A cry for help from Christians in Iraq

We have entered the third week of displacement hoping that our cry will reach the world. We continue to share our daily struggle of providing shelter, food and necessities for the people. People are still living on the streets outside our schools that are now used as refugee centres.

There are still no ‘organised’ camps apart from these. Christians and Yezedians have lost their land, their home, their belongings, their jobs, have been separated from their families and loved ones, and are all persecuted because of their religion. Over 75,000 have fled into the city. It is impossible to believe that this is happening in the 21st century. We wonder is there any end in sight?

We appreciate all efforts that have been made to provide aid to us. All political meetings have led to nothing. Yesterday, a young man said that he would rather die than live, without dignity. We are being persecuted because of our religion. We lost some of our sisters, some are still missing, an unknown number of Christians have died or been killed. What has happened in our Christian towns is even worse – fathers and sons murdered, many taken hostage by the IS, families forcibly separated, homes destroyed. Our convent in Tel Kaif is being used as an IS HQ. They have destroyed 19 of our other convents, schools and orphanages. What unspeakable barbaric atrocities.

Sr Maria Hanna OP,

Dominican Sisters Iraq

C/o Dominican Sisters Cabra

Westfield Road

Harolds Cross

Dublin 6