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UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...
UNHCR's ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING THE ...
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Other motives may come into play, at times cumulatively. There is widespread belief<br />
among insurgents that Christians assisted and supported the US invasion of Iraq and<br />
continue to support the presence of the MNF, as the MNF is composed of mainly Western<br />
Christian “infidel” nations. Therefore, Christians may also be subjected to attacks on the<br />
basis of their perceived political opinion. 274 In fact, a number of Christians worked for the<br />
MNF in Iraq in trusted positions given that they are usually well-educated. 275 Another<br />
motive is the perceived wealth of Christians, coupled with a lack of protection by tribes or<br />
militias, which makes them an easy target for kidnapping for ransom. 276 In April 2006,<br />
UNHCR received reports of the kidnapping for ransom and subsequent killing of five<br />
Christians in Mosul.<br />
iv) Christians in “Disputed Areas” and in the Three Northern Governorates<br />
A significant number of Christians live in areas currently classified as “disputed areas”,<br />
including in the Ninewa Plain and Kirkuk. 277 These areas have come under de facto control<br />
of Kurdish parties and militias since the fall of the former regime and Christians have<br />
resisted attempts by Kurds to assimilate them into Kurdish culture, language and political<br />
parties. 278 They have further complained of the use of force, discrimination and electoral<br />
fraud by the Kurdish parties and militias. For example, on 16 October 2006, KRG security<br />
officers reportedly broke into the offices of Ashur satellite channel, a Christian run media<br />
outlet, assaulted the staff and detained them for several hours. 279<br />
In the three Northern Governorates of Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Dahuk, the rights of<br />
Christians are generally respected and a significant number of them have sought refuge in<br />
the region, in particular in the Governorate of Dahuk (from where many originate) and the<br />
Christian town of Ainkawa, near the city of Erbil. Some reports suggest that Christian<br />
villages are being discriminated against by the Kurdish authorities, which do not share<br />
reconstruction funds and oil revenues and have confiscated farms and villages. 280<br />
v) Converts<br />
274<br />
See also “Actual or Perceived Sympathizers of the US-Led Invasion and/or the Multi-National Force in<br />
Iraq”.<br />
275<br />
Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli, The Plight of Iraqi Christians, The Middle East Media Reasearch Institute,<br />
22 March 2005, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA21305; Nina Shea and<br />
James Y. Rayis, Christian Crisis, National Review Online, 6 January 2005, http://www.nationalreview.com/<br />
comment/shea_rayis200501060730.asp.<br />
276<br />
The Christian Science Monitor, Iraq’s Christians consider fleeing as attacks on them rise, 13 July 2004,<br />
http://csmonitor.com/2004/0713/p07s01-woiq.html.<br />
277<br />
USDOS, International Religious Freedom Report 2006 – Iraq, see above footnote 28.<br />
278<br />
Global Security, Christians in Iraq, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/religionchristian.htm<br />
[last updated 22 June 2005].<br />
279<br />
UNAMI HRO, October 2006 Human Rights Report, p. 13, see above footnote 66.<br />
280<br />
Nina Shea, Testimony before the US Congressional Committee On International Relations, Subcommittee<br />
On Africa, Global Human Rights, And International Operations, Center For Religious Freedom, 21 December<br />
2006, http://www.christiansofiraq.com/ninasheatestifiesdec216.html; see also statements made by Nimrud<br />
Baito, the KRG Minister for Tourism and Secretary General of the Assyrian Patriotic Party, who rejects such<br />
reports and notes that there is a “massive rebuilding effort going on” in Christian villages in Northern Iraq;<br />
see Zinda Magazine, Minister Nimrud Baito discusses position of Christians in Kurdistan Region and Iraq,<br />
22 November 2006, http://www.zindamagazine.com/ThisWeek/11.20.06/index_thu.php.<br />
66