ICC Note

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report stating that Iraqi Christians living in Kurdistan may have their lands seized by Kurds looking to ‘Kurdify’ Christian areas. The report details two types of land seizures that Christians contend are occurring. First, Christians who left their property in previous years due to uprisings and suppressions have returned only to find their land occupied by someone else. Second, local officials or businesses can seize land to build new properties. The report indicates that some Christians believe that this is a policy by Kurds to persecute Christians while others contend that land seizure depends on individuals or government officials.    

2017-06-07 Iraq (The Christian Post) – Iraqi Christians living in Kurdistan have complained that their properties and lands are being seized and built on by ethnic Kurds and some have even accused Kurdish government officials of trying to “Kurdify” Christian areas, a new report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom details.

The congressionally-mandated office recently released a report titled Wilting in the Kurdish Sun: The Hopes and Fears of Religious Minorities in Northern Iraq, which states that many religious groups living the Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) feel they remain “second-class citizens” even though they fled from persecution at the hands of the Islamic State.

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