Omar Abdel-Rahman, an Egyptian Muslim cleric imprisoned since 1995 for conspiring to blow up landmarks in New York. 64
The alleged main perpetrators of attacks against Christians are radical Shi’ite militias, Sunni insurgency groups as well as criminal gangs who use religion to justify their attacks. 268 Religion seems to be a major, but not the only, reason for these attacks against Christians. Rising extremist attitudes that are fuelling the trend towards a stricter interpretation of Islam can be observed in most parts of the country, including in the south, Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk. Many Christians engage in professions perceived as proscribed under Islam, such as hairdressing, public entertainment and the sale of liquor or music and have been threatened, attacked and killed due to their vocations, their shops and businesses looted, burned or forcibly closed down. 269 The strict embracing of Islamic values as well as the high rate of criminality has a particular bearing on non-Muslim women. They are forced to comply with strict Islamic dress codes 270 and fear of kidnapping and rape restricts their freedom of movement. 271 Asia News reported kidnapped Christian women having committed suicide after their release, due to the shock and shame they experienced. 272 The first Armenian Christian named Miss Iraq, Ms. Tamar Goregian, resigned and went into hiding on 9 April 2006 after being labelled the “queen of the infidels” and receiving numerous threats against her life and family. Ms. Silva Shahakian, also an Armenian Christian, later assumed the title, and has reportedly changed her residence due to fear of reprisal attacks. 273 268 Elizabeth Kendal, Mandeans face genocide, World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty News and Analysis, 30 June 2006, http://www.hrwf.net/html/2006PDF/Iraq_2006.pdf; BBC News, Iraq chaos threatens ancient faith, 20 September 2005, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4260170.stm. 269 According to the USDOS, more than 50 liquor stores operated by Christians in Baghdad were closed during the reporting period due to threats by Islamic extremists; see USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28. See also: NPR, War Makes It Hard to Find a Drink in Baghdad, 17 December 2006, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6637655; Michael Luo, Iraq’s Christians Flee as Extremist Threat Worsens, The New York Times, 17 October 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/world/middleeast/17christians.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=b171 70ae4207bca0&ex=1318737600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss; Al Jazeera, Fighting robs Iraq of Christian heritage, 8 June 2006, http://english.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=22771; Azzaman, Militants blow up alcohol shops; threaten to kill owners, 16 January 2006, http://www.azzaman.com/ english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2006-01-16%5C155.htm; Pamela Constable, In Iraq, Booze Becomes a Risky Business, The Washington Post, 20 July 2004, http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A93- 2004Jul20; Jamie Tarabay, Militants trying to make Iraq drier place for alcohol seekers, AP, 20 July 2004, http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2004/07/20/WorldNation/Militants.Tr ying.To.Make.Iraq.Drier.Place.For.Alcohol.Seekers-694516.shtml. See also “Persons Accused of “Un- Islamic” Behaviour”. 270 According to UNAMI HRO, on 6 October 2006, two Christian women in Basrah received anonymous letters demanding that they wear headscarves, and in Mosul, leaflets warned female Christian and Muslim students to wear “proper Muslim attire” at the universities; see UNAMI HRO, October 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 12, see above footnote 66. See also: IRIN, Iraq: Christians live in fear of death squads, see above footnote 228. According to the USDOS, Basrah’s Education Director introduced a rule requiring all females in the schools to cover their hair. The same report states that female university students in Mosul, even non- Muslims, were required to wear the hijab; see: USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28. 271 UNAMI HRO, August 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 10, see above footnote 26. See also “Women”. 272 Asia News, Abducted and raped, young Christian women and girls are driven to suicide in Iraq, 11 October 2006, http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=7450. 273 AP, Miss Iraq goes into hiding from militants, 12 April 2006, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12289502. 65
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UNHCR’s ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FO
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iii) Current Situation ............
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a) Overall Situation ..............
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IOM International Organization for
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Current Situat
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and gatherings, Shi’ite religious
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inside the media compound, refrain
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3. Artists Iraqi artists, actors an
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groups for not giving priority to t
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population at large and bring the c
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after their release. 660 UNAMI HRO
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International Covenant on Civil and
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evidence that over forty people had
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Both sexes have become victims of s
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V. ELIGIBILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL PR
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those countries, even only on a tem
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violence on a daily basis. Ordinary
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cause. 733 More than one Convention
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C. Exclusion From International Ref
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a) Before the Fall of the Former Re
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) War Crimes War crimes are serious
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in mind when assessing crimes commi
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groups (pre-2003) or insurgency or
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A plausible explanation regarding t
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D. Internal Flight or Relocation Al
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Travel by Road Road travel in Iraq,
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with armed conflict between the MNF
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egulations regarding entry and resi
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It has been reported that new IDPs,
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Interior and Finance. While the Min
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and generally describe the three No
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In order to access the three Northe
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Governorate of Sulaymaniyah Persons
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v. Risk of Persecution or Other Ser
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In addition, non-Kurdish persons, p
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Conclusion Availability of an inter
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to flee Iraq have done so illegally
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explosives blew up. Two people were
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• On 2 July 2003, an armed assaul
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• 18 September 2006: Gunmen kille
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• 17 December 2003: An angry mob
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Annex IV: Attacks on Government Off
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• 2 May 2006: A suicide car bombe
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• 5 December 2006: Dr. Mohammed H
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Annex VI: Attacks on Doctors and Ot
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• 1 July - 31 August 2006: Accord
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Annex VIII: Attacks on Athletes and
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Annex IX: Attacks on Palestinian Re
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Palestinian family fled the hospita
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Annex X: Selected Bibliography Note
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IWPR, Baghdad Gays Fear for Their L
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Senanayake, Sumedha, Iraq: Ethnic T
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W Wilson, Scott, Iraqis Killing For
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