Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq

confiscates Assyrian Village

While the Kurdistan Regional Government pretends to show the Western Countries that it is helpping Christian Assyrians, meanwhile, judging from what is happening in this village it is confiscating their land and driving them out.

Fr. George Bet-Rasho Cor-Bishop, L.A. Reports that he was contacted by several members of Kori Gavana Village Committee to notify him and others to ask for assistance from the US Government, and specifically from the US Consulate in Erbil to interfere and help them stop the confiscation of their village.

The village of Kori Gavana is an Assyrian Christian village located on the outskirts of Dohuk, and has been in existence since the beginning of the State of Iraq in 1920s. During Saddam's reign, 500 government houses were built in this village and given to 500 Kurdish families that were relocated from Sulaymania. This was part of Saddam's bigger scheme to change the demographic and the Christian characteristic of this village.

Consequently Christians in this village have been threatened, frightened and terrorized by the Kurds who wish to drive them out. They were even stopped planting their rich agricultural lands (their only source of income), because they were warned by the Kurds and told that if anyone tried to plant, their farm and houses will be burned to the ground. This was the biggest reason why hundreds of Christian families left their homes in the village and migrated to neighboring countries.

This morning I was informed that the Department of Municipalities had notified all the Christian families in the village to meet with head of Municipality of Dohuk at 10:00 am yesterday, 17 September 2012. In this meeting, the head of Dohuk Municipality told all the people from the village who attended the meeting that the Government has decided to take 88% of their lands and transfer the title to the government. Of course the people of this village feel much violated because their land is being taken by the government and feel powerless and helpless against the KRG.

The people of this Christian village are asking assistance from the US Consulate in Erbil, especially those officials that are in charge of Minorities and Human Right issues to step in and help them. They have suffered much during the Saddam era and are suffering now, and have no one to turn to except for the US government for help. I appreciate any help you may offer to these helpless people, and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Thank you.

PART 2:

This is a follow up to another email to me.

Further, I want to give you an update on the latest activities carried by the Kurdistan Government in the village of Kori Gavana. This morning Kori Gavana people called to tell me that very early this morning a large team of government day workers and 2 engineers were actively digging, drilling and excavating on village grounds and in people's properties When the Mukhtar and other people from the village confronted the government workers and tried to stop them, the government engineers on site told them that they will not stop and will continue because this property belongs to the government and all village property titles have been already transferred and now officially belongs to the government, and if they have any complaints they should take it up with the KR President.

Then a group of people from the village went to the Ministry of Agriculture and to the office of the Mayor (Qa'i Maqam) to find out who gave the order to dig in the village; officials in both offices said that they have no information about the excavation and have not received any notice from the government to do that (which is regulation and requirement in cases like this).

Finally they went to meet the Director of Ministry of Tourism Office in Dohuk. The Director informed them that he received urgent orders from "above" to move as soon as possible and start digging, and he will not be able to stop the project unless he received an order from the "above".

I'd appreciate your help in assisting these poor people who have no worldly possession except their land, which they inherited and has been in their families for generations. This is a clear case of human right violation, oppression and prosecution of minorities living in Kurdistan Region. Some of these people escaped the prosecution and tyranny of Baghdad, Mousel and Basra and took refuge in Kurdistan, only to find out that they government in Kurdistan is harsher and more oppressor. I am asking you as a Christian Iraqi American to please help these people. They don't have weapons to fight and defend their village, and don't belong to a big political party to back them up and fight for their rights.. They are at the mercy of and asking for US government intervention to stop this violation to their basic human rights.

Thanks for your help and I look forward to hearing back form you. Best regards. PLEASE SEND THIS to everyone you know, and to the whole world... ask them to write objection letters and send it to the KRG president and PM at these 3 email addresses (copy all 3 emails): Let them forward it others and theN to more people. Put it in facebook and send it to all KRG online sites, overfill their in box with 1000s of object letters... Prime Minister Nichervan Barzani krgpm@aol.com President Massoud Barzani President Massoud Barzani
Dr. Fuad fuadhussein@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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