Christians taking refuge in Kurdistan region celebrate Easter

CB Condez Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Kurdistan Region is now hosting more and more people who are fleeing war-torn areas, Christians among them.

A report by Rudaw says that in two days this week, approximately 1,500 people who have fled areas controlled by the Islamic State terror group reached the Peshmerga front lines -- and with difficulty. One woman said that as they were trying to reach Iraqi soldiers, militants shot at them with a mortar.

Woman who fled to Kurdistan Region. Screenshot taken from Rudaw report "1,500 displaced Arab civilians find sanctuary in Kurdistan Region" | Rudaw

One man interviewed said, "Life is like hell under ISIS. We have been living in darkness for two years."

Among those taking refuge in the Kurdistan Region are Christians, numbering to more than 100,000, said Rudaw in another reprot. And while they are momentarily settled in camps at Duhok province, they didn't fail to celebrate Easter and they have not lost hope that they would be able to return to their homes in the near future.

"Next Easter, we hope to return to our homes and want our city to be liberated," the news site quotes a child named Farah Waad as saying. Waad is staying at the Dawdia Refugee Camp.

Another internally displace person, Etimad Nafie, said, "We have prepared some simple things on this occasion. Before, in our homes, we would prepare more elaborately. We hope for peace and security so we can return to our homes."

IS has terrorized many Christians, and among the first to suffer the intimidation in 2014 were the people of Mosul, Nineveh in northwestern Iraq, but the violence is not limited to the area.

"Baghdad militias terrorize them and intimidate them into leaving, which they have done in droves," journalist Stivan Shany said, as quoted by Rudaw. "If these current trends continue we will have no Christians in Iraq in just a short few years."

And while the displaced people undoubtedy wish to return to their homes, they at least have the freedom to celebrate their holidays while staying in the Kurdistan camps.

Groups like the Barzani Charity Organization are helping to accommodate the IDPs, but it is expected that the 1.7 million people will grow in numbers as more inhabitants of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, occupied by the IS, are likely to take refuge in the area.