Bookmark this site

www.Christiansofiraq.com is dedicated to bringing the latest news, articles and commentaries about the plight of the Christian Assyrians of Iraq to the attention of the international community.

This site is updated two to three times a week.

  Christians of Iraq
   
 Contact

Historical articles

 Historical pictures

 Photos of Bombed Churches

 Archived Articles

 Home

 

Iraq draft constitution fails to protect religious, human rights, USCIRF says


Jul 28, 2005
By Staff

WASHINGTON (BP)--Drafts of Iraq's permanent constitution are a retreat from the religious and human rights protections in its transitional charter, the United States Commission on International Freedom has noted.

The draft constitution, which Iraqi legislators are scheduled to complete Aug. 15, fails to mention freedom of religion and does not guarantee freedom of conscience, the nonpartisan panel said. In its current form, the charter also restricts women's rights and Iraq's human rights responsibilities to those issues that do not conflict with Islamic law, according to the USCIRF.


"If these drafts become law, Iraq's new democracy risks being crippled from the outset," USCIRF Chairman Michael Cromartie said July 26 in a letter to Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to Iraq. "Fundamental rights of the individual to debate and dissent from state-imposed religious orthodoxies would be curtailed, and the threat of discrimination would hang over all Iraqis, including members of religious minorities, non-religious individuals and women.


"The principle that Islam can coexist with guarantees protecting freedom of thought, conscience and religion must form the centerpiece of U.S. engagement on Iraq's permanent constitution," Cromartie said. "Constitutional protection of equality and the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief is not 'un-Islamic.'"


The United States should quickly discuss these issues with the Iraqis, Cromartie wrote. The U.S. government, he said, should urge Iraq to abide by the human rights obligations it has agreed to in international treaties, encourage the constitutional drafting committee to talk to experts on human rights and call on the Iraqi government to seek insight from ethnic and religious minorities, such as the Christian Chaldo-Assyrians.


The drafting committee for Iraq's constitution acknowledged July 27 that Islam would play a major role in the new charter. While the interim constitution portrays Islam as a major origin of Iraqi law, drafters of the permanent constitution are considering labeling Islam as the sole principal source of legislation, according to The Washington Post.


The committee agrees no law will contradict Islam, members said, The Post reported. A panelist also told reporters an as yet unformed constitutional court will determine if laws conflict with the religion, according to The Post.<p>
Iraqi citizens are to vote on the constitution in October.


The USCIRF, which is a nonpartisan panel appointed by the president and members of Congress, researches the status of religious liberty in other countries and provides reports and recommendations to the White House and legislators.


Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, rejoined the USCIRF July 26. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist appointed Land to the panel. Land had served from 2001 to 2004 as an appointee of President Bush.

----

              Only this page has link to all pages

Who are the Christians of Iraq? 

Sign this Petition  

Iraq draft constitution fails to protect religious, human rights, USCIRF says 7, 29, 05

Iraq Seeks New Religious Policies July 28, 05 

From Lingua Franca to Endangered Language, The Legal Aspects of the Preservation of Aramaic in Iraq  7, 28, 05

A closer look at the constitution   7, 27, 05 

SKIP THE PRELIMINARIES  7, 26, 05 

Ambassador signals U.S. will work to guarantee rights 7, 26, 05

Iraq Constitution May Erode Women's Rights 7, 26, 05 

Kirkuk Conflict over the Identity of a City of all Races and Religions  7, 24, 05

Religious Minorities in Iraq Worried Constitution Won't Protect Them 7, 23, 05

Iraqi Christians fear prospect of Islamic law 7, 23, 05

Four dilemmas in Iraqi Constitution  7, 23, 05

Babylon's dirty secrets: No tablet left unturned  Jluy 23, 05

Federalism can prevent Iraq civil war July 22, 05

ENOKIAN: Understanding will not fix the Middle East  July 21. 05

REP. ANNA ESHOO URGES SUPPORT OF IRAQI RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY July 21, 05 

Iraqi Christians find safety in Syria July 19, 05

Assyrians in northern California press for inclusion  July 18, 0 5

Appeal of the Iraqi Women Movement  July 17, 05

International Meeting of Muslim Scholars July 17, 05

Turkmen position on the democratisation effort in Iraq  July 17, 05 

Request the Return of the Church in Turkey  July 17, 05

Iraq's Christians Fearful of Islamic Law July 17, 05 

As Many as 80,000 Assyrian Christians Have Fled Iraq July 16, 05

ASSYRIAN UNIVERSAL ALLIANCE MEETING IN LONDON July 16, 05 

Conference on Assyriology to draw 300 scholars  July 15, 05

Iraq faith minorities fear being left out under law July 14, 05

Report to the U.K Parliament about the Chaldo-Assyrians in Iraq July 13, 05

Debate in the U.K. Parliament about the State of Christians in Iraq July 12, 05  

Upcoming Press Conference in Washington D.C.: Iraq's Imperiled Minorities July 11, 05

Teaching and Broadcasting in Syriac Language  July 4, 05

Assyrian Tennis Player Wins in Wimbledon July 4. 05

Christians in Iraq face threats from all sides  July 2, 05

Philadelphia's IVC Joins 'Partners for Peace' Project with Iraq  July 2, 05

Iraqi Dam Will Obliterate Ancient Assyrian Capital July 1, 05

Converts to Christianity Ostracised By Society and Family  June 30, 05

Looting of ancient sites threatens Iraqi heritage  June, 30, 05

Turkey and its Christians, Persecution complex  June 29, 05

Assyrian representative part of Iraqi Delegation to Japan June 29, 05

An Assyrian Chaldean-Syriac Symposium in Iraq  June 28 05 

The Epic of Gilgamesh 

Stollen Art Buyers Funding Terrorists June, 24 05

Questions on constitutional RIGHTS for CHALDO-ASSYRIANS IN IRAQ in UK Parliament  June 24, 05

Evangelicals Building a Base in Iraq June 24, 05 

Turkey's discrimination against Assyrian naturalised European citizens June 24, 05 

Syria Stonewalls Prosecution of Murderers of Two Assyrians  June 21, 05

Appreciation for Iraq's Historic Heritage June 20, 05

Interview with Donny George Director of Baghdad Museum June 20, 05

Mar Delly meets Mar Dinkha in Chicago June 20, 05

Assyrian Brothers Delivering Democracy  June 20, 05

Mystery Which Shrouds Iraq's Missing Artifacts  June 19, 05

Letter to His Holiness Mar Emmanuel III Dally and His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV June 16, 05

Historical references to the Assyrians and Assyria after the fall of Nineveh June 18, 05 

Why chaldean clergies undermine the future of Christians in Iraq? June 18, 05

Jordan leads hunt for Iraq's looted treasures June 16, 05 

Assyrians around the world, Fans of Assyriska June 16, 05

Iranian Bombings May be Connected with Minorities, Election.  June 15, 05

Using Mass Media to Spread the Gospel in Iran  June 15 , 2005

Dishonoring the Christian women June 12, 05

Iraq's Jihad: Past as Prologue  June 9, 05 

About the Teft of the Iraqi antiquities June 9,05

Iraqi Activists Call for A Democratic Constitution June 9, 05

The Current Situation of the Indigenous Assyrians of Iraq  June 8, 05 

A Song for Assyriska June 8 ,05  

Ancient church hosts Diyarbakr festival performances in Turkey  June 8, 05

Between Iraq and a safe place  June 8, 05

Minority groups in Iraq face tough times  June, 3, 05  

New Assyrian archeological site in northeastern Syria  June 2, 05 

Iraqi Christian Campaigns Struggle  May 31, 05 

Assyrians the Indigenous People of Iraq  May 31, 05

Picnic an Assyrian family reunion May 31, 05 

Measuring Progress in the Arab World: Check the "Christian Barometer"  May 31, 05

Liars Should Have Good Memories: Muslim Abuse A Smokescreen  May 26, 05 

US Investigating Fate of Assyrian Man Missing in Iraq  May 25, 05 

Assyrian church sees first ceremony in 25 years May 25, 05

Fleeing Iraqi Christians on road to Damascus  May 24, 05 

Murdered Assyrian American hostage not a pilot  May 24, 05  

Deadly Car Bomb Explodes Near Iraq School  May 24, 05 

JUST WHAT EVERY IRAQI NEEDS: A BIBLE May 23, 05 

An Ignored Genocide  May 22, 05 

Hunting the Christians  May 21, 05

Assyrian doctrine holds him to faith  May 21, 05

Early Assyrian Churches and Monasteries in northern Iraq  May 20, 05

Patriarch denounces U.S. evangelicals in Iraq  May 19, 05 

Muslims against terrorism  May 18, 05

Indigenous People Among World's Poorest  May 17, 05

Rafsanjani: Iraq developments impact region  May 17, 05 

President bush Meets with the Assyrian Representative in Georgia May 13, 05 

International Congress of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology May 13, 05

Iraq chooses Christian Asyrian woman as science minister May 12, 05

Confessions of an Honest Kurd; Assyrian & the Armenian Genocide May, 11, 05 

Assyrian Iraqi woman, 70, granted asylum  May 11, 05

News from Peesh-Khabor May, 9, 05

Young Assyrians Participated in the Netherlands Marathon  May 9, 05

Iraq's Recent and Ancient Past May 9, 05

Former Minneapolis resident works to bridge divisions in Iraq  May 9, 05

Iraq's government is too confessional, says Bishop  May 8, 05

The Assyrian Church of the East Patriarch Visits Iran  May 5, 05

Assyrian Candidate John Kanno Runs for Congress  May 3, 05

IRAQ: Focus on increasing displacement in Kirkuk  May 3, 05 

Assyriska & the Assyrian Struggle Are Inseparable May 3, 05

Why Should Turkey acknowledge the Assyrian Genocide, 915-1918? April 28, 05

Australian MP about Assyrian Veterans   April 28, 05

Assyrian Appointed As Minister of Science and Technology April 28, 05

Syria releases 16 Assyrians from Prison April 28, 05

Standing up to Saddam and his son took courage  April 26, 05

Seyfo commemoration and demonstration in Brussels April 25, 05

Assyrians in Brussels Mark 90th Anniversary of Turkish Genocide  April 25, 05 

A Speech about Assyrians at the Australia's Legistlative Council   April 05

Plundering the properties of Jesus and Mary April 05 

The 90th Commemoration of a Denied and Occulted Genocide!  April 22, 05

An Assyrian Romeo Juliet Story.  April 05

IRAQ: Religious and ethnic minorities want rights enshrined in new constitution  April 20, 05 

ARMENIAN CONVERTS IN TURKEY BRAVELY AVOW THEIR NATIONALITY April 19, 05

Why Chaldean Churh Refuses to Acknowledge its Assyrian Heritage?  April 17, 05

Turkey Encouraging Displaced Christian Assyrians to Return  April 16, 05

Swedes wooed by Assyrian migrants' soccer magic  April 16, 05

A forgotten page of nation  April 15, 05 

The Islamic Republic Of Iraq?  April 12, 05 

Assyrian Christians Raise Alarm Over Iraq Elections, Representation April 12, 05

Iraqi Christians in Jordan can't stay, can't leave   April 12, 05

Celebration of the Assyrian New Year in Tur-Abedeen Turkey April 10, 05

ASSYRIAN COMMUNITY OF ARMENIA CELEBRATES NEW YEAR April 11, 05

Exiles living in Phoenix area hail changes in Iraq  April 11, 05

Pope, example of humility to Iraqi Christians  April 11, 05

Assyrians pray for shock in Swedish league debut April 11, 05

A late report about Kha b'Nissan Celebrations in Australia  April 10, 05

MIDYAT CITY OF STONE 

Re-emergence of discredited Ilisu Dam project April 9, 05

Assyrika supported by Assyrian communities in 82 countries  April 9, 05

In Iraq, thanks for man who gave help and hope April 9, 05

Photos of Assyrians Celebrating the Kha b'Nisson New Year in Tur-Abedeen Turkey  April 5, 05

Assyrian Candidate Runs for Congress April 6, 05

Turkish Nationalism Reflected in Southern Town's Growing Homogeneity  April 5, 05

Seventy Thousand Assyrians

Turkey Allows a First Assyrian New Year Celebrations April 4, 05

Sadness and fear in Iraq Because of Pope John's Death  April 3, 05

Picures of the Assyrian New Year celebration in Germany April 4, 05

Pictures of Assyrians in Syria Celebrating the Kha B'Nissan April 1, 05

Pictures of Parade in Baghdad celebrating the Assyrian and Babylonian New Year  April 1, 05

Baghdad priests pray for pope, remember appeals for peace April, 1, 05

Kurds Prevent Assyrian Representation, Continue Divisive Formula in Iraq March 28, 05

Australian MP About the Assyrians of Iraq  March 28, 05

Church of martyrs, The Plight of the Christians in Iraq  March 26, 05 

Christians of Mosul, the light of the Resurrection in the Calvary of war March 26, 05

Relations between Chaldeans and Assyrians?  March 25. 05

ADM Rep: favors a "Nineveh Plain Christian Province" March 24, 05 

Mahdi Army Beats Assyrian Female Student to Death  March 23, 05

The Plight of Iraqi Children  March 23, 05

Iraq's endangered church looks to Western fellowship for helpMarch, 22, 05

Iraqi Christians Longing to Be Heard  March 22, 05  

"Chaldeans" Living in Semblance of their True Identity  March 22, 05 

Iraq's Assyrians Seek Voice in New Government March 19, 05 

EXODUS, Many Christians Flee Iraq, With Syria the Haven of Choice March 19, 05

Ansar al-Sunna claims killing of Christian Iraqi general March 18, 05 

Bishop Gabriel Kassab Visits London March 17, 05 

Who Are the Assyrians of Iraq

The Christian minority want to be like yeast in the dough March 17, 05

KRG statement regarding the situation of the Christian minority in Iraqi Kurdistan March 17, 05 

A Nun's Message of Hope March 16, 05

Christians of Syria and Mesopotamia are not Arabs  March 15, 05

An open letter form Turkey to the people of the world. March 14, 05

The persecution of the Christians in Iraq  March 14, 05

 

 

 Archives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

web counters