Written question asked by Keith Simpson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 12 November 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 17 November 2008. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 November 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Christianity

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the (a) motivation and (b) identity of the perpetrators of the recent violence towards Christians in Iraq; and what representations he has made to the government of Iraq in this respect.

Answer: All communities in Iraq, including Christians, have suffered from terrorism, sectarian violence and criminality. We condemn all such violence, regardless of who it is directed against.We have raised our concerns about the recent violence towards Christians with the Iraqi Government, including the Human Rights Ministry. We welcome the action it has taken to address the security situation in Mosul, where most of this violence has occurred. We are encouraged by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Christian families are now returning to their homes.The Iraqi Government have established a high level investigatory committee to look into the violence in Mosul. We will discuss the findings with the Iraqis when the report is completed.

Secondary information