Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 1, 2021 / 16:00 pm
After the last U.S. forces left Afghanistan this week, an interfaith coalition implored President Joe Biden to keep American troops in Iraq to protect Christians and other persecuted religious minorities.
“We beseech you on behalf of two historic and endangered peoples, Assyrian Christians and Yazidis, to continue the presence of American troops in Iraq,” said an Aug. 31 letter signed by Juliana Taimoorazy, founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, as well as Hadi Pir, vice president of the Yazda organization.
Taimoorazy was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to protect Assyrian Christians, Yazidis, and other minority groups in Iraq from the threat of genocide. Taimoorazy is an Iranian-born Assyrian Christian. She founded the Iraqi Christian Relief Council in 2007, at the urging of the late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.
Speaking to CNA on Tuesday, Taimoorazy said that she was surprised by the nomination, and that she hoped it would bring increased awareness to the plight of Christians in the Middle East.