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Image: ACN
World News

Christians fleeing IS in Iraq "betrayed" by their government

He claims the Iraq government has "abandoned" them and has done "absolutely nothing" to help Christians who have been forced to flee their homes as IS forces advanced.

He added that he thinks Muslim leaders have failed to give an unequivocal condemnation of the violence being carried out in the name of Islam.

In an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, the archbishop said: "The reality is that Christians have received no support from the central government. They have done nothing for them.

"Usually, the central government is the first to take responsibility for helping people forced to leave their homes.

"The central government is to blame," he said, adding: "It has not fulfilled its commitment to the people."

He also said: "The government in Baghdad received a lot of help from the international community for the displaced people from Mosul and Nineveh but there has been no sign of it here."

He claims that Baghdad is helping Muslim displaced people, but not Christians.

Archbishop Warda added that the task of aiding Christians had fallen almost exclusively to the Church, which he praised for its actions: "We will never forget the voices of solidarity that we received from day one of this tragedy.

"Church agencies have been here helping us since day one and they remain with the people long after the headlines have moved on to something different."

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