ICC Note:

This week, a Christian movement threatened that they would oppose the inclusion of the Nineveh Plains, majority Christian areas, in the upcoming Kurdistan independence referendum. The Babylon Movement is a Christian Chaldean group of fighters mostly embedded with Shiite forces, fighting ISIS south and west of Mosul. The Kurdish nation will hold a vote on September 25th. The movement accused some Christian MPs and figures supporting the Kurdish move and following their own political interests.

08/04/2017 Iraq (Rudaw) – A Christian movement threatened on Thursday that they would oppose the inclusion of the Nineveh Plains, notably Christian areas, in the upcoming Kurdistan independence referendum.

“We respect the will of the Kurdish nation in their decision to exercise their self-determination right as they are believed to be holding referendum on September 25, but this should not be imposed on the Christians and residents of the Nineveh Plains through signature collection under intimidation,” the Babylon Movement said in a statement.

The movement, operating within the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi, also warned that the “referendum must only include the territories of the Kurdistan Region and we will not allow the inclusion of Nineveh Plains areas.”

“These areas must be distanced from rivalries,” the movement asserted.

The Babylon Movement is a Christian Chaldean group of fighters mostly embedded with Shiite forces, fighting ISIS south and west of Mosul.

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