WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The government of Iraq needs to take all necessary actions to bring a halt to the targeted killings of the Christian minority population, U.S. lawmakers said.
Democratic Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Carl Levin of Michigan, along with Republican Sens. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Mel Martinez of Florida, called on Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to take the steps needed to end the violence plaguing the Christian community in northern Iraq.
"This violence is emblematic of a larger pattern of severe persecution by extremists that threatens to deprive Iraq of her non-Muslim citizens," the senators wrote. "It also highlights the possibility of increased violence ahead of provincial elections (in January)."
The United Nations estimated roughly half of the Christian population in northern Iraq are displaced from violence that erupted in late September. Christian refugees in Syria claim gunmen dressed in police uniform are targeting their community. Others claim they received death threats in the form of pamphlets, text messages and e-mails.
Maliki earlier this month dispatched thousands of Iraqi police to Mosul, and a large contingent of troops were deployed to the western portions of the city in what is considered preparation for a major offensive.
Meanwhile, the Vatican announced it would bring 48 Christian and Muslim scholars to Rome for a conference focusing on practical cooperation between members of the two faiths as well as treatment of minority Christians in Muslim countries.
