Iraq: Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Members of Parliament denounce new federal court bill, will push country further towards Islamic theocracy

BAGHDAD – The five Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Members of Iraqi Parliament have denounced in a joined statement the new Federal Court bill which would appoint legal experts in Islam to the Federal Court. The Federal judges themselves would be appointed only from within the Islamic components of Iraq: 5 for the Shia component, 2 for the Sunni, and 2 for the Kurdish component, which is also Muslim.

The Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian MPs showed their aversion to the bill by walking out of the session of parliament in which the bill was discussed. In their joint statement the MPs stated that the bill “pushes Iraq to becoming an Islamic country in all aspects and tramples the rights of smaller components in the country.” All components must be respected regardless of their religious denomination, the statement added. It will have a serious negative effect on coexistence and will force majority opinion on the minority.

They indicated that they will abstain from voting on the bill because it violates the Iraqi constitution and does not do justice to all the national and religious colors of the mosaic that is Iraq. The Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Memebrs of Parliament concluded their statement by a call on all national and religious Iraqi leaders and the international community to support them in this case against injustice and to guarantee the presence of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people and other minority components in the Federal Court.

For the article in Syriac see SyriacPress Sureth