Christian Genocide in the 21st Century

Al-Tahera, a Syriac-Catholic church in Mosul’s old Christian quarter lay in ruins in December of 2019 but is now being rebuilt by UNESCO.

By Adhid Miri, PhD

Part V

As we conclude this series of articles about Christian Genocide in the 21st century, we honor the victims so that the horrors of what took place is never lost to history.

Thousands of Christians, Yazidis, and Mandeans were displaced, massacred, or marched to their deaths in a campaign of vengeance and hate. It is worth remembering President Biden’s statement about the Armenian Genocide in 2015, which also applies to the Christian, Yazidi, and Mandean genocide of the 21st century in Iraq.

Community members have roles and responsibilities to remain ever vigilant against the corrosive influence of hate in all its forms. Christians and minorities in Iraq must participate more in the cultural, social, and political activities in their country, and claim without fear their civil rights and equality of all citizens. We urge them to analyze problems and propose new solutions to improve the situation of Iraqi cities and villages, to build new houses, streets, and businesses, and to create new jobs.

The Christians of Iraq – represented by both lay and religious leaders –must advance better cooperation with Iraq’s Christians in the United States and diaspora, particularly those who offer realistic and practical solutions and those who possess significant economic and political influence.

When a culture dies, their society dies. We must maintain the mosaic of Iraq. We want to bring about change, but not change the culture of Iraq. Change is needed in the following areas: security; economic development & funding; governance and laws; medical and mental health; and accountability and responsibility.

Security

Security in the Nineveh Plains remains a top priority. The best solution is first to push the uncontrolled militias out and give control of the check points and border crossings to a shared military force consisting of Iraqi Army and Peshmerga forces. Responsibility for the security within the Christian, Yazidi, and other minorities towns must be given to the townspeople, with the assistance of both the Iraqi and Kurdistan region security experts.

An ISIS flag hangs in the center of wires in battered Qaraqosh.

It is crucial to resolve the security dilemma in Nineveh Plains and push out the self-appointed militias. A shared agreement between Iraqi and Kurdistan region governments as identified in the agreement of Sinjar will assist Christians in rebuilding their towns and businesses in Nineveh Plains.

Rogue extremist and armed militias supported by some regional players have placed the historic Christian province of Mosul in extreme danger; it is it under the control of the uncontrolled! These militias are uncomfortably close to achieving their goals of changing the demographics of these areas, thus ending 2,000 years of Christian existence in this province.

The American role in Nineveh Plains is very weak, the militias, especially Brigade 30 of the PMU, took control of up to 60% of Nineveh Plains and are harassing Christians and other minorities on daily basis in Nineveh Plains.

The Kurdistan region is the last sanctuary for Christianity in Iraq, and any threat to the stability of the region means a great disaster for the existence of minorities in Iraq. Today Ankawa City is considered the capital of Christianity in Iraq, with more than 60,000 Christians residing there. Both the mayor and the head of municipality are Christians. More than fifty Christian Villages and towns are located in the area. Preserving their existence means preserving the historic existence of Christianity in Mesopotamia.

The Christians of Iraq are willing and able to assist in their own security and economic growth; however, the support of Washington is needed. The US cannot evade its moral and political responsibilities and must remain engaged.

Economic Development

Iraq’s Christians are severely marginalized. Properties owned by Christians in Baghdad, Mosul, Erbil, Dohuk, Basra, and other governates have been seized. The ISIL attack on their cities and villages resulted in the destruction of their homes, businesses, and agricultural lands. The Iraqi central government’s unfair cut of the Kurdistan region budget and government employee salaries hurt Christians in Kurdistan. Add to that the threat of uncontrolled armed militias intimidating Christians, threating their businesses and their lives.

Economic freedom and self-reliance are needed in the region. With over 70 percent of the towns in the Nineveh Plains destroyed, direst aid is indispensable. No one knows how many will return if their villages are rebuilt, but we know how many will return if they aren’t – zero.

It is important that the American administration work closely with Christian community leaders, politicians, government officials, and parliament members to address these problems. Income generation and livelihood are key to stability.  As most of the displaced people are very poor (including many widows), support must focus on helping these survivors generate sustainable income to support themselves and their families. Most recently, this includes boosting the social and economic recovery of victims of conflict to help them successfully reintegrate into their communities; promoting economic growth by supporting the development of local businesses and private sector networks; and enabling youth entrepreneurship by facilitating access to financing and incubation services to accelerate growth.

Something as simple as reducing the cost of a business permit will help; it currently costs about $4,000 to register and incorporate an entity. Can we offer discounts on business permits for women or ethnic/religious minorities? What about developing the Nineveh Plains as a tourist destination for pilgrims who want to visit Biblical sites? Iraq offers many, such as the ancient ruin of Kuyunjiq Towers as well as monasteries in the Christian villages of Bashiqa, Telsquf, and Qaraqosh, which have recently been rebuilt.

Finally, we must engage the Chaldean community in Michigan, which, according to a study done by the University of Michigan contributes $11 billion annually to Michigan’s economy. This amount is greater than the combined national budgets of Jordan and Lebanon. This kind of capital could be consolidated in a special fund. The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation should lead the way.

A fund such as this could provide effective and direct assistance, including medical services and support, replacing damaged property, or helping victims establish businesses and livelihoods, such as grocery stores, bakeries, electronic shops, or farms. The fund could also contribute to rehabilitating public infrastructure, including schools, bridges, and health clinics that were damaged during the Iraq war.

Governance and laws

Elections are important. We encourage Christians to engage in both Christian and non-Christian parties, and run in the other lists, to increase the number of Christians parliamentarians. We must have big ambitions; we must hope for the possible.

Citizens must participate in an effective and constructive manner in politics to serve the common good, not interests of individuals. Policymakers must decide and devise best mechanisms to serve the objectives and goals of religious freedom. It would be ideal if the inclusion of grassroots organizations would be considered to help fulfill their missions.

The Iraqi Constitution was ratified by public voting in 2005. It claims some religious liberty and respect for basic human rights. Article 2, however, states that Islam is the official religion of the state and “no law that contradicts the established provisions of Islam may be established or legalized.”

This led to legalizing the law of Iraqi National Card, which legalized the forced conversion to Islam religion for children under 18 years old when one of the parents converts to Islam, which is unfair to non-Muslims in Iraq. The nature of the constitution resulted in the identification of first-class citizens and second-class citizens, and insecurity for religious minorities in Iraq. This article and other similar articles in the constitution need to be ended or exclude the non-Muslim minorities.

Furthermore, the following steps need to be taken in the interest of equity: modify Article 2 of the Iraqi constitution to reflect the multi-ethnic and pluralist sectarian character of Iraq; reform the Iraqi National Card Law, which is used to justify the forced conversion of youth to Islam; encourage the Kurdistan Regional Parliament to adopt the regional constitution, strengthening protection of Christians in the KRI; and enhance the administration of justice by strengthening local courts with Christian and minority judges.

Medical and mental health services

The damage to homes and property, no matter how great, pales in comparison to the physical and psychological harm and injury caused by conflict. Funds that can provide medical and rehabilitative assistance are absolutely necessary, including support to individuals with sustained amputations and prosthetic devices. This fund can also support the establishment of Trauma Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers, provide legal and administrative support, supply women’s vocational training and employment services, and provide emergency assistance to survivors of gender-based violence, notably survivors of ISIS captivity.

Improving access to healthcare for the elderly population and the special needs community who are ethnic/religious minorities is also a necessity. Grassroots organizations have established an unconditional trust with the civilians and IDPs because they have a personal investment in the revitalization efforts of the region. The goals include improving access to education/health services, stimulating the economy, and rebuilding the communities.

Persons with disabilities in Iraq often receive little attention from the public health care system. They suffer from a lack of mobility that creates a burden on families and face social exclusion and discrimination because of their condition. Funding rehabilitative services in a regional center for persons with disabilities to provide wheelchairs, vocational skills, training, and job placement services would go a long way.

Accountability and responsibility

Over the years, the limited definition of genocide in the 1948 Genocide Convention has provoked much criticism and many proposals for reform. But by the 1990s, when international criminal law went through a period of stunning developments, it was the atrophied concept of “crimes against humanity” that emerged as the best legal tool to address atrocities.

President Biden made a statement on April 24, 2021, calling the 1915 events during the Ottoman era an Armenian “genocide” for the first time. We need to call upon the administration to classify the ISIS tragedy of the 21st century as Christian Genocide.

At the present, the international community and political statements do not have any endpoint to this issue because they have no jurisdiction or legal authority to pronounce guilt or innocence on the crime of genocide; this can only be done by a court of law.

Under Genocide Convention Article 9, if there is a dispute about whether events were genocide, they are to be adjudicated before the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Steps to be taken include: identifying a “Genocide Day” in Iraq; forming an international legal counsel made up of international lawyers and diaspora attorneys in the U.S., Europe, and Middle East to follow up the Christian Genocide and seek justice and reparations; developing a ‘truth and reconciliation’ process drawing on international experience, balancing accountability with truth-telling to help heal the society; and expanding communication and cooperation between U.S. government agencies (such as USAID) and devastated Chaldean communities. U.S. officials should intensify coordination with Chaldean NGOs on-the-ground, including project development with the faith-based community.

In fact, it is crucial to enhance coordination between donor agencies and directly affected communities, involving local leaders and religious figures. Also, to develop a tracking system to ensure monies pledged for a specific purpose are spent in accordance with the donor’s intentions.

In addition, efforts need to be intensified to identify missing Yezidis and others, through the establishment of an international committee comprised of Yezidi, Christians, and minority representative as well as representatives from the government of Iraq and the KRG. The committee should be focused on identifying the fate of missing persons, as well as reparations to Yezidis victimized by ISIS. Activities could involve protection and exhumation of mass grave sites.

In order for all this to happen, we need to deepen engagement with the Diaspora. Those in the Chaldean Diaspora have skills in many relevant sectors such as education, health, law, business administration, banking, and engineering. Engaging the Diaspora will help build the “new Iraq,” drawing on their professionalism. This can be accomplished through the creation of a joint council to include members of the Iraqi parliament, Iraqi officials based in the U.S., and the Chaldean community in Michigan.

The moral responsibility of the West

The United States assumed a special responsibility to stabilize Iraq and protect its people when it invaded and occupied the country in 2003. Successive US administrations have tried to shirk this responsibility and disengage from Iraq, leaving its people in limbo. Northern Iraqis are caught between malevolent neighbors and an increasingly dysfunctional central government in Baghdad. US engagement is critical to protect Iraq’s Christians and promote the interests of ethnic and religious minorities such as the Chaldeans. Without U.S. engagement, these minorities are at risk of disappearing forever.

This series is a general summary of a tragic story that is still unfolding in the 21st century. Right here and now is a critical moment for leadership to reflect on the truth, to acknowledge what is not acknowledged. Civility has slipped away, and incivility is common in Iraq today. This is a catastrophe beyond logical explanation of what has gone wrong in a region that once was the cradle of civilization.

Sources for this series include Wikipedia, Yousif Kalian, Michael Youash, Frank Chalk, Zaid Salim, Saad Salloum, Joseph Slewa, Marla Ruzicka, and David Phillips. Special editing by Jacqueline Raxter.