Iraq’s Christians are disappearing. Many are fleeing to Lebanon. Aid organizations have seen a fifteen percent increase in the last year and a half in the Iraqi Christians fleeing to Lebanon. The Patriarch of Iraq’s Chaldean recently fled Iraq to Lebanon because he was threatened. The Chaldean Bishop in Lebanon is adamant that Christians should not be resettled. He claims that twenty years ago there were eight hundred thousand Chaldeans in Iraq and now that number has been halved. The Bishop of Basra left for Australia because all his parish had fled. The Chaldean leadership in the region denies that they are being singled out for persecution because they want to maintain their communities in the Middle East. Iraqi Christians tend to settle in Beirut’s Fanar area. Unofficially Christians are more likely to be resettled in the West. The American government has shown unique interest in the plight of Christians, pressing aid organizations for information about them and preferring to resettle them.

On October 25, 2006, Duraid, his wife, their thirteen year old son and eleven year old daughter arrived in Beirut illegally. Duraid had owned an alcohol factory that was bombed. His building was covered in religious slurs. They had lived in Betawin, in eastern Baghdad. It was a mixed religious community and every two or three houses belonged to Chaldean Christians like Duraid. But now all the Chaldeans have left, he says. Duraid’s daughter was harassed in her school for being a Christian. Her classmates began to tell her to leave, that her family was not wanted. The Christians in Betawin were told that Iraq is the land of Islam and they should leave. After the alcohol factory was bombed all the neighborhood families left. They are in different places, she does not know where. Duraid’s thirteen year old son is handicapped. They used to send him to a church school but a year before the church was bombed and the religious leaders were threatened. After that they were afraid to leave the house.

Their house was raided and its contents stolen and all their papers were burned. They had two thousand dollars in a brother’s house and used that money to leave Iraq. Duraid and his family paid smugglers four hundred and fifty dollars. He gave them a discount on the children, charging for only one child. While being smuggled they had to walk and carry the children on their backs. They are now staying with a cousin in Lebanon who left Iraq three years ago out of fear for her family, believing that without Saddam the Christians would be targeted. Duraid’s brother in law’s house in Baghdad was recently bombed and he too wants to get out. Duraid and his family feels safe now that they are in Lebanon. In Iraq he often did not sleep at home and his wife spent many sleepless nights waiting for him. He never spent two nights in the same place because Islamic militias would ask where he was. In Lebanon their daughter attends a school but they cannot afford to put their son through school since he requires special attention. Duraid is looking for work as a driver but has not found any yet. Older Chaldean arrivals who came illegally are preparing to settle them Australia. Duraid’s wife has a cousin there who is sponsoring her, so they hope to leave as well. They cannot see themselves ever returning to Iraq.