Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Pritzker again ignores needs of Arab businesses in latest appointments Activism
  • Arab American Democratic Club (AADC) official candidate endorsements for the November 8, 2022 General elections.
    Arab American Democratic Club issues endorsements for Nov. 8, 2022 Cook County Illinois elections Activism
  • Arab Democrats urge NO VOTE on Gov. J.B. Pritzker re-election bid Activism
  • Assyrian American GOP issues endorsements in Nov, 8, 2022 elections
    Assyrian American GOP group endorses candidates in Illinois Activism
  • Abdullah Hammoud, elected Mayor of Dearborn Nov. 2, 2021. Photo courtesy of Abdullah Hammoud Facebook Page
    AHRC’s 2022 Spirit of Humanity Gala a Great Success American Arabs
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts Arab World
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols to be feted by supporters at fundraiser Saturday Oct. 22 Activism
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri Activism
The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (American FRRME) helping Christians in Iraq

New report on Christians in Iraq shows desperate situation and needs

Posted on June 20, 2022June 20, 2022 By rayhanania No Comments on New report on Christians in Iraq shows desperate situation and needs
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

New report on Christians in Iraq shows desperate situation and needs

The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (American FRRME) published its 2020/21 Impact Report on Monday June 20, 2022 on supporting the ongoing needs of Iraqis – primarily Christian Iraqis – who fled Iraq and Kurdistan during the ISIS insurgency in 2014.

Many fled to neighboring countries including Jordan, where according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) close to 67,000 remain living as refugees.

Click here for more information on the American FRRME.

Susan Greer, Executive Director at American FRRME says that Christianity is in crisis in the Middle East, noting that “Iraq remains plagued by conflict and sectarian violence and many Christians are seriously affected by intolerance and persecution in the Middle East.

The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (American FRRME) helping Christians in Iraq
The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (American FRRME) helping Christians in Iraq

This is a region previously home to some of the oldest practicing bodies of Christians in the world initially evangelized by the Apostle Thomas.”

It is reported that Iraq’s Christian population has dwindled considerably due to conflict and terrorism. More than 80% have fled the country since 2003 and just an estimated 150,000 remain, down from 1.5 million a century ago. Today Christians make up just 0.4% of the country’s 42.6 million population.

American FRRME provides relief, comfort and aid to the displaced and marginalized persons of the Middle East, seeking to rebuild families and communities through programs that include humanitarian aid, education and job skills.

The organization supports the needs of Iraqi refugees in Jordan, displaced Iraqis in Iraq and Baghdad and Iraqi Christians who remained in Kurdistan and northern Iraq.

In Jordan, through their Olive Tree Center and in partnership with four churches based in Jordan, American FRRME is supporting around 6,000 Iraqi refugees.

“These people were given three choices by ISIS,” continues Greer, “to convert to Islam, be killed, or leave immediately without packing. Thousands left on foot, with children and babies, the clothes on their backs and whatever they could carry.”

American FRRME also supports those displaced within Iraq, many of whom remain living in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps in Baghdad and northern Iraq. Through their partnership with St George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad, the organization helps fund ongoing relief aid, a K5 school and the St. George’s Medical Clinic, offering free dental procedures.

For those who remained on the Nineveh Plain, the organization has funded the establishment of small business enterprises such as greenhouses, farms, bakeries and traditional industries such as olive oil production.

“We initially responded to the humanitarian crisis brought on by the ISIS invasion,” said Greer. “Since then, we have tailored our mission in response to countless conversations with the refugees we support. Many expressed losing hope for the future, unable to work due to their refugee status in Jordan, or without the financial means to rebuild their homes and businesses in Iraq and Kurdistan.”

“In Jordan, Iraqi refugees are not permitted to work, so they have no choice but to rely on aid from local churches and organizations like American FRRME. Life in Jordan is very hard and from the outset, we understood how important it was to this community to have somewhere they could gather together as Iraqis and celebrate their culture, traditions and faith,” says Greer.

In 2019, the organization opened the Olive Tree Center in Madaba, Jordan where they provide art and music therapy programs, education programs including English language classes for children and adults, cosmetology and sewing classes and a garden which provides refugees and the community with fresh vegetables. In 2021, in collaboration with the refugees, they built a woodworking shop and a mosaic making workshop.

“The refugees we support are in dire need of healing from the trauma they experienced and are desperate for a chance to rebuild their lives and regain a sense of purpose,” said Greer. “These activities provide therapeutic benefits to children and adults and give refugee women and men the chance to hone their skills, learn new skills and make practical furniture items.”

The Report also highlights the education crisis faced by Iraqi refugee children. Globally, 91% of children attend elementary school, whereas only 63% of refugee children have this opportunity; of that 63%, only 24% attend high school. According to UNHCR, there are around 18,000 school-aged Iraq refugee children in Jordan who face myriad barriers to going to school.

“Education is highly regarded within the Iraqi community,” says Greer. “Trauma and years of displacement as a result of war and persecution has disrupted these children’s education. In addition, those living as refugees in Jordan are not afforded the same rights as Jordanians so access to education is not equitable. The majority of the schools are for those of the Muslim faith, which for Christian children brings its own challenges. Many Iraqi children are missing out on attending school with a regular schedule. They begin to lose the opportunity to gain any meaningful qualifications. They really are stuck.”

In March this year, the organization launched a scholarship fund to help refugees in Jordan gain an education. The General David E. Greer Scholarship Fund was established in memory of former American FRRME Executive Director Brigadier General David E. Greer who lost his life to a tragic accident in 2020.

“Through the work of American FRRME, I have met many Iraqi families living as refugees in Jordan,” says Greer. “I am constantly impacted by the effects of displacement on the children. A few months ago I met a teenage girl who desperately wanted to progress beyond eighth grade and become a teacher. Sadly, her family cannot afford to send her on to the local Christian school to complete her education.”

“It’s young people like this who we want to help through the General David E. Greer Scholarship Fund.”

According to their 2020/2021 Impact Report, American FRRME enabled 400 refugee children to attend various education classes in Jordan, distributed 29,424 food packages to Iraqi refugees in Jordan, funded 1,500-2,000 medical treatments at St George’s Medical Clinic in Baghdad and invested $90,155 in development projects in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.

Full impact figures can be found in the enclosed 2020/21 Impact Report. 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States - January 19, 2023
  • Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 - January 18, 2023
  • CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd - January 12, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab World, Christian & Muslim, Civil Rights, Iraq, Middle East, News, refugees Tags:American FRRME, Chaldeans, Christians, Christians in Iraq, Iraq, Iraqi Christians, Iraqis, The American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East

Post navigation

Previous Post: AHRC Observes World Refugee Day
Next Post: Pritzker makes more appointments, none are Arab American

Related Posts

  • Taybeh Christian Palestinians celebrate: Receiving the Holy Fire Once Again Arab World
  • Weeping Icon, Miraculous Lady of Cicero, St. George Church, Cicero, Illinois
    St. George Church celebrates 25th Anniversary of Weeping Icon miracle Christian & Muslim
  • Christian religious presence imposes itself in Jerusalem despite pressures from all sides. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    يجب على العرب أن يوقفوا التواصل بإسرائيل حتى تعترف بفلسطين Arab News
  • Ilhan Omar Becomes First Somali Arab-American To Win Minnesota Congressional Primary
    This Land is Your Land: God Blessed America for Me American Arabs
  • Arab Radio Detroit promo with Host Atef Gawad and guests on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Arab Radio: The Mideast and the Russia-Ukraine Crisis American Arabs
  • Sprint’s Automated Voicemail Hell system Editors Picks

More Related Articles

Analysis: Palestinian leadership not immune to change Arab World
Jordan government, King criticized for mishandling Israeli killing of unarmed Judge Ali Younes
Palestinian Israeli Knesset Member Basel Ghattas (Jitas), targeted in racist attack by Israeli extremists Apartheid Israel seeks to expel non-Jewish Knesset member Arab World
Algiers’ Scoop du Jour Abdennour Toumi
Palestinian refugees forced to flee their homes at gunpoint by Jewish terrorist groups operating in Palestine in the 1930s, 1940s and after Israel was created on May 14, 1948. Photo courtesy of the United Nations Unresolved status of Palestinian rights makes UNRWA essential Arab World
Constructing a Nation’s Memory: Cinema of Michel Khleifi Arab World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    To what extent is Hezbollah responsible for the current crisis in Lebanon?
    January 17, 2023
  • Image from Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's "A Compendium of Chronicles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
    Why allow religious extremists to re-define Islam in the West?
    January 10, 2023
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    This Thanksgiving, let’s use our Blessings for good
    November 23, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022
    January 4, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri
    October 19, 2022

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme