Sako: "In 10 years there will only be a few thousand Christians left in Iraq"
The Christian community in Baghdad had 600 thousand faithful, now there are only 400 thousand in the whole country. The Chaldean Patriarch, Sako I: "Christians are those who suffer most from the upsurge in violence across Iraq".
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Baghdad (AsiaNew / Agencies) - The Iraqi Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Raphael Sako I, says he is seriously concerned over the continuing decline of Christian presence in the country: "If measures are not taken soon, in 10 years' time there will only be a few thousand Christians left in Iraq".
The Iraqi Christian community had more than a million followers, 600 thousand in Baghdad alone, now they have less than 400 thousand in the whole country. The main causes of this massive migration are poor security, increased death threats against Christians from Islamists and the seizure of their property by armed groups.
The Patriarch describes the scale of the phenomenon of migration as "frightening" and says it is worsened by the encouragement of Western powers.
After visiting communities throughout the country, Sako said: "Christians are those who suffer most from the upsurge in violence across Iraq. This is due to the fact that Christians do not maintain tribal affiliations, as do Arab Muslims. The only way they have to resolve disputes is through the Iraqi legal system, which is often criticized for its corruption, and which is subject to political manipulation".
The Christian community in Baghdad had 600 thousand faithful, now there are only 400 thousand in the whole country. The Chaldean Patriarch, Sako I: "Christians are those who suffer most from the upsurge in violence across Iraq".
Baghdad (AsiaNew / Agencies) - The Iraqi Chaldean Patriarch, Louis Raphael Sako I, says he is seriously concerned over the continuing decline of Christian presence in the country: "If measures are not taken soon, in 10 years' time there will only be a few thousand Christians left in Iraq".The Iraqi Christian community had more than a million followers, 600 thousand in Baghdad alone, now they have less than 400 thousand in the whole country. The main causes of this massive migration are poor security, increased death threats against Christians from Islamists and the seizure of their property by armed groups.
The Patriarch describes the scale of the phenomenon of migration as "frightening" and says it is worsened by the encouragement of Western powers.
After visiting communities throughout the country, Sako said: "Christians are those who suffer most from the upsurge in violence across Iraq. This is due to the fact that Christians do not maintain tribal affiliations, as do Arab Muslims. The only way they have to resolve disputes is through the Iraqi legal system, which is often criticized for its corruption, and which is subject to political manipulation".