'Genocide' Fails to Describe What Is Happening to Christians in the Middle East, Chaldean Pastor Says
Displaced Iraqi Christians Feel 'Alone and Forgotten' by International Community
As hundreds of thousands of Christians and others are stuck in refugee centers for the immediate future and possibly longer, many of them are left without any source of income and are relying on handouts from the Church and humanitarian organizations.
Bazi explained that the majority of refugees are not able to find a job in Kurdistan because they are not able to speak the Kurdish language, explaining that even displaced doctors are having a hard time finding employment. He added that the language barrier even makes it hard on displaced children to get an education, although the church has set up four schools for the displaced children.
Despite their despair, Bazi assured that Christians are not blaming God for their misfortunes.
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"My people are not actually blaming God for what happened. They are blaming man for what happened," Bazi said. "My people are looking for a future but day-by-day what is actually killing my people, let's say hard for my people, is when they feel they are alone and forgotten. I am talking about the international community. That is what is actually more hard to us."
Bazi explained that part of his job at the refugee center is to try to encourage the victims at his center. Being that Bazi has been abducted, tortured, shot and had his church in Baghdad bombed by Islamic militants, he is someone that can relate the pain behind behind even the most horrifying stories.
In 2006, Bazi was kidnapped and tortured by Islamic militants for nine days before being freed after the church paid $170,000 in ransom for his release and the release of Father Samy Al Raiys. Bazi detailed that the terrorists smashed his teeth with a hammer, crushed his nose, broke two discs in his back, threatened to behead him and put an unloaded pistol to his head and pulled the trigger over 100 times.
"I am surprised I am still alive" Bazi told CP. "I spent nine days and those nine days were really hard but they actually changed a lot in my life and I cannot forget. I am not talking about the body pain, but I am talking about the soul pain."
"But you know, pain will continue but it has given me a good lesson about life and also I understand the pain of people," Bazi continued. "When I meet people who have been kidnapped or in a situation like me I can say, 'I understand but you are through.'"
Although the Christian community in Iraq sees no end in sight to their dire situation, Bazi says the key to curbing the pain is forgiveness.
"Without forgiveness the pain will continue from generation to generation," Bazi contended. "When we talk to the people, we do not tell them that tomorrow will be better. But if we forgive, tomorrow is going to be better."
