house of a Christian was set on fire, and the police dismantled a bomb placed in the car of another Christian, according to the well-informed group.

General Ahmed M. Aljaboury, director general of the Mosul police said in published remarks that between 2005 and 2011 his forces "recorded the assassination of about 69 Christians, including university students, priests, female employees and housewives."

Two waves of reported killings and intimidation in 2008 and 2010 sent Christians fleeing from Mosul in such haste that the United Nations had to arrange emergency assistance. Thousands of Christians have fled to Turkey, Jordan, Europe and the United States.

Open Doors said that before the Gulf War in 1991 there were some 1 million Christians in Iraq, ranked Number nine on its 2012 World Watch List of the "worst persecutors of Christians."

Yet, that number fell to some 750.000-850,000 in 2003, according to several Christian sources followed by Worthy News. Since then the numbers have "plummeted" claimed Open Doors, which estimates the number of Christians remaining in Iraq at 345,000. "However, the number decreases every month."...

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21 Comments

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ewha1 | August 22, 2012 8:56 AM | Reply

"Open Doors said that before the Gulf War in 1991 there were some 1 million Christians in Iraq.....Since then the numbers have "plummeted" claimed Open Doors, which estimates the number of Christians remaining in Iraq at 345,000"

Two thirds kicked out/killed after a mere 20 years.

How can the Jihadists take this kind of punishment

More good news.....

"However, the number decreases every month."

Toodle pip, Christians of Iraq, it's been nice knowing you.

vladtepes2 | August 22, 2012 9:25 AM | Reply

Has anyone asked G. W. Bush if he wants to take credit for this predictable ethnic cleansing in Iraq?

Has anyone asked Obama if he wants to take credit for similar results in Egypt? Or is that part of his master plan to bring about the Caliphate?

Is Israel slated to be the next victim on the chopping block?

john spielman | August 22, 2012 10:01 AM | Reply

We need to get these Christians OUT OF MUSLIM LANDS ASAP! Last year our tiny independent local church (about 15 believers-along with 2 other small churches) sponsered a family of 7 Chaldean Christians from Mosul Iraq to come to our town. We've helped them learn English and intergrate into society. Our churches paid for food clothing rent etc. Now the men have cleaning jobs that few others would take (so no problem with taking jobs away in high unemployment areas). They are so happy to be out of the slaughter zone of Islam!

Stand fast in the liberty replied to comment from john spielman | August 22, 2012 10:09 AM | Reply

That's awesome, John. I believe the Lord is mightily pleased with your church's efforts.

miriam rove replied to comment from john spielman | August 22, 2012 10:17 AM | Reply

that is great!!!
M

sean | August 22, 2012 10:20 AM | Reply

Ask your church to do something about it and ... http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/the_silence_of_the_pulpits.html

Walter | August 22, 2012 12:45 PM | Reply

In Iraq thousand of Christians are now leaving that country because of fear rhe extreme violence of the jihadists. The article also mentions the same wellfounded fear in other countries such a Afghanistan. This is because ,in part, the imams and mullahs are getting the people all worked up against Christians and Christianity by telling the people in the mosque falsehoods and unture thing about Christians and what they believe. Theses Muslims clerics don't care if the things they say are unfounded a false. Just as long as they keep the the people in the mosque evil things s about Christians and Christian teachings. Moreover, such men as these imams and mullahs are explained about in the Bible. For it reads in Second Peter 2:12, "They speak evil of things they not not understand and will uttely perish in their corruption." [NJKV]

It also should be noted that the word "perish" in the Bible does not mean "Loss of being but loss of well being." As in going to ruin by ending up suffering forever in a terrible place called hell.

DP111 | August 22, 2012 5:21 PM | Reply

Destabilising of Syria, makes me question America's war on Terror, and its aims. Syria is the one country in the ME where Sunnis , Shiites, Alawites, Druze, Christians – Maronites, Orthodox, Catholics, and others, lived in peace. Why destabilise Syria and hand it over to the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda? What purpose does it serve but strengthen al Qaeda and the MB?

Now there could be a Machiavellian policy behind this, that involves the sacrifice of Christians in the ME. I hope there is. If so, then it must be a real good one that demands so much sacrifice of a people who are our natural allies.

zonie kafir | August 22, 2012 8:50 PM | Reply

Now there could be a Machiavellian policy behind this...

As a nabi, it has become clear to me that US policy is to support Sunni states opposed to Iran. Reagan helped Saddam to kill over 1000000 Iranians in the Iran Iraq war. Our fleet has a base in Bahrain. We are allies of Turkey and of the Saudis and other Gulf States.

Our aim in Syria seems to be to break a link in the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis, which Iran has said will not happen. It will happen and Iran is headed for a fall in this case.

We want NATO member Turkey to be the regional power and not Iran. So power politics explains a lot. Included in these calculations is an assessment that these losers will never put together a Caliphate that could challenge the West. And if they try they will be annihilated post haste. Even tiny Israel could do the job with no assistance, should the stakes become existential. So no real worry there. This approach is actually a realization of Hugh Fitzgerald's suggestion that we stir up conflict between different sects of mohametanism.

Thus our government will not find helpful, at this time, any talk about the nasty side of mohametanism, accounting for the concerted effort against Islamophobia. We must present a friendly face to our "allies".

We are deliberately handing the Middle east to the jihadis in the hopes that they will be satisfied and discontinue their attacks against the people who put them in power. This is the mainstream meme about how, when the jihadis replace the autocrats, they will have to govern, and thus become moderate. Well good luck with that anyhow.

With regards to the minority communities effected, this policy is nothing short of Satanic. Indeed, we are trying to cut a deal with the devil himself.

The nabi, nabi ZK (pbum), sees all, well allot anyhow, and knows allot, or mostly allot.

nabi ZK (pbum)

zonie kafir | August 22, 2012 9:49 PM | Reply

Note also how Russia sides with Iran and Iran does not help jihadis in the Caucasus. Turkey helps the Caucasus jihad and Russia is pissed about that and not too friendly with NATO member Turkey. There is a hint in there about the danger involved with our Machiavellian strategy. Assad has mentioned, in recent days, how international intervention is not possible in Syria because it would provoke a regional war and possibly a world war, with Russia and China moving to defend their positions. Still, the nabi, that's me (pbum), predicts that Assad will fall and the Sunni jihadis will come to power in Syria. Just a matter of time.

nabi ZK (pbum)

London Jim replied to comment from zonie kafir | August 23, 2012 3:54 AM | Reply

You're like a bolt out of the blue, Nabi (pbuy).
Dry lightning.
Reminds me of the first dry thunderstorm I ever witnessed whlle hunkered-down in a tent in a campsite near Dubrovnic, Yugoslavia 1980.

Kepha replied to comment from Walter | August 23, 2012 4:36 AM | Reply

Moreover, such men as these imams and mullahs are explained about in the Bible. For it reads in Second Peter 2:12, "They speak evil of things they not not understand and will uttely perish in their corruption." [NJKV]

**************

"Speak evil"--the Greek word is the one from whence we get our word "blaspheme".

Rich | August 23, 2012 12:55 PM | Reply

Australia is increasing its refugee quota to 20,000 per year. These Christians who are being persecuted and driven out should apply for refugee status in Australia. They are being killed and persecuted by Muslims. Instead we get the Muslim killers and persecutors from these countries who come as fake refugees but who are nothing but settlers wanting to bring their barbaric ways to our countries.

The word should go out from the churches who should help them with their applications.

Rich replied to comment from zonie kafir | August 23, 2012 1:04 PM | Reply

Whats a nabi? I agree that an increasingly Islamic Turkey and Saudi Arabia are worse threats than Syria certainly. Syria for all its faults was a secular country with the minorities living without fear. The alternative will not be a secular Syria, the west and specially Obama is doing nothing to promote that - but a jihadi/ wahabi Syria.

This has been the pattern in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They have been hailed as victories for "democracy" while nothing is being done to promote democracy in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE or Bahrain.

dumbledoresarmy replied to comment from Rich | August 23, 2012 7:50 PM | Reply

A 'nabi' is a prophet.

zonie kafir (pbum) has been a jihadwatch regular since forever, and his comments - whether serious or hilariously sarcastic) are always worth reading.

dumbledoresarmy replied to comment from Rich | August 23, 2012 8:04 PM | Reply

Rich

so you're an Aussie? - like me.

I agree, I cannot understand why we are taking in potentially-murderous Mohammedans by the truckload whilst shutting out or making entry impossibly difficult for those whom they are mercilessly persecuting in Iraq, Egypt, etc.

I *have* written to our Immigration ministers on a number of occasions asking why we cannot prioritise and fast-track asylum/refugee and immigration applications from persons such as the Copts and the Syrian Christians of Iraq and Syria, rather than Muslims. Way back when, we of the West (including Australia) dropped the ball very badly as regards the Armenians (early 20th century) and then on Jews from Continental Europe in the mid-late 1930s. This time round we have absolutely no excuse: we *know* these people are being subjected to massive human rights abuses, we *know* what all the precursors to genocide are and the situation in the MidEAst is ticking all those boxes , and we *know* that if no-one steps up to help, they will be annihilated: hundreds of thousands of defenceless people whose Christian faith/ culture though of a differing tradition from our own, is quite compatible with ours.

If we cut back on the Muslims - who have any number of Muslim countries to go to - and gave the 'freed-up' places to the desperate Christians who are in danger of being subjected to **genocide**, we would win all round. We would save lives and we would get much more readily assimilable immigrants...the Copts and the Syriac Christians really *do* bring a rich culture and history with them, along with a strong work ethic and interest in education, music, art...The School of Coptic Studies at Macquarie University's 'Centre for the Study of Early Christianity' is a genuinely solid addition to Aussie academia, as opposed to the destructive and creepy Saudi-funded or Fethulla Gulen funded centres-for-da'wa-and-taqiyya that now infest our universities.

I'd rather have 300 000 Copts or Assyrian Christians come into Australia, than even *one* extra Mohammedan.

zonie kafir | August 23, 2012 10:00 PM | Reply

Yes dda. Remember what happened to the Assyrian Christians when UK quit Iraq in 1932. Power politics is always ugly.

nabi ZK (pbum)

...I'm not a real prophet...I just play one on the internet...Just to PO mohametans...

Rich replied to comment from dumbledoresarmy | August 23, 2012 10:36 PM | Reply

No I'm a Kiwi but I read about that decision by Julia Gillard a couple of days ago.

Rich replied to comment from dumbledoresarmy | August 23, 2012 10:42 PM | Reply

PS what did the immigration ministers say, if anything? And who is the present minister?

Rich replied to comment from dumbledoresarmy | August 23, 2012 10:43 PM | Reply

PS what did the immigration ministers say, if anything? And who is the present minister?

dumbledoresarmy replied to comment from Rich | August 24, 2012 4:27 PM | Reply

I didn't get a real reply, as I recall.

Obviously, I need to keep on asking. Maybe I need to do it once a month on the first of the month. And get others to do the same.

Re your other question: at present Chris Bowen is the current Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. I checked that at the Parliamentary website.

If you ever need to find out anything about the Australian Federal Parliament, the Parliamentary Website is very useful .

http://www.aph.gov.au/

Just read carefully and use the embedded links. To find out who was currently Minister for Immigration, I clicked on 'House of Representatives'

Then, within that page, I clicked on 'members of parliament'; on the right hand side there is another link labelled 'Ministry and Shadow Ministry': this contains an up to date list of the ministers and their portfolios, as well as their Shadows on the opposition bench.

Further: the list of Members of Parliament also includes, next to the name and mugshot of each member; if you click on their names, their full contact details come up (that is, their phone numbers, electoral office address and parliamentary address, email, website, facebook, etc etc.).

I assume the NZ parliament has a similar sort of arrangement?

It does make looking up politicians, when one wishes to write a letter, much much easier.

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