Voici le message qu'envoie une religieuse
dominicaine irakienne, refugiée avec tant d'autres chrétiens dans la ville
kurde d'Erbil. Vous en trouverez un résumé en français après sa lettre.
August 30th 2014
Weakened
and Impoverished
We entered the
fourth week of displacement. Yet, there is nothing promising at all. The Iraqi
government has not done anything to regain the Christian towns back from the
IS. Likewise, the Kurdish government, apart from allowing us to enter their
province, has not offered any aid, financial or material, leaving us in the
streets, and making the church take full responsibility of us all. Thanks to
the Church of Iraq in Kurdistan, who opened their halls and centres to provide
shelters. Yet, the number of refugees was so large that the Kurdish government
had to face the stark reality and open their schools to provide additional
shelter for refugees.
We hear a lot
about world governments and organizations sending financial aid to Iraq, but
the refugee gets the least –we do not know or understand why. People lost
almost everything; they cannot even afford to buy milk or formula for their
children. What saddens us most is that, only one month ago, these people were
the most educated in the country and among those most likely to build a life
for themselves and their family, and now they do not have enough money in their
pockets to survive the day. Christians became accustomed to investing their
money in businesses, shops, fields, buildings…etc, to build their communities.
Leaving their towns meant leaving everything they had been working for all
their lives. Yet, amidst losing everything, accepting their lost dignity, is
the most difficult loss they may experience. Some have found shelter in tents,
others in schools, still others in church halls and gardens. They wait to be
fed, or given food to cook; elderly are not being taken care of properly;
children are living in unhealthy conditions; families have lost their privacy;
women are exposed in these places; men have no jobs in a culture where a man is
expected to support his families. Refusing to live without dignity, more and
more people think of immigrating. Whoever owns a car or gold, sells them to buy
a plane ticket out of the country. Needless to say, the buyers in Kurdistan are
taking advantage and do not take into consideration the devastation these
refugees face.
Christians in
Iraq are known for their faithfulness and peaceful way of living among others.
They do not believe in violence or in war as a way to solve problems. Now, they
feel that they are victims because other religions and political parties are
dividing the country on the account of the innocent.
Of course, none
of us is a political analyst, but it is obvious that Kurdistan is the only
beneficiary: economically, militarily, and provincially, while they were
obliged to protect the Nineveh Plain. The Peshmerga pulled out of the plain of
Nineveh in no time, without a clear reason, and without warning the civilians;
we knew we were living in a war zone, when we trusted that at the very least,
in a time of danger, they will warn us but, did not –so how can we trust them
now (government and people)?
We still wonder
why the world cannot petition the UN to take serious action toward the IS, and
save the people from their misery, knowing that the IS is the most dangerous
group in the world. Is the world deaf and blind? People are almost convinced
that the only way out of this crisis is to immigrate and leave the country, if
it is even possible. It is certain, many
have reached their breaking point and despair is setting in. Maybe immigrating is the only way to stop
living in such a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. People cannot endure this
persecution, marginalization, contempt, and rejection anymore. If there is any
other way, besides immigration, please let us know. Otherwise, please help
people get out of the country, by seeking asylum, according to the UN law.
[Nous commençons
la quatrième semaine de déplacement.
Rien ne nous laisse espérer. Le
gouvernement irakien n’a pas essayé de reprendre les villes chrétiennes occupées
par l’EI. Le gouvernement kurde s’est vu
force à ouvrir ses écoles à cause du grand nombre de réfugiés, mais n’a offert
aucune autre aide. Nous remercions l’Église
d’Irak en Kurdistan qui a ouvert ses locaux aux sinistrés.
Nous apprenons
que les gouvernements du monde et des organisations envoient de l’aide financière
en Irak, mais les réfugiés en reçoivent très peu—nous en ignorons la
raison. Ces gens ne peuvent même pas
acheter du lait pour leurs enfants. Il y
a un mois, ils étaient les plus instruits du pays, et maintenant ils n’ont pas
assez d’argent pour survivre à la journée.
Ils ont tout perdu en quittant leurs villes, mais leur dignité constitue
leur plus grande perte. Ils vivent dans
des tentes ou des écoles, ou des jardins.
Ils attendent qu’on leur donne à manger.
Les personnes âgées n’ont pas les soins qu’il leur faut, les enfants
vivent dans des conditions malsaines, les femmes n’ont pas de protection, les
hommes n’ont pas de travail, et ceci dans une culture ou l’on s’attend d’un
homme qu’il prenne soin de sa famille.
Plusieurs pensent quitter. Ceux
qui ont quelque chose le vendent et s’achètent un billet d’avion. Les marchands kurdes en profitent….
Aucune de nous
n’est experte en politique, mais il nous semble que le Kurdistan est le seul à
profiter de la situation. Il a l’obligation
de protéger la plaine de Ninive, mais les Peshmerga se sont retirés de la
plaine très vite, sans raison claire et sans en avertir la population. Nous attendions qu’au moins ils nous auraient
avertis—comment pouvons-nous leur faire confiance après cela ?
Nous ne savons
pas pourquoi le monde ne peut pas demander à l’ONU d’agir avec force contre l’EI,
étant donné que l’EI est le groupe le plus dangereux du monde. Plusieurs personnes sont à la limite et le désespoir
s’installe. Il leur semble que l’émigration
est la seule solution. S’il en existe
une autre, il faudrait nous la dire. Sinon,
s'il vous plaît aidez aux gens à quitter ce pays, en demandant l’asile, conformément
aux directives de l'ONU.]
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