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Assyria Times, CA
Senator Obama's Letter to Protect Iraq's Forgotten Minorities
9/23/2007 2:02:00
By AssyriaTimes Staff Writer
Not so often it happens that an American Senator
remembers the minorities in Iraq. During past four
years of Iraq's war, U.S. reporters, politicians, and
leaders have indeliberately proven how deliberately
they skip mentioning Iraq's minorities because of the
sheer fact that, `They are minority! You know?' If you
don't believe the words of this humble writer, just
ask yourself when was the last time I heard on CNN or
Fox or even read on NY times, the words Assyrian or
Yezidi? The answer is obvious.
But in his letter written on September 11, 2007,
Senator Barack Obama proves to be different than the
biased ones. He stands for the forgotten minorities of
Iraq among them the indigenous Assyrians and demands
answers and results from the U.S. State Department.
Shall we call him brave and fair? Yes, we shall.
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
September 100, 2007
Dear Secretary Rice:
I am writing out of concern for Iraq's Christian and
other non-Muslims religious minorities, including
Catholic Chaldeans, Syriac Ortodocx, Assyrian,
Armenian and Protestant Christians, as well as smaller
Yezidi and Sabean Mandean communities. I know that the
fate of these communities was the subject of a recent
letter to you from the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom.
These communities appear to be targeted by Sunni,
Shiite and Kurdish militants. The U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees reports that Christians, now
less than 4 percent of Iraq's population, make up 40
percent of its refugees. And according to the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom,
"violence against members of Iraq's Christian
community occurs throughout the country, and the
Commission has raised particular concern about reports
from Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, and the northern Kurdish
regions."
Such violence bespeaks a humanitarian crisis of grave
proportions. The severe violations of religious
freedom faced by members of these indigenous
communities, and their potential extinction from their
ancient homeland, is deeply alarming in light of our
mission to bring freedom to the Iraqi people. In
addition, such violence may be an indicator of greater
sectarian violence. Such rising sectarian violence and
the Iraqi internally displaced people and refugee
crises potentially could serve as catalysts for wider
regional instability. These crises demand and urgent
response from our government.
In that regard, I request that you provide responses
to the following questions:
1) Is it State Department's view that Iraq's Christian
and other non-Muslim minorities face particular
threats because of their religion? Do they face a
level of threat and abuse disproportionate to their
representation in the Iraqi population?
2) Has the State Department or our embassy in Baghdad
sought out members of these communities to inquire as
to what the United States could do to enhance their
protection?
3) What steps, if any, has the State Department taken
to urge the Iraqi government to provide protection to
Iraq's Christians and other non-Muslim religious
minorities?
4) Has the Iraqi government been responsive to request
for such protection?
5) Do you have reason to believe that any Iraqi
security forces or other government forces or
personnel are involved in violence against such
vulnerable populations?
6) What mechanisms are in place to ensure that
U.S.-trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces do not
use U.S.-provided assistance for sectarian purposes?
7) What plans have the Agency for International
Development and State Department developed to increase
humanitarian assistance to Iraq's internally
displaced?
I thank you in advance for the consideration of these
questions, and I look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
Senator Obama's Letter to Protect Iraq's Forgotten Minorities
9/23/2007 2:02:00
By AssyriaTimes Staff Writer
Not so often it happens that an American Senator
remembers the minorities in Iraq. During past four
years of Iraq's war, U.S. reporters, politicians, and
leaders have indeliberately proven how deliberately
they skip mentioning Iraq's minorities because of the
sheer fact that, `They are minority! You know?' If you
don't believe the words of this humble writer, just
ask yourself when was the last time I heard on CNN or
Fox or even read on NY times, the words Assyrian or
Yezidi? The answer is obvious.
But in his letter written on September 11, 2007,
Senator Barack Obama proves to be different than the
biased ones. He stands for the forgotten minorities of
Iraq among them the indigenous Assyrians and demands
answers and results from the U.S. State Department.
Shall we call him brave and fair? Yes, we shall.
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
September 100, 2007
Dear Secretary Rice:
I am writing out of concern for Iraq's Christian and
other non-Muslims religious minorities, including
Catholic Chaldeans, Syriac Ortodocx, Assyrian,
Armenian and Protestant Christians, as well as smaller
Yezidi and Sabean Mandean communities. I know that the
fate of these communities was the subject of a recent
letter to you from the U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom.
These communities appear to be targeted by Sunni,
Shiite and Kurdish militants. The U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees reports that Christians, now
less than 4 percent of Iraq's population, make up 40
percent of its refugees. And according to the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom,
"violence against members of Iraq's Christian
community occurs throughout the country, and the
Commission has raised particular concern about reports
from Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, and the northern Kurdish
regions."
Such violence bespeaks a humanitarian crisis of grave
proportions. The severe violations of religious
freedom faced by members of these indigenous
communities, and their potential extinction from their
ancient homeland, is deeply alarming in light of our
mission to bring freedom to the Iraqi people. In
addition, such violence may be an indicator of greater
sectarian violence. Such rising sectarian violence and
the Iraqi internally displaced people and refugee
crises potentially could serve as catalysts for wider
regional instability. These crises demand and urgent
response from our government.
In that regard, I request that you provide responses
to the following questions:
1) Is it State Department's view that Iraq's Christian
and other non-Muslim minorities face particular
threats because of their religion? Do they face a
level of threat and abuse disproportionate to their
representation in the Iraqi population?
2) Has the State Department or our embassy in Baghdad
sought out members of these communities to inquire as
to what the United States could do to enhance their
protection?
3) What steps, if any, has the State Department taken
to urge the Iraqi government to provide protection to
Iraq's Christians and other non-Muslim religious
minorities?
4) Has the Iraqi government been responsive to request
for such protection?
5) Do you have reason to believe that any Iraqi
security forces or other government forces or
personnel are involved in violence against such
vulnerable populations?
6) What mechanisms are in place to ensure that
U.S.-trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces do not
use U.S.-provided assistance for sectarian purposes?
7) What plans have the Agency for International
Development and State Department developed to increase
humanitarian assistance to Iraq's internally
displaced?
I thank you in advance for the consideration of these
questions, and I look forward to your prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator