Western Reader
The United States, along with several European nations, embarked on a mission of justice. Their target? The radical Islamist militants who wreaked havoc on the Christian community in Iraq, leading to a drastic reduction in their numbers.
This international coalition is determined to identify and prosecute those responsible for the enslavement and murder of Iraqi Christians.
American troops have been stationed in Iraq since before the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein in the mid-2000s.
During this period, Christians in Iraq have faced severe persecution from Muslims in power. They have been forced out of their homes, subjected to relentless persecution, and in many cases, brutally murdered.
ISIS in the Congo/ISCAP took credit for killing 20 Christians in the Congo.
— Geopolog (@Geopolog) August 23, 2023
A report by Decision Magazine reveals that during the reign of terror by ISIS, which began after most U.S. troops left Iraq in 2011, the Christian population dwindled significantly.
Once estimated at 1.5 million, the number of Christians in Iraq is now believed to be between 160,000 and 250,000. Most of these Christians fled as refugees to the mountainous Kurdish regions of northern Iraq to escape the deadly persecution.
Christian Ritscher, a U.N. special adviser, praised the resilience of the Christian leaders gathered at a conference. He stated, “Your togetherness and your resilience are inspirational, not just to the Christian community in Iraq, but also to us at UNITAD.”
UNITAD, the United Nations Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL, is working tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of ISIS atrocities.
To all the people of the world..
To the free Iraqis..There are vigorous efforts to return the families of the malicious ISIS to the massacred Sinjar, where these families were the evidence for carrying out their crimes of killing and capturing the local Yazidis and Christians… pic.twitter.com/bEQyFRosWt
— جوزيف صليوا – joseph sylawa (@josephsabi73) April 28, 2023
Ritscher further explained that ISIS thrived on violence, showing no mercy to the diverse cultures and beliefs of the Iraqi people.
As UNITAD pursues justice for all victims and survivors, it maintains a core principle: there is no hierarchy among victims. Every victim’s suffering is equally significant, and every perpetrator must be held accountable.
The conference also highlighted the ongoing efforts to build individual cases against those responsible for the reign of abuse. This includes terrorists who targeted churches, monasteries, cemeteries, Christian symbols, and even archaeological sites.
The identities of these ISIS members are being confirmed through testimonial evidence, internal ISIS documents, and case files provided by the Iraqi judiciary.
In 2022, the U.S. military reported that it had eliminated 886 ISIS terrorists during its anti-terrorism operations in Iraq and Syria. However, the threat to Christianity in Iraq remains. Bashar Warda, the Chaldean archbishop of Erbil, recently warned that Christianity in Iraq is on the brink of extinction.
As we move forward, it is crucial to remember the words of Safeen Dizayee from the Kurdistan Regional Government, who said, “Christians are the indigenous people of this land and must continue their lives with dignity and security.”
This article appeared in Conservative Cardinal and has been published here with permission.
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