BAGHDAD 2 E-PRT: ASSYRIAN DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003963

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV SCUL SOCI IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD 2 E-PRT: ASSYRIAN DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT
SPOKESMAN TALKS ABOUT CHRISTIAN ISSUES


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Classified By: E-PRT Team Leader Eric Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b
) and (d).


1. (U) This is a Baghdad 2 Brigade E-PRT reporting cable.


2. (C) Summary: During a November 27 meeting, Assyrian
Democratic Movement Public Relations Head Sargon Lazar Slewa
told E-PRT Team Leader that the Christian community has
minimal involvement in the Iraq central government. He
characterized Christians as remaining non-aligned but open to
dialogue with all. According to Sargon, Christians worship
freely, their churches remain open, and they are not
persecuted. He complained, however, that Christians lacked
special IDs and weapons permits to easily enter the IZ.
Sargon claimed that the Christian community had once numbered
nearly as many as one million in the 1990s in Baghdad, and
that a large number had departed beginning in 2003 mainly to
Syria, Jordan, and Turkey, as well as Kurdistan, Mosul, and
Ninevah. He discussed the current status of Christian
churches, their NGOs, and their media outreach. Although one
Christian-run television station closed six months ago due to
financial difficulties, a radio station and a newspaper
remain in operation. End Summary.

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Sargon: Limited Christian Involvement in Politics
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3. (C) On November 27, E-PRT Team Leader met with Sargon
Lazar Slewa, Public Relations Head, Assyrian Democratic
Movement, at FOB Loyalty. The Assyrian Democratic Movement
maintains a small office in the Zayuna neighborhood of 9
Nissan district. This was the first meeting with Sargon,
whom E-PRT Team Leader had met at the QRF-funded iftar at a
Sunni mosque in Zayuna in October; Sargon had been a guest of
the Sunni mosque community as a representative of the
Christian community.


4. (C) Sargon said only two members of the Council of
Representatives (CoR) - Unadem Yousef Kana, Al Rafdeen List
(Secretary General of the Assyrian Democratic Movement) and
Ablahad Ephraim Sawa, Kurdistan Coalition (Secretary General
of the Democratic United Kildanian Party) - are Christian.
He noted that Kana identifies more with the Kurdish community
than the Christian community. In PM Maliki's Cabinet,
Minister of Industry Fawzi El-Hariri (Kurdistan Coalition)
and Ms. Wijdan Mikhail, Minister of Human Rights (independent
member from the Iraqi National list ) Ayad Alawi list) are
Christian. According to Sargon, El-Hariri is more closely
aligned with the Kurdish community, and Mikhail associates
closely with a Shia political faction. He explained that
Christians often avoid being identified too closely with any
single political leaning to maintain good relations with all
groups.

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Christians not Persecuted; but Community Depleted
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5. (C) Sargon said Christians can worship freely in Baghdad
and do not/not suffer from persecution by the GOI, Shias, or
others. Furthermore, all Christian churches remain open. He
said the largest Christian groups were the Chaldean
Catholics, Syriac Catholics, Syriac Orthodox, Eastern Church,
Old Eastern Church, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestants.
There are very few Christian schools, however. He complained
that Christians lacked the proper IDs and weapons permits
that would allow them to enter the IZ easily.


6. (C) Sargon said that in the 1990s the Christian community
in Baghdad reached roughly one million. However, this number
dropped significantly starting in 2003 due to the post-Saddam
Hussein ethno-sectarian conflict. In Mualameen, 9 Nissan, he
said, there were 5,000 Christian families in 1991, which
decreased to 4,000 in 2003 and 2,000 today. Most fled to
Syria, with a few in Kurdistan, Mosul, and Ninevah, as well
as Jordan and Turkey.

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Christian TV Closed; Radio, and Newspaper Remain
-------------- ---


7. (C) The Christian community formerly operated a television
station, which closed six months ago due to funding
shortfalls. Sargon said that both the Christian-run radio
station newspaper ) Bahra, meaning "light" ) are still
operating. He mentioned that the Christian community
receives assistance from the U.S. Embassy, but complained
that Coalition Forces no longer purchased advertising space,
making it more difficult to generate revenue to cover
operating expenses.

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8. (C) Sargon also said that his movement had founded an NGO
and a women's center. E-PRT Team Leader encouraged him to
advise the E-PRT as to their activities and to consider
applying for resources to strengthen their capacity.
BUTENIS