Christians Attacked in Iraq by Kurdish Extremists

A still image from video of a riot in Iraq

The Kurds are often portrayed as the “Good Guys” of Middle Eastern politics. Having endured oppression and violence at the hands of ethnic majorities in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, the Kurds have a story of cultural survival to tell.

Sadly, they are also responsible for the mistreatment of Christians who live among them. The oppression endured by Christians living alongside Kurds passes largely unnoticed in Western media outlets but one attack, which took place in the city of Zakho in Iraq on Dec. 1, 2011 did catch the notice of CNN:

At least 25 people were wounded in northern Iraq in alleged “acts of sabotage” carried out by men who had been “instigated” by Muslim clerics, a Kurdish leader and local security officers said.

The incident occurred Friday afternoon in Zakho, which is in Iraq’s Kurdistan region near the Turkish border and about 540 kilometers (335 miles) north of Baghdad.

Security officers in the Dohuk Governate, which includes Zahko, said that “dozens of young men” attacked at least 15 liquor stores, two massage parlors and two hotels after Friday noon prayers.

So far there are no reports of any fatalities as a result of this attack, but the events are still pretty disturbing. Videos of the attack and its aftermath has been uploaded at Ankaw.com, a website that serves the Assyrian community and can be seen here, and here. At about 2 minutes and 45 seconds into the last video, a young man can be seen standing on top of a wall with his arms raised. The act of raising his arms elicits cheers of approval from the young men standing across the street. More troubling video can be seen here:

At about four minutes into this video, a crowd of young men can be seen thrashing a storefront. Young men can be heard changing Allahu Akbar! Other young men are seen recording the event with their video cameras. At about 5 minutes, 30 seconds into this video, fire can be seen.

A group of Assyrian activists has issued a petition which provides some more detail:

Thousands of Kurdish Muslim men took to the streets after a Fatwa (religious decree) was issued by a Muslim cleric at a Friday prayer. The Fatwa ordered the Islamists to assault those who violate the Sharia Law. Numerous Christian businesses were destroyed by fire as the criminals stood by watching, congratulating one another for their supposed victory. Video shot by bystanders show men chanting Alah-O- Akbar (God is Great) as they approached Christian stores.

This is not the first attack on Christians by their Kurdish neighbors. In 2005 a researcher compiled a list of anti-Christian attacks associated with the rise of Kurdish power in Iraq. The list can be found here.