Iraqi Christians take a stand

Iraqi Christians ignored security threats and a recent spade of violence against them, to come out and vote at the provincial elections on Saturday. “We decided to participate... to remove the fear in our hearts and in the hearts of our families,” one of them told the AFP news agency.

Violence against Christians intensified last October, especially in the northern city of Mosul, where Christian homes were vandalized and burnt down. Around 2,500 families were forced to leave the city because of specific threats, and the Iraqi government resorted to sending police reinforcements after 12 Christians were killed.

Christian TV production company, Arab Vision, recently organized a special conference in Iraq for one of its popular programs. Around 250 viewers were in attendance and 12 episodes of the program were recorded during their time together. “Iraqi Christians have many tragic stories, so we want to do everything possible to encourage them through our programs,” explained one of the producers.

On Saturday, the sentiments echoed by various Iraqi Christians at the polls were of defiance against violence and a declaration that they are also sons and daughters of Iraq. “We want to shout out to the world that we are committed to our land and reject any plans for partition,” one of them said.

At the time of the invasion, Christian leaders estimate that around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq, but the number has since shrunk by at least a third because of the escalating violence. For this latest provincial election, Iraqi Christians have been allocated one seat in Baghdad, one in Nineveh and another in oil-rich Basra in the south.