Christians of Iraq
Contact Home Only this link has access to all News articles
Updated list of Opression and Murders of the Assyrians in Iraq News not reported by the International Press
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Christians of Iraq
Contact Home Only this link has access to all News articles
Updated list of Opression and Murders of the Assyrians in Iraq News not reported by the International Press
Iraqis watch with sadness
Wairarapa Times Age, N.Z.
July 21, 2006
BY ROS BROWNWilliam BENJAMIN of Masterton, an Assyrian Christian from the north of Iraq has watched aghast during the past months as the violence and killing escalates in the country of his birth.
"It's very bad in Lebanon, but it's worse in Iraq," he said.
William Benjamin, an Iraqi living in Masterton, at the Kebab House with another Iraqi, Arsans Anwaia. Photo: Lynda Feringa"Saddam Hussein was an evil, evil man, but he was so powerful and had such control over everything, that when he went and the Americans came, they let in the terrorists".
Violence between the majority Shi'tes and Sunnis, who once dominated under Saddam Hussein has pushed Iraq close to civil war and indefinitely delayed American plans to withdraw its troops.
He said that thousands of Iraqi refugees trying to find safety elsewhere have now been stranded in war-torn Lebanon.
William, who's in his 30s, said his brother-in-law was killed six months ago, the victim of terrorist bombing in Baghdad where during four days last week, in a death toll worse than Lebanon's, more than 160 civilians were killed in sectarian fighting.
He's no stranger to war, which has figured largely in his life in Iraq and between 1983 and 1986 he fought in the Iraqi army in the war against Iran.
"I was too young to be in the army when war broke out in 1980, but I fought from 1983 until 1986 and then I deserted.
"I went to Iran and lived there in a refugee camp for 4½ years until I emigrated to New Zealand in 1991."
It has been more than 20 years since he saw his sister – his parents died some years ago – and six months after the death of her husband she was still living in Baghdad with her three children.
"It's too dangerous and me and my brothers – there's one in Australia and another in Wellington – we send money to her so she and the children can get to Australia."
While he has watched he said that life for Christian Iraqis had become progressively harder.
"They have always been targeted and now when someone is stopped and asked what religion they are, if they say they're Christian they must be in league with the Americans and that gets them killed."
He said in many ways he's been away too long to know about other things going on but doesn't care now which side is right – "it's all the killing that's wrong", and hopes that it will soon stop.
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