PEWSEY, WILTSHIRE, UK -- Against a backdrop of unremitting violence and the constant threat of persecution, Iraqi Christians are being forced out of their communities and onto the road in a desperate search for safety. In the third of a series of special reports on life within Iraq, Barnabas Fund, based in the UK, has discovered that life as a Christian refugee brings its own dangers and hardships.
“Leaving your home, your job, the life you have always known,” said the report posted on their website – www.barnabasfund.org. “Fleeing for your life, with nothing but your memories, to an unknown destination. It is a decision that few of us in the West will ever be forced into taking. For a growing number of Iraqi Christians, this nightmare is their life.
“Ebrahim Awisha* took this decision when he found out that his son had been targeted by Islamic militants and had broken his leg in the effort to escape their attack. Mrs. Lila Attar* felt she had no choice when her husband was killed by insurgents. Different circumstances, difference trigger points, one similarity; they were targeted because of their Christian faith.
“The ongoing sectarian violence in Iraq preoccupies the Western media. The headlines are dominated by the groups undertaking the fighting – primarily Shia militia and Sunni insurgents. Minority groups get forgotten in the rush to provide the story on the latest atrocity, the newest horror. Iraqi Christians are one such group whose plight is often overlooked.”
Christians make up disproportionate number of refugee population
The Barnabas Fund report stated that the latest figures from the UN estimate that around 3.7 million Iraqis - 1 in 8 - have been forced out of their homes by the violence since 2003. Christians, who made up only 3-4% of the population of Iraq, account for nearly a quarter of the refugee population. The number of Christians left in Iraq has fallen from 1.4 million in the 1980s to less than 500,000 now.
“The high number of Christian refugees is not accidental; it is part of the plan of Muslim insurgent groups to clear Iraq of its Christian heritage,” the report continued. “Christian refugees will commonly tell of being given a timeframe - two days, a week - to leave their homes or face death at the hands of insurgent groups. In this time they have to pack up what they can for the long journey and their new life.
“Some try to sell items to pay for the passage, but find few buyers. After all, say some Muslims, why pay for something, when it will be available for free in a few days time? Some simply do not get the chance to go back to their homes. Ebrahim was too scared to take his family back to their house, and so sent his neighbor to collect food and clothing for the journey.
Decision to flee changes priorities
“Priority when packing goes to items needed for survival. Clothes. Food and water for the journey. Tents for shelter. Perhaps some items for cooking, maybe some tools. When speed is of the essence and space is tight – entire families cram into cars and small minibuses for the journey – life becomes dominated by a new set of priorities.
“Life in transit carries immense dangers. Travel anywhere in Iraq is dangerous, and vehicles on main roads are frequently targeted by insurgent groups. Convoys of vehicles are considered easy pickings for robbers, since those on board will be vulnerable and may be carrying their life savings in cash. For fleeing Christians, many of whom are grieving for loved ones, or caring for sick and injured relatives, this adds to the stress and tension. Uncertainly about what awaits at their destination only compounds the horror.
Christians aim for Northern Iraq
“Many Christian refugees heading to the Kurdish region in the North of Iraq, joining the Christian population in the area around the Nineveh Plains outside Mosul. There are tentative plans to provide Christians with a safe haven in this region, living under the jurisdiction of the Kurdish governors. These have been given a cautious welcome by Kurdish leaders, and backed by many Iraqi Christian leaders.
“Whilst some refugees are joining settled Christian communities, others are looking for new areas to settle. Some Christians are moving back into villages that had been ethnically cleansed by Saddam‘s 'Arabisation’ programmes in the 1980s. These now stand empty as Sunni Muslims, fearing reprisals for their time in the North under Saddam; have migrated down into other Sunni areas of Iraq.
“Life in the North has a semblance of normality. Since the whole region has been semi-autonomous for nearly fifteen years, it has a degree of calm that is at odds with the chaos elsewhere within the country. The food markets are full and lively, for those who have the money to spend. There is even a functioning welfare system which administers emergency food aid to the needy.
Refugees from violence face new threats
That is not to say that life here is comfortable. There is little work for the refugees, as the dominant economy of the North is agricultural and few from the cities have the skills or the tools to work the land. Lack of work means that many are living off meager savings, or are reliant on emergency food aid. However, the sheer number of refugees is threatening to overwhelm the area. The social welfare system is operating well beyond capacity, leaving the most vulnerable at risk of missing out.”
The report said that living in refugee camps brings new problems including risks to health and well-being. Disease and illness are rife and there is little in the way of basic medicines. Common ailments - colds, infections from cuts - become life threatening, particularly for the very young and the very old.
