Iraq: Information on whether Syriac Catholics or any Assyrian Christian would be permitted to attend university and subsequently work as teacher
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRQ23699.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iraq: Information on whether Syriac Catholics or any Assyrian Christian would be permitted to attend university and subsequently work as teacher, 1 April 1996, IRQ23699.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab6c0.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached an excerpt from a 23 February 1994 report from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that asserts "since 1974 most educational and cultural institutions of the Christian Assyrian community have been closed or subjected to direct or indirect government controls" (UN 23 Feb. 1994, np). According to the report,
at the end of August 1993, 900 Iraqi teachers, most of whom were said to be Assyrians, were reported to have been "pensioned off" in Nineva Governorate while 100 other Assyrian teachers were said to have been dismissed in Kirkuk along with an unspecified number in Bagdad. At the end of October 1993, it was reported that an unspecified number of Assyrian students were expelled from universities while Assyrian teachers were transferred to other Government posts (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
United Nations. Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights. 23 February 1994. (E/CN.4/1994/58). Excerpt from Question of the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Any Part of the World, with Particular Reference to Colonial and Other Dependent Countries and Territories. (UNHCR/RefWorld database)
Attachment
United Nations. Economic and Social Council, Commission on Human Rights. 23 February 1994. (E/CN.4/1994/58). Excerpt from Question of the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Any Part of the World, with Particular Reference to Colonial and Other Dependent Countries and Territories. (UNHCR/RefWorld database)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report 1995. Yearly.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly. 1994, 1995
The Emigration of Christians from the Middle East. The Middle East Council of Churches. 1994/
Human Rights in Iraq. Middle East Watch. 1990
Human Rights Watch World Report 1995. Yearly.
News From Middle East Watch. 1993-1995.
UNHCR RefWorld database. 1996.
