U.S. House Passes Resolution Supporting Religious Minorities in Iraq

On November 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Resolution 554 co-sponsored by Representative Elissa Slotkin to reaffirm the support of the United States fo

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U.S. House Passes Resolution Supporting Religious Minorities in Iraq
Wladimir van Wilgenburg
November 22, 2024


On November 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Resolution 554 co-sponsored by Representative Elissa Slotkin to reaffirm the support of the United States for Chaldeans and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq.

“Chaldean Christians in Iraq have been subject to countless atrocities and genocide over the last decade. This important bipartisan legislation expresses the United States’ commitment to upholding the human rights of the Chaldean people,” Representative John Moolenaar said about the resolution in a statement.

“No one should ever be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and I am grateful my resolution has been passed by the House. The Chaldean community has made outstanding contributions to the state of Michigan, and I will continue my work to support them in Michigan and around the world,” he added.

The resolution reaffirms “the nature and importance of the support of the United States for the religious and ethnic minority survivors of genocide in Iraq” and highlights the continued obstacles minorities face to return to their ancestral homelands, like Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains.

The resolution underlines that the U.S. House of Representatives supports the restoration of security, stability, and economic opportunity for – as well as the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of – internally displaced persons, including those originally from the territories of Mosul, al Ba’aj, Sinjar, and the Nineveh Plains. Additionally, it supports the restoration of religious and cultural heritage sites in Iraq.

Minorities in Iraq and Kurdistan Region welcomed the adoption of the resolution.

Ramy Noori Syawish, the mayor of Ankawa, a predominantly Christian district of Erbil, told Kurdistan Chronicle that he welcomed this resolution. “We are hopeful that decisions like this will lead to increased support for Iraqi Christians, particularly those living under the control of the Iraqi government.”

“We are deeply concerned about their safety and future, as there are no guarantees that they can continue their daily lives under the governance of a state that often fails to protect their rights. The situation in the Nineveh Plains highlights our fears. Armed militias often control the region, imposing their own rules instead of adhering to the constitution or established laws.”

“The Christian minority in Iraq has faced significant challenges in the past. We hope this resolution will be implemented on the ground as soon as possible. Our worries about the future of Christians in the Nineveh Plains remain, as there are no guarantees for their safety, security, or stability. We hope this decision will protect their rights and enable them to remain on their ancestral land.”

“Hopefully, resolutions like this will benefit the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) by improving the treatment of minorities and setting an example for other areas of Iraq to follow.”

Jeremy Barker, Associate Vice President of International Strategies for the Religious Freedom Institute told Kurdistan Chronicle that the resolution is important as it restates the United States’ commitment to protect the fundamental rights of Iraq’s religious and ethnic minority communities.

“However, as the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018 also demonstrated, any verbal commitment needs to be followed through by concrete actions to preserve the survival of these communities,” he added.

“The threats facing communities such as Iraq’s indigenous Christian communities (including Chaldeans, Syriacs, and Assyrians), Yezidis, and others are severe and raise genuine concerns about the long-term viability of these communities. It is not only overt religious persecution and security threats from extremist groups like ISIS, but the loss of property, erasure of religious cultural heritage, and exploitation of political representation that has led many to struggle to envision a future in the lands that their communities have called home for hundreds of years.”

Read More: Syriac Language Gains Official Status in KRG Documents

He underlined that international political support and advocacy are valuable, but added that the most important work for these communities comes from community organizations that are addressing these threats and working to build a society that embraces human dignity and the rights and freedoms of all citizens, including religious and ethnic communities.

President of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat Nadine Maenza told Kurdistan Chronicle that it is encouraging to see Congress reiterate their support for the diverse religious and ethnic components of Iraq still struggling to recover from genocide. “As the resolution states, they ‘have been an integral part of the cultural fabric and history of Iraq and the broader Middle East.’”

“As the U.S. considers its foreign policy regarding Iraq, it must take into account the impact it will have on these vulnerable communities and work to support the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of those communities to the Nineveh Plains and Sinjar.”

“As co-chair of the IRF Roundtable, I’m proud of the work our participants and especially the Congressional working group have done in prioritizing this resolution urging more U.S. support for the religious components of Iraq,” she concluded.

Read More: Rep. Slotkin Thanks KRG for Supporting Minorities

Representative Slotkin met with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Washington, D.C., on February 29 and expressed gratitude for the KRG’s support of Iraq’s Christians and Yezidis, especially during and after the ISIS crisis.



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