Turkish internet Christian news site, Sat7, on December 9, 2022, disseminated for its Turkish readership two articles that had originally been published in English. The article concerning Iraqi Christians was based on a FIDES wire that was picked up by several internet sites. One can be found at: https://www.worthynews.com/80474-iraq-christian-families-are-leaving-in-droves . The article on the persecution of Christians in Syria was selectively drawn from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2022 report [https://www.uscirf.gov/] as reported by the Christian Post at: https://www.christianpost.com/news/uscirf-warns-of-threat-to-christians-in-northwestern-syria.html .

SAT7 TURKISH NEWS 9 December 2022

[Translation from Turkish by LOC]

Christians living in the north of Iraq and on the Nineveh Plains are continuing to leave the country. Chaldean Catholic patriarch Louis Raphael Sako announced that close to 20 families were departing the country per month.

Cardinal Sako stated that more than half of Iraqi Christians have migrated in the last five years and that many are on a waiting list. The Chaldean patriarch pointed to instability being a reason for Christians leaving the country as well as to sociological (like discrimination), political and environmental factors.

Patriarch Sako noted that the discomfiture he feels is because of a law that does not give consideration to issues related to the status of Christian culture (such as marriage law, right of inheritance, and cases of custody) and paves the way to sectarian discrimination. [Translator note: A breakdown of Iraqi Christian denominations can be found at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-iraq-christians-sects-factbox-idUSKCN2AT1UZ ]. In addition, the patriarch said that he is saddened at religious expressions and symbols becoming political fodder. Patriarch Sako also touched on the reasons for poverty and discrimination.

Christians under Danger in Northwestern Syria

According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which controls an area of territory in northwestern Syria, is threatening Christians in the region.

It has been announced that the Salvation Government, under the leadership of Tahrir al-Sham, continues to increase its administrative power in northwestern Syria, which includes some sections of the city of Idlib. Tahrir al-Sham, [comprised] of rebel groups, is attempting to continue to strengthen its presence as the civil authority and is continuing to prevent especially Christians’ right to worship and life. The USCIRF issued a statement that “since 2015, Christians and other religious minorities have lost their homes and lands. Properties belonging to Christians continue to be distributed to Tahrir al-Sham members and families or to persons who have been displaced inside the country. Evidence shows that the plan to confiscate properties could amount to the crime of plunder.”

Observers report that Tahrir al-Sham could be responsible for some acts of violence such as the attack on the Saint Sofia Greek Orthodox Church [translator comment: According to various news items, built to replicate the Hagia Sofia Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul, which was converted from a museum into a mosque in 2020] in the vicinity of the city of Hama. USCIRF, fearing that attacks could increase should geopolitical plans change, said that “In the possibility of a loss of power, Tahrir al-Sham could initiate large-scale acts of insurgency and terrorism. Such a situation could strike a big blow to the freedom of belief.” USCIRF wanted Tahrir al-Sham designated as an ‘Entity of Particular Concern’ [EPC] in its 2022 Report (, 2022 Yıllık Raporunda) because of violations of the freedom of belief.

The aftermath of the attack on St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Hama, Syria (taken from the aleteia.org website)

Open Doors USA Puts Syria 15^th on the 2022 World Watch List That Examines Persecution Directed at Christians

The Christian population in the country, from the beginning of the civil war in 2011 to the present has drastically decreased. Syria is hosting extremist groups. Open Doors, saying that Christians are in danger in areas where radical groups have taken control, said, “Even if the ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham] danger to a great extent has been diminished, it continues to fight by persecuting Christians in Syria.”

Open Doors, reporting that Christian leaders are being targeted in regions where radical groups are active, said, “Thousands of churches have been completely destroyed in areas that radical groups control.” (CT) [Translator note: erroneously attributed, if, as assumed, CT means Christianity Today.]