Society for Threatened Peoples calls for Christian refugees from Iraq to be given long-term asylum in Germany

Following the attack on the 25th Christian church in Baghdad by Islamist terrorists since the end of 2003 the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) calls urgently on the federal and regional ministers of the interior to give the 20,000 Christians who have fled from Iraq to Germany a long-term residence status. "It must also be possible to give these refugees German citizenship", was the demand of the GfbV General Secretary Tilman Zülch, "for the return of these people is unthinkable."

On Sunday, 24th September a hand-grenade was thrown at the car of the priest Izria Wurda when the faithful were leaving the old-eastern orthodox Maria cathedral at 10 a.m. in the ar-Riad quarter of Baghdad. Those present at the service, police and passers-by hurried to give first aid to the injured man. At that moment a car loaded with explosives blew up. Two people were killed on the spot, the verger of the church, Josef Ischo, and a child whose identity has not yet been established. This was confirmed by Yosif Dizai, the representative of the Kurdistan/Iraq section of the GfbV to the GfbV near-east expert, Kamal Sido, on the telephone on Monday. 17 persons in all were injured. One of the injured lost a leg, a second lost his sight. Among the injured are also four policemen.

"Germany should remember the case of the Hugenots as an example and take up the Christian refugees from Iraq", demanded Zülch. They, like the Hugenots, are prepared for integration, for the most part have a good educational background and are prepared to see their future domicile in Germany.

The Chairman of the World Union of Muslim Scholars, Sheik Yussef al- Karadawi should denounce very clearly in public these attacks in Iraq, especially in view of the fact that the Koran forbids any form of violence during the fasting month of Ramadan.