SWC Urges U.S. to Seek Greater Safeguards For Targeted Iraqi Christians

July 13, 2009

SWC Urges U.S. to Seek Greater Safeguards For Targeted Iraqi Christians

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is urging the US to work with the Iraqi government to take measures to ensure the security of Christians and other Iraqi minorities. This, in the wake of three Baghdad area church bombings on Sunday, July 12th, making a reported total of six attacks over the weekend. Four were killed and 21 injured in one of the last bombings alone.

The historic Chrisitian communities - including Catholics, Assyrians, and others - have been under siege by Islamist extremists for years and many of the million-strong community have fled over the last years.

"This coordinated terrorist onslaught is part of a campaign to eradicate religious minorities by extremists in Iraq and is a challenge to the viability of a future democratic Iraq. The Obama Administartion must signal Baghdad that it must take urgent measures to protect religious minorities and secure their institutions from future attacks," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Center's Associate Dean. "We also call on Muslim religious leaders and leaders of other faith communities to speak out against these atrocities."

For further information contact the Center's Public Relations Departement - 310.553.9036.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400.000 members. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament