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Iraq faith minorities fear being left out under law

By Julia Duin
The Washington Times
Published July 14, 2005

WASHINGTON -- A month before the debuting of a new Iraqi constitution, the country's religious minorities are worried the document may leave out any meaningful provisions for religious freedom.

     A panel representing three of those minorities called on the United States to ensure the constitution, to be revealed Aug. 15, benefits them as well as the Shi'ites, Sunnis and Kurds.


     "If Iraq was invaded by a despotic or authoritarian country, we wouldn't expect any justice or democracy," said Orhan Keten, the U.S. representative of the Iraqi Turkmen Front.

     "But being invaded by the United States of America, who promised to bring equality, justice, democracy and pluralism to Iraq, we expect the fulfillment of those promises."

     The panel, speaking yesterday at the National Press Club, was a rare gathering of spokesmen for Iraq's Chaldo/Assyrian Catholics, whose 800,000 adherents in northern Iraq are rapidly dwindling; Iraqi Turkmen Muslims; and Mandaeans, who follow John the Baptist as God's chief prophet.

     They were joined by Nina Shea, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, who said a draft of the religious freedom provisions in the new constitution may be available this week.

     "Religious freedom is not being red-lined by the U.S. government," she said.

     If the constitution names Shariah as the main source of Iraqi civil law, she said, non-Muslims will be relegated to second-class status at best and at worst, be driven out of the country, slain or forced to convert.

     "Another Trojan horse," she added, "is a 'repugnancy law,' which is a provision that would say no law can be passed that is 'repugnant' to Islam."

     She said the constitution also could give power to unelected clerics, as is the case in Iran, or institute Pakistani-style "blasphemy laws" against anyone presumed to have criticized Islam.

     "There's a long history in this region of suppression of non-dominant Muslim groups," she said.

     Panelists said their situation in Iraq is already grim; that religious persecution has only worsened since the Americans arrived in the spring of 2003 and that "tens of thousands" of their adherents have fled to neighboring countries.

     Not only is the United States refusing to intervene in turf wars between various groups, they said, but it is diverting development funds to these minorities' traditional enemies.

     "U.S. funding in northern Iraq is not being directed by the authentic Christian Chaldo/Assyrian leadership," said Michael Youash, project director for the Iraq Sustainable Democracy Project and a spokesman for the Aramaic-speaking Chaldo/Assyrian Catholics.

     Instead, he contended, Kurdish political parties have been entrusted with millions of dollars in funds that mainly benefits their causes.

     Kani Xulam of the American Kurdish Information Network said Kurdish leaders do work with some Assyrians, who are apparently satisfied.

     "Others do not work with them and they are the ones complaining," he said. "But there is room for dissent in any society."

 

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Who are the Christians of Iraq? 

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

 

 

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