UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...

Assyrian Church of the East, 239 the Roman Catholic Church, 240 the Armenian Catholic
Church, 241 and the Armenian Orthodox Church. An estimated thirty percent of Iraq’s
Christians reside in the Northern Governorates of Dahuk, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, which
are administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 242 The remainder is
principally located in Baghdad, in and around Mosul (Ninewa Plain) and Basrah. An
estimated 15,000 Christians reside in Kirkuk. 243
The Qur’an considers the Christians “People of the Book” (Ahl Al-Kitab) and provides
them with toleration and protection by Islam, including the right to worship and protection
of their properties. However, since the fall of the former regime a number of religious
edicts (fatwas) and letters have been issued by Muslim clerics in Iraq calling the Christians
“infidels” (kuffar).
ii) Displacement of Christians Since 2003
Since the fall of the former regime in 2003, the Christian communities have seen a steady
decline in numbers due to the generally dire security situation and targeted attacks on
community members by armed groups. A steady outflow of Iraqi Christians from Iraq to
countries in the region (in particular Jordan and Syria) as well as further abroad is taking
place, 244 peaking with events such as the church bombings in 2004 245 and the consequences
of the “cartoon controversy” 246 in early 2006. In August 2006, the Chaldean Catholic
Auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad, Andreos Abouna, stated that insecurity and targeted attacks
had forced half of Iraq’s Christian population to depart the country since March 2003, and
that those remaining were either too poor, old or sick to leave. 247 Many others have sought
239 The Church of the East emerged in the 5 th century when it broke away from the Byzantine Orthodox
Church during the Third Ecumenical Council (Nestorian Shism). In the late 1800s, the Church of the East
officially took on the name Assyrian Church of the East. The current patriarch is Mar Dinkha IV. The
Patriarch paid an official visit to Ainkawa in the Governorate of Erbil on 17 September 2006 to open new
churches and other religious projects; see Assyrianchurchnews.com, His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV Visits Iraq,
http://www.assyrianchurchnews.com/index.php?modul=news&iy=1.
240 With one archdiocese in Baghdad. See: The Chaldean Church, The Christians in Iraq,
http://www.byzantines.net/epiphany/chaldean.htm [accessed December 2006].
241 Ibid.
242 The geographical coverage of the Region of Kurdistan roughly approximates but is distinct from the
former “Kurdish Autonomous Zone”, a semi-autonomous area of Iraq administered by Kurdish political
parties following the establishment of a no-fly zone above the 36 th northern latitude.
243 USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28.
244 Between 17 March 2003 and 31 January 2007, 7,492 Christians had registered with UNHCR Jordan,
constituting 38% of the total of 19,664 Iraqis who had registered with UNHCR Jordan during that period.
UNHCR Syria registered a total of 45,150 Iraqis between 21 December 2003 and 6 February 2007, of whom
15,588 were Christians (34% of the total). It should be noted that the percentage of Iraqi Christians registered
with UNHCR probably over represents their proportion in host states.
245 See UNHCR, 2005 Country of Origin Information Iraq, p. 160-161, see above footnote 53.
246 See, further below, footnotes 257 and 258.
247 The Guardian, “In 20 years, there will be no more Christians in Iraq”, 6 October 2006,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1888848,00.html; Simon Caldwell, Half of all Christians have fled
Iraq since 2003, says Baghdad bishop, Catholic News Service, 6 August 2006, http://www.catholicnews.com/
data/stories/cns/0604409.htm.
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