Forum on Minority Issues Sixth session: “Beyond freedom of religion or belief: Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities” Inte rve ntion Point 2 of the Programme of Work - Arabic - Inte rve ntion pre se nte d by: Louis Markous Ayoub, Hammurabi Human Rights Organization/Nine ve h - Iraq Madame President, thank you for this opportunity The situation of Christians in Iraq and the dange r of [the ir] disappe arance Iraq has been going through a difficult phase in the past 10 years with the loss of civic rights and rights of equality immediately after the fall of the dictatorial regime in 2003, which brought on a security breakdown, the spread of chaos and continually increasing violence, extremism and terrorism, which reached all indiscriminately. However, the level of violence and terrorism that emerged had a greater and more serious impact and influence on minorities and Christians, since what they faced [threatened] their existence and risked the disappearance of their physical, civilizational, cultural and human presence, deeply-rooted in history and going back to the ancient civilizations of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians. They were some of the first people in the region which joined Christianity. Before delving into the blatant violations of the essential constituents of their existence which Christians face today, we ought to briefly point out that Iraqi Christians were not living in luxury before the change which took place after 2003, rather national policies of assimilation, removal and displacement were carried out against them during the successive regimes that governed Iraq, leading to them becoming a vulnerable minority. They were one of the first groups which faced genocide after the establishment of the new Iraqi state. In Simele in the year 1933, during the royal era, approximately three thousand people fell victim to it, among them women, elders, and children. Then came the massacre of Soriya in the year 1969 in the era of the Ba’ath [party]; the era which witnessed the worst practices towards Christians. Policies