Iraq: Nov/Dec ‘08
Report on Mosul Christians said to have helped raise awareness of their plight.
Sunday, 11 January, 2009
Iraq: Nov/Dec ‘08
Report on Mosul Christians said to have helped raise awareness of their plight.
Sunday, 11 January, 2009
Approximately half of the Christian community in Mosul, about 2,000 families, fled the city and its surroundings in mid-October as reports of several Christians shot dead in the city spread. The capital of Nineveh province is home to a significant Sunni insurgency, including al-Qaeda militants, who have defied US and Iraqi military crackdowns.
The displaced fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and the rural Nineveh plains region.
The Iraqi government responded by sending in additional troops and boosting the number of security forces in Mosul to 35,000. Iraqi president Jalal Talabani in early November pledged 900,000 US dollars to support and protect the community.
The displaced slowly began trickling back in November. IWPR reported on the status of Mosul’s Christians in November. “Mosul Christians Reluctant to Return” (ICR No. 276, 20-Nov-08).
Community leaders and officials said IWPR’s reporting helped to draw attention to the issue, though they said times are still tough for Christians in the province.
"Dozens of the displaced have returned home, but others [aren’t] going back due to their distrust of security [provision] in Mosul," said Romeo Hakari, secretary-general of Bet Nahrain, an Assyrian party in Mosul.
Hakari said his party has encouraged human rights groups and international organisations to help the community and "the reactions have been positive".
"Giving the Christians a voice will help people in the future to think about their issues,” he told IWPR.
"The media was a powerful factor in getting support and aid to the displaced," said Qasim Amin of Kurdish Human Rights Watch. "It is more important than ever that [IWPR] keep reporting on the community's situation.”
"IWPR does a great job reporting the Mosul reality to the world," said Khasro Goran, Mosul’s deputy governor. "The Institute has interviewed me on several occasions, and I have not noticed any change between what I have said and what it has published, unlike many other media channels.”
"Iraq needs more coverage," said defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari. "I appreciate your efforts to get the Iraqis' voices heard.”
Mosul has not seen any attacks on Christians recently, but Hakari said they were constantly under threat.
Hogar Hasan is an IWPR editor in Erbil.
