IRAQ: LAND MAFIA GRABBING HOUSES AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF CHRISTIANS

Jude Fri 07 Aug 2015, 22:32

IRAQ: LAND MAFIA GRABBING HOUSES AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF CHRISTIANS

Posted by Madeeha Shakeel On July 24, 2015

KIRKUK: Properties belonging to Christians being forcefully snatched for them.

According to details, like various other parts of the country, also in Kirkuk properties and homes owned by Christian citizens are being grabbed. These properties are being snatched from the Christians who are legitimate owners by way of fake documents.

After being snatched, the fake documents of these properties, accordingly, hinder the Christians who are legal owners from regaining their property. The illegal grabbing of properties of Christians has been confirmed and reported also in Baghdad.

Cases have been reported in the capital when properties belonging to Christians were grabbed by means of fake documentation. This phenomenon is prevalent because of involvement and support from corrupt and dishonest officials, well- organised fraudulents and such gangs.

For instance, in a latest case few homes that belonged to Christians who were temporarily absent from their homes were grabbed. To their surprise the original owners found their houses ground and replaced with a car-park.

Reports state the pattern of “legalised” robbery of properties belonging to Christian families is directly associated with the mass exodus of Iraqi Christians. After the US led military offensive to bring down the regime of Saddam Hussein, internal instability and now ISIS, huge numbers of Iraqi Christians have left for other countries.

These land grabbers take possession of homes and land left empty by Christians, comparatively easily because there remains little chance that the Christian owners will ever return to Iraq and reclaim their properties. Seeing the situation, the Christian members of Iraqi parliament and other influential Christian citizens’ associations have urged the local administration to control these incidents, which are adding to the misery of Iraqi Christians.

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