Former Syriac Member of Iraqi Parliament and deputy head of Bethnahrin Patriotic Union Sliwa: UN has not listened to Christian voices in Iraq, Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people continue to be exploited  

NINEVEH PLAINS, Iraq — Former Syriac Member of Iraqi Parliament and current deputy head of the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (Huyodo Bethnahrin Athroyo, HBA) Joseph Sliwa has criticized the United Nations (UN) in Iraq for not listening to the views of Christians and the solutions they propose to alleviate their dire situation. Sliwa made the statement amid the prolonged difficulties faced by the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian and Armenian people in Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia), especially Iraq.

“The UN is concerned with resolving the disputes between the ethnic components,” said Sliwa. “Unfortunately, it does not listen to the views of Christians and the solutions they propose to end their suffering.”

Sliwa also pointed out that another challenge for Christians is the election law, which still allows all Iraqis to vote in elections for minority quota seats.

He explained that some Kurdish and Shiite parties take advantage of this loophole in the election law, by bringing in certain puppet Christian representatives and voting for them with their huge number of voters which highly exceeds the Christian voters. This, in turn, leads to fake Christian representatives who only implement those parties’ agendas, not caring about the Christian peoples’ interests, but rather fighting the presence of the Christian peoples in their homeland.

“Some Kurdish and Shiite parties take advantage of this loophole in the election law,” he said. “They bring certain puppet Christian representatives and vote for them with their huge number of voters which exceeds the number of Christian voters.”

“This leads to fake Christian representatives who only implement those parties’ agendas, not caring about the Christian peoples’ interests, but rather fighting the presence of the Christian peoples in their homeland,” Sliwa added.

Regarding the kidnapping of seven members of Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) by the Iran-backed Babylon Brigades, Sliwa declared that as soon as the NPU received support from the Peshmerga and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), they were exposed to exploitation.

This, in turn, has made the NPU a non-productive entity, he said, which has become untrained and unable to protect the Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people in the region, which many parties and forces want to control.

Sliwa added that the solution lies in merging these forces with one of the federal security branches, opening the door to volunteering for the people’s youth, and remaining in communication and coordination with the International Coalition forces in Iraq.