August 7, 2014 - 12:47 AMT
Assyrian Patriarch urges UN to protect Christians in Iraq

His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, The Patriarch of Assyrian Church of the East sent a letter to United National Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to express deep concern over the grave situation which Christian communities in Iraq, according to Assyria Times.

“The plight of our ancient Christian communities in Iraq, particularly the Assyrians and the Chaldean, Syriac and Armenian communities, has caused the forced displacement of thousands of persons. Women, children and the elderly have left their homes and continually on the move-from city to city, and from village to village-seeking safety for their lives. We are informed by our prelates in Iraq that as the present situation and conditions continue to go from bad to worse; people are living in great fear and confusion, without any hope for a brighter and better future,” the Patriarch said.

“The United Nations as an international body is well aware of the anti-human and criminal acts perpetrated by the this terrorist group known as ISIS against the Christians of Iraq, and now other against other religious minorities such as the Yezidis, ShabaIts, Kurds as well as the Shia and non-compliant Sunni citizens of Iraq,” he added.

“The world, and much less the United Nations, cannot stand by with obvious complacency and apathy towards our plight and allow this destruction of these peoples in Iraq. Mere statements of condemnation by the UN, and even of the major counties of the West, are not sufficient! These statements, though taken with gratitude, are not enough to bring an end to these atrocities and to stop this genocide of a religious nature,” His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV said in the letter.

He urged the United Nations to act quickly to halt and remedy this dire and bloody situation for the Christians in Iraq.

“If no concrete action is taken very soon, then I must say that the United Nations and its member-states will have failed in fulfilling their mandate of preserving life and peace in the world. This would be a grave and inexcusable moral violation, which we all pray and hope is avoided,” he concluded.