Joseph T. Kassab. (Photo: Salwan Georges, Detroit Free Press)
ishtartv.com
Sunday.
May 21, 2017
U.S.
must demand that Iraq protect minorities
While
the world is focused on the genocide caused by ISIS, a leading Iraq Shi’te
imam, Ala al-Musawi, the head of Shi’ite Endowment of Iraq, this month
described Christians as infidels who should be killed if they refuse to abide
by rules for non-Muslims in a Muslim country.
The U.S. government must demand that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
denounce Ala al-Musawi’s statements. At their meeting in March, President Trump
and al-Abadi “agreed that the United States and Iraq will pursue a long-term
partnership to decisively root out terrorism from Iraq,” a White House readout
from the talks said. If this agreement is to have any meaning, al-Abadi must
speak out in support of the Christians and other minorities.
The Iraqi constitution, which establishes Islam as the country’s official
religion and the basis for its legislation, should be amended to encompass all
religious in Iraq. Despite guarantees of religious freedom for minorities in
the constitution, sectarian leaders treat minorities as second-class citizens,
and in much of the country, Muslims who convert to a different religion face
the threat of death.
The
U.S. government must take a principled stand and demand that the government of
Iraq protect all its citizens and jail all those who foment violence.
By,
Joseph
T. Kassab
Founder and president, Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment Institute
West
Bloomfield, Michigan
|