Iraqs Christians Close To Extinction

(BBC) Frank Gardner May 23 2019 The Archbishop of Irbil the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan has accused Britains Christian leaders of failing to do enough in defence of the vanishing Christian community in Iraq. In an impassioned address in London the Rt Rev Bashar Warda said Iraqs Christians now faced extinction after 1400 years of persecution. Since the US-led invasion toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 2003 he said the Christian community had dwindled by 83 from around 1.5 million to just 250000. Christianity in Iraq he said one of the oldest Churches if not the oldest Church in the world is perilously close to extinction. Those of us who remain must be ready to face martyrdom. He referred to the current pressing threat from Islamic State (IS) jihadists as a final existential struggle following the groups initial assault in 2014 that displaced more than 125000 Christians from their historic homelands. Our tormentors confiscated our present he said while seeking to wipe out our history and destroy our future. In Iraq there is no redress for those who have lost properties homes and businesses. Tens of thousands of Christians have nothing to show for their lifes work for generations of work in places where their families have lived maybe for thousands of years.