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Iraqi Christian Refugees in Lebanon

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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IraqRefugs-0136.jpg
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Photo © J.B. Russell
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3008x2000 / 3.7MB
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REPORTAGE: The Last Christians of Iraq
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