ICC Note:
Canon Andrew White, known as the Vicar of Baghdad, said that Christians continue to flee the city in large numbers. “The violence is so terrible and once again we are seeing so many of our own people fleeing to Turkey and Lebanon,” he said. More than half of Iraq’s Christian population has fled the country following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In the past ten years, more than 60 churches in Iraq have been bombed and some 900 Christians have been murdered.
11/20/2012 Iraq (Christian Today)- Christians have started fleeing Iraq in large numbers again, warns Canon Andrew White.
The ‘Vicar of Bahdad’ said in his latest update that the situation in Iraq has “really deteriorated”.
“The violence is so terrible and once again we are seeing so many of our own people fleeing to Turkey and Lebanon,” he said.
Mr White said people in Baghdad “have nothing”, as he told of a churchgoer who was found begging on the street by a member of the church staff.
“He asked her why she was doing this. She said all the food she had from church has run out and she has no money to pay her rent.
“We will give her everything she needs today but another example of the terrible needs. All may have left us but our Lord is still here.”
Mr White said he had not seen so many people fleeing for several years.
“Iraq is no longer a news issue,” he continued.
“We cannot blame the media for this. So many of the journalists have been targeted here and many killed, especially locals. The media have moved to the traumas elsewhere in the region.”
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