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Sunni extremists threaten to kill Christian converts
in Kurdistan
21.5.2007 |
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May 21, 2007
Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region (Iraq), -- A
Sunni extremist group - al-Qaeda in Iraq - has
threatened to kill Muslim youths in Kurdistan, the
city of Sulaimaniyah should they convert to
Christianity or Zoroastrianism.
"We are hunting those who have converted to
Christianity or Zoroastrianism as we consider them
renegades and God's punishment must be implemented
by killing them," said a statement posted on the
al-Farouk website on 22 April and signed by al-Qaeda
in Iraq.
The statement, whose authenticity could not be
immediately confirmed, also urged the youth to join
"[the] Mujahedin and hoist the jihad flag against
the crusaders who are occupying Iraq, instead of
supporting them."
"We are not afraid of them; in fact, they are
welcome if they want to kill us," said Sabeer Ahmed,
37, who converted to Christianity seven months ago
and works at Christ Church in the town of Pishdar in
Sulaimaniyah province.
"We will be happy to be martyrs when we sacrifice
ourselves for our religion," said Ahmed who works as
a freelance journalist with Kurdish media groups.
According to Ahmed, about 500 Kurdish Muslim youths
have converted to Christianity since 2006 throughout
Kurdistan. It is not known how many, if any, have
converted to Zoroastrianism, once a dominant
religion in much of Iran. The faith has now dwindled
to very few followers.
Economic gain
Muslim residents of Sulaimaniyah say the conversions
were motivated by economic gain, as many of the
youths in the area are unemployed.
"Missionaries are exploiting the harsh economic
situation that these youths experience in these
areas as they are unemployed and almost depressed,"
said Sheikh Hassan Abdullah, 57, one of the
Sulaimaniyah elders.
"In some cases, the youths want to go abroad and
this [conversion to Christianity] is an easy way to
achieve their dream as they can say that they are
threatened and need a safe haven," Abdullah added.
A priest in Sulaimaniyah, who refused to be named
because of the sensitive nature of the issue, denied
Christians were exploiting the harsh economic
conditions of young people or that they were
promising them material gains to convert to
Christianity.
"Those youths [converts] reached their decision
after having become fully convinced about what
Christianity teaches.
They believe in Christ and nothing else and we're
sure of that," the priest said.
"This is their decision and no one forced them to
convert. We do not accept anyone who seeks only
material gain," he added.
Local officials in Iraq's Kurdistan refused to
comment.
Humanitarian aid "cover"
After the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003,
Sunni and Shia religious leaders said that US
missionaries, mainly evangelicals, were pouring into
predominantly Muslim Iraq shrouded in secrecy or
under the guise of providing humanitarian aid.
Sheikh Ahmed al-Shafie, a member of the hardline
Association of Muslim Scholars in Sulaimaniyah,
denounced it as a "negative phenomena in an Islamic
country" and blamed the "weakness" of Islamic
propaganda.
"We strongly condemn this disgraceful act against
Islam and Muslims which demonstrates that there are
hidden hands with foreign agendas [working] to
destroy the society of this country," al-Shafie told
IRIN.
"We have a real weakness in our Islamic propaganda
owing to the difficult situation our country is
facing, and that makes many of our youths convert to
Christianity after defaming Islam as a terrorist
religion," he added without naming the foreign
agents.
Another priest in Baghdad who also refused to be
named said there had been "extensive efforts by US
religious organisations immediately after the [2003]
invasion of Iraq but now these efforts had faded as
many churches were attacked and closed by extremists
hunting down Christians."
Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the
Jedda-based World Muslim League (WML) said that some
"non-Muslim organisations" might exploit the
humanitarian crisis in the country.
"Non-Muslim organizations are preparing to enter
Iraq to start their activity under the cover of
providing humanitarian aid, as they normally exploit
crises, wars and tragedies, "WML Secretary-General
Abdullah bin Abdumohsen al-Turki said.
He warned of "the dangers this poses to Muslims in
Iraq" and called on the Iraqi people to adhere to
Islam and to stay away from "ethnic and sectarian
feuds."
In March 2004, four US missionaries were killed in a
drive-by shooting in the northern city of Mosul.
irin news org
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