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44 images Created 16 May 2014

REPORTAGE: The Last Christians of Iraq

Christianity came to Iraq in the first century AD. The Christians of Iraq are believed to be one of the longest continuous Christian communities in the world. The two thousand year presence of Christians in Iraq is in danger of coming to an end.

In 2003, before the invasion and occupation of Iraq by the United States and its allies, there was an estimated 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, about 5% of the population. Fewer than 400,000 are thought to remain. In a single decade more than two thirds of Iraq’s Christians have fled the country. In recent years, the Christians of Iraq have been caught in the middle of Iraq's severe sectarian violence and Islamic fundamentalism. As a result, Iraq’s Christian community has become a victim of an open and systematic campaign to cleanse the country of its religious minorities.

The Christians who remain in Iraq have for the most part sought refuge in the historic heartland of Iraqi Christianity – the Nineveh Plain and parts of Kurdistan. In the relative security of these areas Christian communities attempt to preserve their culture, traditions and religious heritage despite the threats and their dwindling numbers. The seizure of Mosul and much of the Nineveh Plain by the Islamic State severely aggravated an already precarious situation, forcing many Christians to leave the country and to seek refuge in the United States, Canada, Sweden or Australia among other places
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  • A woman walks past the 1300 year old Saint George Chaldean church in Ainkawa, a largely Christian town on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Christian community is made up of numerous different churches, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, however the majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. In 2003 there were an estimated 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Today, Iraqi Christians are thought to number approximately 400,000. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country.  Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Kurdish police and local protection militias guard the entrance to the Saint Yohana Church in the Christian town of Karaqosh located on the Nineveh Plain just 20 kilometers from Mosul, one of the most violent cities in Iraq and the scene of numerous attacks against the Christian population. Karaqosh, Iraq. 18/04/2014.
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  • Iraqi Christians touch and kiss sacred relics at the Saint Yohana Church in the Christian town of Karaqosh located on the Nineveh Plain, the cradle of Christianity in Iraq. Karaqosh is just 20 kilometers from Mosul, one of the most violent cities in Iraq and the scene of numerous attacks against the Christian population. One of the longest continuous Christian communities in the world, violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of Iraq's Christians to flee the country. Karaqosh, Iraq. 18/04/2014.
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  • Nuns praying at the Saint Joseph Chaldean church. The majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. In 2003 there were an estimated 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. Today, Iraqi Christians are thought to number approximately 400,000. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country.  Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Children at the Saint Yohana Church in the Christian town of Karaqosh are taught Catechism classes in a room lined with memorial plaques honoring Christians from the community who were killed during the Iran-Iraq war and subsequent conflicts. Located on the Nineveh Plain, the cradle of Christianity in Iraq, Karaqosh is the country's largest Christian city. It lies just 20 kilometers from Mosul, one of the most violent cities in Iraq and the scene of numerous attacks against the Christian population. Karaqosh, Iraq. 18/04/2014.
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  • Women lighting candles at the Chapel of the Virgin Mary situated at the foot of the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • Christians inhabitants of Al-Qosh pass a religious mural on their way to the Saint George church. The Assyrian town, dating back more than 2500 years, is perched on a hillside overlooking the Nineveh Plain 50 kms north of the city of Mosul. It is one of the earliest Christian communities in the country. While many Christians from Mosul and other parts of Iraq have come to the area for safetly, thousands of Christians have been forced to flee the country in recent decades. It is estimated that more than 40,000 "Alqushnaye" and their descendents now live in the cities of Detroit, Michigan and San Diego, California alone. Al-Qosh, Iraq. 19/04/2014.
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  • Father Douglas Bazi having breakfast with members of the church on Easter Monday. Father Douglas was a parish priest at the Mar Elia Church and school in Baghdad. Before the 2003 war there were 2600 families in his parish. He believes there are less than 250 now. Those who remain are the poor and families with elderly or sick members who can not leave. After his church was bombed, his car was bomed twice, he was shot and kidnapped, he finally moved to the relative safety of Northern Iraq. Despite that, he considers himself lucky compared to many. Ainkawa, Iraq. 21/04/2014.
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  • A Christian boy walks past religious icons being sold at the entrance to the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • A woman prays infront of a small shrine at the foot of the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • Christian pilgrims climbing a mountain path to the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • The 7th century Rabban Hermizd monastery carved into the mountainside overlooking the Nineveh Plain in Northern Iraq. Christianity came to the area in the first century AD and the Iraqi Christian community is thought to be one of the longest coninuous Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced two thirds of Iraqi Christians to flee the country in recent years and many more to be displaced to the relative security of Iraqi Kurdistan. Al Qosh, Iraq. 19/04/2014.
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  • Christian pilgrims light candles and pray inside the main cave at the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • Christian pilgrims inside one of the caves at the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • A Christian cross implanted on an outcrop overlooking the Nineveh Plain in Northern Iraq. Christianity came to the area in the first century AD and the Iraqi Christian community is thought to be one of the longest coninuous Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced two thirds of Iraqi Christians to flee the country in recent years and many more to be displaced to the relative security of Iraqi Kurdistan. Al Qosh, Iraq. 19/04/2014.
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  • A man waves an Assyrian flag at a gathering of Iraqi Christian families in the mountains near Duhok. On Fridays in the mild Spring months throughout Kurdistan families go to the countryside to picnic, dance and socialize. Bamarne, Iraq. 09/05/2014
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  • Iraqi Christian families gather in the mountains near Duhok on a Friday to picnic, dance and socialize, a weekend tradition in the mild Spring months throughout Iraqi Kurdistan. Bamarne, Iraq. 09/05/2014
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  • Women holding candles at an open-air mass to mark the beginning of the Easter weekend in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Christian community is made up of numerous churches, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, however the majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country. The remaining Christians are struggling to maintain their traditions, culture and religious heritage. Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Father Bashar Warda, the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, giving an open-air mass to mark the beginning of the Easter weekend in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Christian community is made up of numerous churches, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, however the majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country. The remaining Christians are struggling to maintain their traditions, culture and religious heritage. Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014. an open-air mass to mark the beginning of the Easter weekend in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Christian community is made up of numerous churches, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, however the majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country. The remaining Christians are struggling to maintain their traditions, culture and religious heritage. Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Women holding candles at an open-air mass to mark the beginning of the Easter weekend in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq's Christian community is made up of numerous churches, including the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, however the majority of Iraq's Christians belong to the Chaldean Catholic church. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country. The remaining Christians are struggling to maintain their traditions, culture and religious heritage. Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Iraqi Christians in the streets of Karaqosh, town located on the Nineveh Plain just 20 kilometers from Mosul, one of the most violent cities in Iraq and the scene of numerous attacks against the Christian population. One of the longest continuous Christian communities in the world, violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of Iraq's Christians to flee the country. Karaqosh, Iraq. 18/04/2014.
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  • Iraqi Christians barbeque and drink whiskey in the courtyard of their house next to the 1300 year old Saint George Chaldean church in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa, just outside Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Thousands of Iraqi Christians from around the country escaping violence and persecution have moved to Christian areas in the relative safety of northern Iraq and are using Kurdistan seek resettlement abroad. Ainkawa, Iraq. 19/04/2014.
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  • Allen and Yousif Aessa, 24 and 21, are Christians from Baghdad. In 1997 their father died of a stroke. The boys and their sister were sent to Al-Qosh and they were educated at the monastery there. When they turned 18 they moved back to Baghdad to find work. Allen found a job with a company in the Green Zone. After 1 1/2 years Allen quit his job because himself and everyone he was working with received threats and several were killed, including his cousin. Yousif worked in a printing shop, but the two brothers rarely left their house. In 2009 militias began checking ID cards, if the person was ot the same religious sect as the militia, they would be killed. The two brothers and their family sold what they could and moved to Ainkawa, a largely Christian town in northern Iraq. Ainkawa, Iraq. 24/04/2014.
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  • The cemetery in the Assyrian town of Al-Qosh overlooking the Nineveh Plain in Northern Iraq. The town was established more than 2500 years ago and was one of the first to adopt Christianity in the first century AD. The Iraqi Christian community is thought to be one of the longest coninuous Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced two thirds of Iraqi Christians to flee the country in recent years and many more to be displaced to the relative security of Iraqi Kurdistan. Al Qosh, Iraq. 19/04/2014.
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  • Family and friends mourning at a grave in the cemetery of the Chapel of the Virgin Mary situated at the foot of the Rabban Beya Temple. The 4th century Christian monastery is a series of monastic caves carved into a mountain high above the Shaqlawa valley and an important pilgrimage site for the Assyrian community. Shaqlawa, Iraq. 22/04/2014.
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  • An Iraqi Christian family shares a meal in the protected yard of their house in the largely Christian town of Ainkawa on the outskirts of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Thousands of Christians from around the country have fled to the relative security of northern Iraq and are using the region as a stepping stone to seek resettlement abroad. Ainkawa, Iraq. 21/04/2014.
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  • An Iraqi Christian from the town of Samarra in his living room. Following the 2003 Iraq war, he says foreign groups - Al-Qaeda, Salafists and other extremists - infiltrated the city. As Christians, he and his family began receiving threats and his brother's car was blown up. The entire family decided to move to Ainkawa, a largely Christian town in Iraqi Kurdistan. Relative security and the large influx of displaced people and refugees has caused prices to increase dramatically in the region. He must work three jobs just to pay rent on a small apartment for himself, his wife and their two sons. Iraq's Christian community is considered one of the longest continues Christian communities in the world. Violence, persecution and sectarian strife have forced more than two thirds of the Christian population to flee the country.  Ainkawa, Iraq. 17/04/2014.
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  • Majed Jaacoub Chaya and his family are Christians. Before the 2003 invasion he and his family had no problems due to their religion. In 2006 his brother was kidnapped. Sixteen days later his body was found in the Shiite town of Kerbala. Four months ago, armed men came to his tire shop, threatened him and his son and told them to close. As a result, the family of six fled to Lebanon. They won't return to Iraq because they say that all Christians are being forced to leave. Lebanon is host to an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees. Relative to their percent of the overall population, a large proportion of the Iraqi refugees in Lebanon are Christian. Many refugees come to Lebanon because they feel they have better opportunities for work and resettlement than in neighboring Syria or Jordan, however they run a greater risk or arrest and deportation..Beirut, Lebanon. 02/12/2008.Photo © J.B. Russell
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  • The neighbor hood of Sed El Bauchrieh in East Beirut where a large number of Iraqi refugees, primarily Christian, live in rented apartments. Lebanon is host to an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees. Relative to their percent of the overall population, a large proportion of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon are Christian. Many refugees come to Lebanon because they feel they have better opportunities for work and resettlement than in neighboring Syria or Jordan, however they run a greater risk of arrest, detention and deportation..Beirut, Lebanon. 04/12/2008.Photo © J.B. Russell
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  • An Iraqi refugee during an interview for resettlement in a third country at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reception center. Lebanon is host to an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees. Relative to their percent of the overall population, a large proportion of the Iraqi refugees in Lebanon are Christian. Many refugees come to Lebanon because they feel they have better opportunities for work and resettlement than in neighboring Syria or Jordan, however they run a greater risk or arrest and deportation..Beirut, Lebanon. 01/12/2008.Photo © J.B. Russell
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  • Christian refugees from Iraq at the Chaldean Bishopric. The church and Caritas help the refugees with employment, rent, health, education and administration problems. Lebanon is host to an estimated 50,000 Iraqi refugees. Relative to their percent of the overall Iraqi population, a large proportion of the refugees in Lebanon are Christian. Many refugees come to Lebanon because they feel they have better opportunities for work and resettlement than in neighboring Syria or Jordan, however they also run a greater risk of arrest, detention and deportation..Beirut, Lebanon. 05/12/2008.Photo © J.B. Russell
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  • Iraqi refugees who have been approved for resettlement in the United States are greeted at the airport by family members living in Detroit, Michigan as they arrive in America for the first time on a flight from Baghdad. Detroit, MI, USA. 15/04/2013.
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  • The Shamoon family celebrates over a meal of traditional Iraqi food the arrival in the United States of family members from Baghdad. The Shamoons are Chaldean Catholics and as part of the Christian minority in Iraq, they have been persecuted by radical Islamist militias and have been forced to seek asylum in the US. Madison Heights, MI, USA. 17/04/2013.
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  • Suahad Yousuf with her two sons Ayad and Rami at their home in California. The family fled Iraq in 2010 and arrived in the US after spending two and half years in Jordan. Their youngest son Meroon was born in Amman, but was diagnosed with a brain tumor at one year old. Their resettlement application was expedited and the child underwent surgery immediately after their arrival in Los Angeles in late December 2012. Although the surgery was successful, the child died during the first round of chemotherapy a month later. Suahad, his mother, suffers from depression; she can't be alone, doesn't sleep and is unable to drive as a result of the loss. She is seeing a therapist, but need specialized help. The trauma that the family has suffered is making the adjustment to life in America even more difficult.<br />
El Cajon, California.  07/05/2013.
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  • A worshiper prays during Sunday services at the Saint George Chaldean Church. The majority of Iraq's Christians are Chaldean Catholics. Iraqi Christians first came to the United States for work in the auto industry and continued to arrive following the Iran-Iraq war and during the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War. There is a well-established Chaldean and Assyrian Christian community in the northern suburbs of Detroit. Iraqi Christians who have been fleeing systematic persecution in recent years are drawn to the Detroit area due to family, cultural and religious ties. Shelby Township, MI, USA. 14/04/2013.
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  • Iraqi Chaldeans gather in a park to picnic and socialize on Saint George’s day. More than 11,000 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the El Cajon area in the past few years. The culture and traditions of the Iraqi community are beginning to transform the working-class town located East of San Diego, just north of the Mexican border. El Cajon, CA. USA. 28/04/2013.
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  • Nardeen Saeed, 14, chats with friends on her iPhone in her bedroom. Younger refugees learn the language, adapt to American culture and integrate into their new community quite rapidly. Often they must take on the role of being responsible for their parents or grand parents who struggle with the language and have a harder time learning how things function in American society. Tensions also arise within families between the younger generation who quickly embrace American social norms and older generations who remain attached to more traditional Iraqi customs. El Cajon, CA, USA. 07/05/2013.
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  • Iraqi families preparing their applications for US citizenship. Although Iraqi refugees face many hardships and challenges when they arrive in the US, most slowly but surely begin to rebuild their lives. After five years, they can apply to become US citizens. El Cajon, CA. USA. 04/05/2013.
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  • Iraqi families baptize their children during a ceremony at the Saint George Chaldean church. A new generation of Iraqis is being born into the ever-expanding Iraqi community in the United States. Shelby Township, MI, USA. 14/04/2013.
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  • Iraqis dance and celebrate Akitu, the Chaldean - Assyrian New Year, at the Bellagio Banquet Hall. Decades of conflict between the United States and Iraq have brought tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees to America. As a result, Iraqi traditions and culture are becoming an ever-increasing part of the American melting pot. Sterling Heights, MI, USA. 12/04/2013.
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  • Iraqis refugees at the Bellagio Banquet Hall celebrating Akitu, the Chaldean - Assyrian New Year. Conflict and human tragedy have defined the shared history of the United States and Iraq in recent decades. This violent and painful history has brought to America tens of thousands of Iraqi refugees whose scars, experiences, enterprise, traditions and culture are now becoming integral parts of the American landscape. Sterling Heights, MI, USA. 12/04/2013.
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