04:25Several churches in Baghdad that have closed their doors due to ongoing high rates of emigration among the Iraqi Christian community could be seen in the city on Sunday.
An Armenian Orthodox church, as well as a Roman Catholic church and an Assyrian church, could all be soon deserted.
Reasons cited for emigration include concerns over the rule of law, in addition to a lack of basic services and employment opportunities.
The streets of the Camp Sarah area in the Iraqi capital also looked devoid of life in contrast to its previously lively appearance, after most of the area's residents left the city.
Displaced families from the Nineveh plains who are now living in the Virgin Mary camp in the Zayouna neighbourhood in Baghdad were also seen carrying out their daily activities inside the camp.
Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Iraqi National Assembly, estimated that the number of Christians who have migrated was“more than 50-60 percent," saying that it was because “people look for security, safety, stability, and a decent life."
Kanna added that 'poor rule of law' and “large numbers of gangs, lack of services and opportunities for a decent life,” have resulted in what he described as 'the dire and painful reality.'
For her part, Kholod Hanna Issa, a displaced woman from Hamdaniyah, on the Nineveh plains, said that the migration of Christians “came after the great suffering we have been through," adding that she is “one of those who wanted to leave Iraq,” but couldn’t do so “due to financial distress and fear."
On the other hand, Raymond Youssef Matti, a displaced man currently living in Virgin Mary compound after leaving Mosul, said the reasons behind migration are the difficult conditions of the displaced people, as well as lack of stability in their lives, adding: “there is no safety, nothing to strengthen our existence here. You don’t have a plot of land, and there is no organization that can support you”
Iraqi Christians began mass emigration after the invasion of Iraq led by the US in 2003, as they frequently targeted for kidnapping and murder after the breakdown of law enforcement that ensued after the deposition of Saddam Hussein.
This situation was only worsened after the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) took over Mosul and the Nineveh plains in 2014; home of some of the world’s oldest churches and monasteries.
Material destruction and economic devastation are still clearly visible in the areas liberated from IS, with the Iraqi authorities still struggling with rebuilding in those areas.
The Vatican has announced that the Pope is set to make his first visit to Iraq between March 5 and March 8, where he will be visiting the capital Baghdad, the ancient city of Ur – which is mentioned in the Bible – Erbil, Mosul, and Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plains.
Iraq: Baghdad churches close as Christian community emigration continues
Several churches in Baghdad that have closed their doors due to ongoing high rates of emigration among the Iraqi Christian community could be seen in the city on Sunday.
An Armenian Orthodox church, as well as a Roman Catholic church and an Assyrian church, could all be soon deserted.
Reasons cited for emigration include concerns over the rule of law, in addition to a lack of basic services and employment opportunities.
The streets of the Camp Sarah area in the Iraqi capital also looked devoid of life in contrast to its previously lively appearance, after most of the area's residents left the city.
Displaced families from the Nineveh plains who are now living in the Virgin Mary camp in the Zayouna neighbourhood in Baghdad were also seen carrying out their daily activities inside the camp.
Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Iraqi National Assembly, estimated that the number of Christians who have migrated was“more than 50-60 percent," saying that it was because “people look for security, safety, stability, and a decent life."
Kanna added that 'poor rule of law' and “large numbers of gangs, lack of services and opportunities for a decent life,” have resulted in what he described as 'the dire and painful reality.'
For her part, Kholod Hanna Issa, a displaced woman from Hamdaniyah, on the Nineveh plains, said that the migration of Christians “came after the great suffering we have been through," adding that she is “one of those who wanted to leave Iraq,” but couldn’t do so “due to financial distress and fear."
On the other hand, Raymond Youssef Matti, a displaced man currently living in Virgin Mary compound after leaving Mosul, said the reasons behind migration are the difficult conditions of the displaced people, as well as lack of stability in their lives, adding: “there is no safety, nothing to strengthen our existence here. You don’t have a plot of land, and there is no organization that can support you”
Iraqi Christians began mass emigration after the invasion of Iraq led by the US in 2003, as they frequently targeted for kidnapping and murder after the breakdown of law enforcement that ensued after the deposition of Saddam Hussein.
This situation was only worsened after the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) took over Mosul and the Nineveh plains in 2014; home of some of the world’s oldest churches and monasteries.
Material destruction and economic devastation are still clearly visible in the areas liberated from IS, with the Iraqi authorities still struggling with rebuilding in those areas.
The Vatican has announced that the Pope is set to make his first visit to Iraq between March 5 and March 8, where he will be visiting the capital Baghdad, the ancient city of Ur – which is mentioned in the Bible – Erbil, Mosul, and Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plains.
Several churches in Baghdad that have closed their doors due to ongoing high rates of emigration among the Iraqi Christian community could be seen in the city on Sunday.
An Armenian Orthodox church, as well as a Roman Catholic church and an Assyrian church, could all be soon deserted.
Reasons cited for emigration include concerns over the rule of law, in addition to a lack of basic services and employment opportunities.
The streets of the Camp Sarah area in the Iraqi capital also looked devoid of life in contrast to its previously lively appearance, after most of the area's residents left the city.
Displaced families from the Nineveh plains who are now living in the Virgin Mary camp in the Zayouna neighbourhood in Baghdad were also seen carrying out their daily activities inside the camp.
Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Iraqi National Assembly, estimated that the number of Christians who have migrated was“more than 50-60 percent," saying that it was because “people look for security, safety, stability, and a decent life."
Kanna added that 'poor rule of law' and “large numbers of gangs, lack of services and opportunities for a decent life,” have resulted in what he described as 'the dire and painful reality.'
For her part, Kholod Hanna Issa, a displaced woman from Hamdaniyah, on the Nineveh plains, said that the migration of Christians “came after the great suffering we have been through," adding that she is “one of those who wanted to leave Iraq,” but couldn’t do so “due to financial distress and fear."
On the other hand, Raymond Youssef Matti, a displaced man currently living in Virgin Mary compound after leaving Mosul, said the reasons behind migration are the difficult conditions of the displaced people, as well as lack of stability in their lives, adding: “there is no safety, nothing to strengthen our existence here. You don’t have a plot of land, and there is no organization that can support you”
Iraqi Christians began mass emigration after the invasion of Iraq led by the US in 2003, as they frequently targeted for kidnapping and murder after the breakdown of law enforcement that ensued after the deposition of Saddam Hussein.
This situation was only worsened after the so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIL) took over Mosul and the Nineveh plains in 2014; home of some of the world’s oldest churches and monasteries.
Material destruction and economic devastation are still clearly visible in the areas liberated from IS, with the Iraqi authorities still struggling with rebuilding in those areas.
The Vatican has announced that the Pope is set to make his first visit to Iraq between March 5 and March 8, where he will be visiting the capital Baghdad, the ancient city of Ur – which is mentioned in the Bible – Erbil, Mosul, and Qaraqosh in the Nineveh Plains.