Vatican demands more protection for Iraqi Christians

The Vatican yesterday called on the Iraqi government and human rights groups to do more to protect Christians in Mosul, where half of the minority community has fled after attacks and threats.

Pope Benedict's spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, said the Vatican was asking itself if there was "insufficient willingness" on the part of Iraqi authorities to protect Christians.

"We are extremely worried about what we are hearing from Iraq," said Fr Lombardi.

Last Friday in Geneva, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said about half of the Christians in Iraq's northern town of Mosul, nearly 10,000 people, had fled in about a week.

"The situation in Mosul is dramatic. The victims are Christians and many thousands of people are fleeing precisely because they are subjected not only to the fear of periodic attacks but a systematic campaign of threats," Fr Lombardi said.

"This is extremely worrying and we ask ourselves if these people are sufficiently protected by the authorities or if the authorities are not able to protect them or if there is insufficient willingness to protect them," he said.

Last week, the government pledged to send senior officials to the north to tackle the violence. In Geneva, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it was concerned about mass displacement in the Mosul area.

A copy of a flyer left in a Christian home in Mosul warned the family to "leave your house and the area within 24 hours, otherwise you will be justly punished and be killed as our Islamic religion dictates be done to those like you who venerate the cross."