‘Is the world deaf and blind?’
Last week Illinois Times published in this op/ed space “A letter of anguish from Dominican sisters in Iraq” (see www.illinoistimes.com), who have developed a bond with the Dominican Sisters of Springfield over the past 15 years. This week we follow with their letter from a week later, saying conditions have not improved for the persecuted Christians and other minorities in the Kurdish cities of Erbil and Dohuk and nearby villages.
Aug. 30 – We entered the fourth week of displacement. Yet, there is nothing promising at all. The Iraqi government has not done anything to regain the Christian towns back from the IS [ISIS]. Likewise, the Kurdish government, apart from allowing us to enter their province, has not offered any aid, financial or material, leaving us in the streets, and making the church take full responsibility of us all. Thanks to the Church of Iraq in Kurdistan, who opened their halls and centres to provide shelters. Yet the number of refugees was so large that the Kurdish government had to face the stark reality and open their schools to provide additional shelter for refugees.
We hear a lot about world governments and organizations sending financial aid to Iraq, but the refugee gets the least – we do not know or understand why. People lost almost everything; they cannot even afford to buy milk or formula for their children. What saddens us most is that only one month ago these people were the most educated in the country and among those most likely to build a life for themselves and their family, and now they do not have enough money in their pockets to survive the day. Christians became accustomed to investing their money in businesses, shops, fields, buildings, etc., to build their communities. Leaving their towns meant leaving everything they had been working for all their lives. Yet, amid losing everything, accepting their lost dignity is the most difficult loss they may experience.
Some have found shelter in tents, others in schools, still others in church halls and gardens. They wait to be fed, or given food to cook; elderly are not being taken care of properly; children are living in unhealthy conditions; families have lost their privacy; women are exposed in these places; men have no jobs in a culture where a man is expected to support his family. Refusing to live without dignity, more and more people think of emigrating. Whoever owns a car or gold sells them to buy a plane ticket out of the country. Needless to say, the buyers in Kurdistan are taking advantage and do not take into consideration the devastation these refugees face.
Christians in Iraq are known for their faithfulness and peaceful way of living among others. They do not believe in violence or in war as a way to solve problems. Now, they feel that they are victims because other religions and political parties are dividing the country on account of the innocent.
We still wonder why the world cannot petition the UN to take serious action toward the IS and save the people from their misery, knowing that the IS is the most dangerous group in the world. Is the world deaf and blind? People are almost convinced that the only way out of this crisis is to emigrate and leave the country, if it is even possible. Many have reached their breaking point and despair is setting in. Maybe emigrating is the only way to stop living in such a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. People cannot endure this persecution, marginalization, contempt and rejection anymore. If there is any other way, besides emigration, please let us know. Otherwise, please help people get out of the country, by seeking asylum, according to the UN law.
– Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena – Iraq.
Readers may send financial contributions to the Dominican Sisters in Iraq by going to https://www.adriandominicans.org/Donate/ index.html. Click “Other” and designate “Iraq.” Or they may mail a check marked “Iraq” to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan 49221.