Paris: Four French-based Christians of the Middle East, an NGO, went missing in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The organization’s chairman Benjamin Blanchard said in a press conference in Paris on Friday that members of the organization had been informed of the ban. Of the missing, three are of French origin and one is of Iraqi origin. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident. After the Islamic State militants took over Mosul in 2014, the organization has been working for Christians who have been victims of Islamic State violence.
Christianity of the Middle East was active in the Kurdish capital city of Irbil. Members of the missing organization arrived in Baghdad for visa renewal and other registration procedures. These members of the organization had planned to start a school in the city. French and Iraqi authorities have begun the search, Benjamin Blanchard said at a press conference. He went on to say that those who have had many years of experience working for the organization are missing.
But Benjamin Blanchard declined to reveal the names and details of the missing. Christianity of the Middle East is also present in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. The main mission of the organization is to help Christians stay in West Asia. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Christian population in Iraq, which was about 13 million, is now two and a half million.
