Human Rights Organization Condemns the Sale of Shoes Depicting Holy Cross in the Sole

The Independent Human Rights Commission in the Kurdish Region in Iraq criticizes the sale of shoes with crosses engraved under its sole. In a statement, the human rights organization asked the Prosecutor’s Office to take action against the company selling the shoes.

The Independent Human Rights Commission drew attention to this religious discrimination of Christians. In the statement the Commission published, sharp criticism was directed at the company that has been buying the shoes to sell.

The Commission objected to the way these shoes are manufactured and called on the prosecutor to take measures to stop the company from trading and selling these shoes in the region. The Commission also stated that many Christians living in the northern region strongly denounced and complaint the selling of the shoes. The engraving of the Christian symbol is a blatantly and open insult.

In its statement, the Commission stated that: “This is a major insult to the Christian religion and is contrary to the coexistence and unity that prevails in the region. Therefore, we urge the responsible authorities to investigate this matter and to take the necessary action on the matter. ”

The Commission further stated that: “In order not to repeat similar measures and to stop the people who intend to destroy coexistence and the community that prevails among people belonging to different ethnic and religious groups living side by side in the Kurdistan region, we must give priority to this. event and take the necessary action against the people and the factory dealing with these shoes.”

It is not the first time this kind of shoes are manufactured and sold on the market. In 2015 the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued a statement demanding the shoes with the Cross on its soles must disappear from the market stating that is nothing less than blasphemy.