Baghdad, Iraq, Nov 14, 2008 / 00:20 am
The Latin-rite Archbishop of Baghdad Jean Sleiman has called on President-elect Barack Obama to make the protection of religious minorities in Iraq a priority for his administration. The request follows significant violence against Christians in Mosul.
Minority religious groups in Iraq are being politically marginalized, with the Iraqi parliament announcing a significant reduction in seats allotted for members of such groups for the upcoming elections. Recent allegations also claim political involvement in the October attacks on Christians in Mosul.
Archbishop Sleiman spoke by phone with the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need.
“It is very important that the U.S. should help protect minority rights in Iraq,” he said. “Pressure needs to be put on [the] government in Iraq to respect the needs not only of Christians but all minorities.