Iraq: Nov 2007

by Tiare Rath, IWPR (reposted)

Thu, Dec 20, 2007 9:50AM

Thursday, December 20, 2007 : A member of the European parliament cited IWPR’s Iraqi Crisis Reports in November as evidence of the persecution of Iraqi religious minorities following a European parliamentary debate.

Although the debate centred largely on the persecution of Christians, Socialist Group MEP Paulo Casaca noted that “in Iraq, persecution of religious minorities is broader and it is not confined to the Christian communities”.

Asked to provide evidence to back his position, Casaca wrote to fellow MEPs.

“I could drown you with papers and testimonies to back my statement. I decided just to send you copies of two articles written by Sahar Al-Haideri, a journalist working for IWPR [Institute for War and Peace Reporting] in Mosul,” said his letter.

Casaca cited two stories written by Haideri, who was killed by Islamic militants in Mosul in June, Bleak Future for Nineweh Minorities and Mosul Christian Community Dwindles.

The MEP said Haideri was a “courageous journalist … [who] confronted the beast of fanaticism and intolerance, in face of the general indifference of the West”.

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For more information: http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-341567

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