Poor economic conditions and a lack of opportunity for work
and for growth and development, and a lack of basic services in
the regions in which different minorities live.
The sovereignty of an exclusionary culture in a society based on
discrimination and ignorance of the other ways of life.
These reasons, and others, have led to a dramatic reduction in the
number of Christians in Iraq, which has halved since 2003 when
they numbered around a million (1,000,000). They were forced to
leave their original homeland that they had lived in for thousands
of years and the remaining few are threatened with an end to their
existence if circumstances continue in a similar vein.
Advice for the Iraqi government and the government of Kurdistan and
the United Nations
Pass laws ending legal discrimination. There could be “A law
prohibiting religious and sectarian discrimination”. For example,
the second article of the Iraqi constitution constitutes a marked
challenge to the legal position of non-Muslim minorities. Its
existence prohibits passing any law which contradicts Islamic
provisions. Also the law forces underage children to change their
religion if either of their parents converts to Islam, in what is
known as “the Islamisation of minors” without giving them any
freedom of choice, a clear example of direct discrimination.
Adopt measures and provide guarantees to ensure the
application of the law and work to bridge the existing gaps
between the constitutional text and its actual application.
Make an educational policy which strengthens understanding of
the history, culture and distinctiveness of minorities.
Necessary involvement of the United Nation’s Special
Rapporteur to intercede in amending the academic curriculum
and in guaranteeing a curriculum in schools consistent with