Christians in Iraq are getting a pretty raw deal. Here's the body of an email I sent to my MP. You may like to send a similar email to your MP. A journalist recently organised a protest at the White House and the situation has been reported in Christianity Today.

I am very concerned about the severe suffering of Christians in Iraq and I urge you to press for the creation of a self-governing province in Northern Iraq for ChaldoAssyrians, who make up at least 95% of Iraq's Christians.

In recent months there has been a shocking increase in violent attacks on Iraqi Christians. Kidnappings, especially of children, are a particular problem. Apparently, kidnappers mistakenly assume that Christians are wealthier than others or can obtain money from relatives in other countries. For example, in October 2006, a toddler was kidnapped in Baghdad and since the child's mother could not pay the ransom, the toddler was returned to her beheaded, roasted, and placed on a mound of rice. Also in October a prominent ChaldoAssyrian priest, Father Iskander, was beheaded and dismembered soon after his family had paid the ransom. On 11 October, AsiaNews reported an unoffical estimate of 12 young Christian women and girls abducted in the previous two weeks. Rape is a serious problem for kidnapped women as the shame of being raped in Middle Eastern culture is far greater than in the West. For example, an abducted girl who had been gang-raped by nine men felt so ashamed that she asked her family not to pay the ransom. They did pay, but on her return home, the girl took an overdose and died.

In addition to kidnappings, Islamic militants are attacking Christians in order to force their conversion to Islam, drive them out of Iraq, or kill them. For example, the Assyrian news agency also reported in October the beheading of a 14 year old Christian boy, Ayad Tariq, by Islamic militants. Also, insurgents are more likely to attach Christians because they assume they are in league with the so-called "Christian" Coalition forces.

A further source of attacks is the Kurdish militia, working for the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), which is trying to appropriate ChaldoAssyrian property and incorporate historically ChaldoAssyrian land into Kurdistan. In October a Kurdish militia group attacked Ashur TV's headquarters in Nineveh. This was one of a series of similar attacks by the KDP militia on Ashur TV, which represents the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM), in the predominantly ChaldoAssyrian Christian area of the Nineveh Plains.

Thousands of Christians are fleeing from Iraq to neighbouring countries. UNHCR has reported that 40% of Iraqi refugees are Christians in spite of the fact that less than 3% of Iraqis are Christians. Although most Iraqi groups are experiencing violence, the Christians, unlike the Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds, are in danger of being completely driven out of Iraq. This would bring to an end an ancient, indigenous community and also one which is a strong force for religious moderation in Iraq, something the country surely needs for a stable future.

The ADM has repeatedly called ror the ChaldoAssyrians in Northern Iraq to be granted their own self-governing province. This province would provide a much-needed refuge for Iraq's Christians and would encourage the Christian refugees in other countries to return to Iraq. The ADM has consistently received more votes from Iraqi Christians than any other political party which indicates the widespread support for a self-governing province among Iraq's Christians.

So, I urge you to write to the Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for Iraq, Dr Kim Howells MP, asking that the Foreign Office do everything in its power to press for the creation of a self-governing province in Northern Iraq for the ChaldoAssyrians, located in the Nineveh Plains and including the Al-Shikhan and Al-Handaniya Districts. This will provide an essential refuge for Iraqi Christians and will also separate the ChaldoAssyrians from Kurdish control and oppression thus decreasing the risk of a violent, all-out conflict between the Kurds and ChaldoAssyrians.

Thank you for taking the time to read this rather long email. I look forward to your response.