Clinton Report Condemns Christian Persecution in Iraq

ICC Note:

State Department report highlights Christian persecution in Iraq.

By Flavia Krause-Jackson and Nicole Gaouette

11/17/2010 Iraq, United States (Bloomberg) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today released a report on the state of religious freedom around the world, highlighting Iraq as among the worst offenders in failing to punish violence against non-Muslim minorities.

The report examines religious tolerance in 200 countries and outlines action taken by the U.S. government to prevent persecution. The U.S. called attention to religious tensions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

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More Attacks

Attacks against Christians in Iraq have persisted since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2003. Before the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime there were about 1.4 million Christians in Iraq. Since then, about 50 percent have fled, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

“Very few of the perpetrators of violence committed against Christians and other religious minorities in the country were punished, arrests following a murder or other crimes are rare,” according to the report covering attacks in the period between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010.

Since then, there have been a growing number of incidents in Iraq. Clinton noted last month’s attack by al-Qaeda gunmen who stormed the Sayyidat al-Najat Syrian Catholic Christian church in central Baghdad during a Sunday evening service, killing at least 37 worshipers and wounding 56 other people.

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“We have expressed great concern about the situation of the Christian community in Iraq,” said Michael Posner, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor. He said the U.S. had condemned the attack in the “strongest terms.”

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