Christians in Iraq fear coming back home as ISIS remains powerful in the region
Although the war with the Islamic State ended three years ago, ISIS has not been completely eliminated. Specialists explain that it merely regrouped its forces. Islamists from all over the globe have not given up their dream of creating a world caliphate. It is no surprise, then, that Christians in Iraq do not believe that they will be able to preserve the land of their ancestors.
“In these areas there are still over 10,000 jihadists from ISIS,” says the head of the United Nations for combating terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov. In his opinion, the regrouping indicates a change of strategy under the new leadership of Amir Abd Ar-Rahman Al-Mawl.
Since June 2014, when jihadists took over much of Iraq, over 800,000 Christians had to leave these areas. After the victory over the caliphate, only half of them returned to their homes.
“They have no incentive to return and the certainty that Islamists will not come back, and life among the ruins is very hard,” says Reine Hanna, director of the Assyrian Policy Institute, a non-profit organisation that defends minority rights.
The defeat of the jihadists forcing them to cease combat activities, albeit temporarily, gave Christians a chance to return. However, not everyone decided to take such a step because of the passivity of the Iraqi government. The actions of the authorities for the reconciliation and reconstruction of the country did not incite trust among Christ’s followers.
Source: ekai.pl
Image: insidearabia.com
