Thieves rob, assault elderly Christian woman in her home in Baghdad

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G.H. Renaud G.H. Renaud |
Thieves rob, assault elderly Christian woman in her home in Baghdad
An elderly Christian woman was robbed by thieves. (Photos circulated on Facebook)
Iraq Christians Baghdad Persecution Iraqi Christians
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – An elderly Christian woman was assaulted by thieves inside her house south of Baghdad before they took off with her money, Iraqi activists said on Sunday.

The activists circulated pictures over social media showing the extent of the injuries the woman suffered all over her body during the late-night attack.

The incident took place in the Doura district, south of Baghdad

According to witnesses, the attackers broke down the door to “Shushan’s,” the woman in question, house. Many said it was known she lived alone.

Photos of Shushan’s injuries were circulating on Facebook on Sunday.

While Kurdistan 24 could not verify the accuracy of the details or the motive for the crime, the Interior Ministry said it would launch an investigation into the incident.

Christians in Iraq have been subjected to violence since 2003, prompting many of them to move to the Kurdistan Region while others left to Europe and America for security.

Due to the nature of the crime, the Interior Ministry claimed Minister Qassim al-Araji would personally oversee the investigation.

Photos of Shushan after her attack circulated on Facebook on Sunday.

Activists said the incident was criminal and did not relate to the systematic targeting of minorities in Iraq since the fall of the former regime 14 years ago.

Much attention has been given to Iraqi Christians following the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) in northern Iraq which devastated Christian communities in areas such as Mosul and the Nineveh Plains.

However, the minority group has also suffered in many other regions of Iraq in the past 15 years.

Iraqi Christians used to make up 10 percent of Iraq’s total population. There is now an estimated population as low as 200,000 remaining in the country.

In May, as many as eight churches closed down in Baghdad

 

http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/6b4c8943-04e0-4d30-abc4-7ad6fec3b6d9.

 

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany