Damascus neighborhood a refuge for thousands of Iraqi Christians

Published: 2004-10-27

DAMASCUS, Syria (CNS) -- The dusty streets of the Kashkol neighborhood in Damascus are filled with running children, hand-strung electrical wires and sad stories of flight from Iraq. The rows of illegally constructed cinder-block apartment buildings are home to thousands of Iraqis who have poured into Damascus over the last 18 months, often carrying only what they could fit in the family car. The number of Christians in Kashkol is increasing, as new arrivals from traditionally Christian areas of northern Iraq tell of threats, kidnappings, beatings, bombings and killings by extremist Muslim groups. "Those who come now say it's getting worse day by day. Christians cannot go out to work, to shop or to pray without risking their lives," said one Iraqi man. On a recent October evening, families sat on plastic chairs in the darkened street and spoke quietly of their experiences. There are no street lights, because the Syrian government has not approved utilities for the unauthorized residential zone.

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