April 8, 2012, was Easter Sunday, which was celebrated by
Iraq’s Christians. It is the largest religious minority group in the country.
Various Islamist groups have carried out a relentless campaign of violence and
intimidation against them.
That has led to a massive migration of thousands of people within the country, and out of it. In 2003,
there were an estimated1-1.4 million Christians in Iraq. By 2008, there was only around
600,000-800,000 left. There are still large Christian communities left in
places like Baghdad, Ninewa, Tamim, Dohuk, Sulaymaniya, and Irbil. Many are
still leaving the country to this day. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees reported at the end of 2011 that 50% of Iraqis moving to Turkey were
Christians. At the same time, the International Organization for Migration
noted that in the ending months of last year, 150 Christian families moved from
Kurdistan back to Baghdad. There are still occasional attacks upon Christians,
but with greater stability, hopefully they can return to something resembling a
normal life again. Below are pictures of Christians celebrating Easter at an
Armenian church in Baghdad.
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| Prayers at an Armenian church in Baghdad, Apr. 8, 2012 (Reuters) |
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| The congregation inside the Armenian church(Reuters) |
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| An Armenian priest taking communion (Reuters) |
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| Lighting candles at the Armenian Church (Reuters) |
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| (Reuters) |
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| (Reuters) |
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| Church service at the Virgin Mary Chaldean Christian church in Baghdad (Getty Images) |
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| Lighting candles outside of the Chaldean church (Getty Images) |
SOURCES
Ferris, Elizabeth and Stoltz, Kimberly, “Minorities, Displacement and Iraq’s Future,” Brookings Institution-University of Bern, December 2008
International Organization for Migration, “Displacement Of Christians To The North Of
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