Most of the Assyrians who have fled from Iraq to neighbouring Jordan are Christians, and they have been forced to flee because of extreme violence they have suffered.

The claims come in a report from the Assyrian International News Agency, which surveyed the Assyrian refugees in Jordan, although they are classed as guests there because Jordan has not signed the UN Convention on Refugees.

It is not known how many Assyrian Christians have fled, but estimates range from 30,000 to 150,000 people. The report claims they have had to leave Iraq because of the killing of priests, the bombing of churches, rapes and kidnappings.

Although this has also happened to other ethnic groups caught up in the strife between Shia and Sunni Muslims, the report claims that it is the Christian population which is suffering the most.

And now whole areas of Iraq have no Christian presence. The Assyrian Christian population, both Syriacs and Chaldeans, claim that they are being targeted as part of a plan to wipe out the ethnic Christian population of Iraqis.

Commenting on the report by Haore Sulaiman, Cristina Chamoun told the Assist News Service: "It is hard to see any other reason for the killings than the Christian religion. The Christian minorities are being put even more in between the conflict, since they are seen as allies to the US."

She added that fundamentalist groups, both Shia and Sunni, were uniting in their efforts to attack Christians.

By: Sam Forrest
www.religiousintelligence.co.uk