CPTnet
5 October 2005

IRAQ: Christian and Muslim Peacemaker Teams accompany Palestinians currently
stranded at Syrian border

by Bob Holmes

At 7:00 a.m., the morning of 4 October, a busload of twenty Palestinian
refugees from Baghdad departed for the Syrian border. The families included
seven children ages one to thirteen, five women (one a
seventy-seven-year-old grandmother) and eight men, two of whom are disabled.
Three members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and one member of the
Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) are accompanying the Palestinians on their
journey--which has stalled at the Syria/Iraq border.

Why Syria? One of the refugees said, "Syria is the only window open for us
right now. Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran are all closed for
us." The Palestinians came to Iraq following the expulsions from
Israel/Palestine in 1948 and 1967. There are 23,000 Palestinians living in
Iraq, most of them second generation. They are unable to obtain Iraqi
citizenship or passports and have no voting rights. With no freedom to
travel or own property they suffer from overcrowded living conditions and
high unemployment. Since the fall of the former regime, the Palestinian
community in Baghdad suffers harassment by government officials, false
accusations in the media, detention and torture by Iraqi police and army,
and lately kidnaping by the criminal element active in the city.

"By our action we want to make the U.N. aware of our situation and to be
registered as refugees with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestinian Refugees in the Near Middle East) which provides assistance
to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza and other Arab nations but
not in Iraq," said one of the refugees. "We deserve our human rights and
want to be treated justly and live as other humans live, not subjected to
constant harassment."

The families are currently camping between the Iraqi and Syrian border at
the Al Waleed border crossing, because Syria has refused them entry. Eight
of the Palestinians have travel documents while the rest have only the
identification cards that show them as Palestinian residents in Iraq.

When asked before leaving what they will do if refused entry into Syria, one
Palestinian man replied, "We will shout loud to make the United Nations
aware of our situation." The group notified U.N. Offices in Iraq and
Syria. The UN agreed to do what they could, but made no promises. A group
from Syria brought blankets and food to them last night and helped negotiate
with officials to allow the Palestinians to stay where they are for the time
being.

For further information and updates contact the Christian Peacemaker Team in
Iraq by phone or e mail.

In Baghdad: Tel: 07901-339537 (in Iraq) 011-964 790-133-9537 (from
US/Canada); e-mail: guest.769927@MennoLink.org