Scottish Catholic Observer

A refugee who has been denied UK asylum after fleeing the horrors of Islamic State has called on Scots to support those trying to escape anti-Christian terror.

Sarmad Ozan (below, right), a 20-year-old Iraqi , spoke to hundreds of young Catholics from across Scotland at a June 16 rally in Carfin Grotto organised by pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Mr Ozan was forced to leave his home in the city of Mosul in 2014.

He told schoolchildren braving the rain in the Lourdes Grotto about how he woke up one morning to find the letter ‘n’ marked above his door. The marking stands for Nazareans and is used by ISIS to signify the houses of Christians. His home city was taken over by ISIS in one day after the Iraqi army fled, and the Christians were given an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a high tax and live under the hate-filled rule of the Islamic State, or leave their city, homes and belongings, which now ‘belonged to ISIS.’

As churches in the city were bombed or turned into mosques and jails, Mr Ozan left his home. His family were stopped at a checkpoint, where Christians were identified and stripped of their belongings. Mr Ozan told the SCO how he witnessed one woman, who refused to give up a ring, have her finger cut off by the militants. The Christians were taken out of their cars and forced to walk 30 miles in the heat with no water to the city of Erbil.

“They were holding swords,” he said. “If you didn’t give them what they wanted they would hit you. They could kill or do whatever they wanted.”

Mr Ozan, a former engineering student, came to the UK to study, with his scholarship funded by the Iraqi government. However, his funding was later cut and he was denied asylum in the UK, with an appeal currently pending. Though ISIS still control Mosul, he has been told he should travel to other parts of Iraq.

“I don’t have a home or anywhere to go in Iraq: where can I go?” he said and asked the people of Scotland to help those suffering persecution and violence for practicing their faith. “You can help by helping the refugees,” he said. “You can help the people of Iraq.”

Pope’s message

The rally (above, right) was organised for the second year running by ACN. Pope Francis sent a message of spiritual closeness to those taking part and placed them under the protection of Our Lady of Lourdes. A message of support from the Scottish Government was also sent, and MP and former SCIAF worker Patrick Grady attended.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley began the rally by telling the young people sitting in the wet and rain that it was no bad thing they were feeling some discomfort, as they were there to stand in solidarity with young people like them who are being bullied and persecuted by fanatics. “They don’t care who they victimise… whether its people of Christian faith, or any faith or no faith it doesn’t matter to these fanatics; you have to believe what they believe or they’ll blow up your home and make your family disappear.

“You’re here today to say enough is enough, to say there is a different way, a way of compassion and tolerance… let’s walk a new way of peace, reconciliation and love.”

The young people heard stories on the day about children killed by ISIS, girls in Nigeria forced into marriage by Boko Haram and about a kidnapped and tortured priest. Ellie and Mia, S3 pupils at St Peter the Apostle High School in Clydebank, said they decided to attend the rally after hearing about children like them being killed for their faith, and said they hoped to donate money and no longer take their faith for granted.

Divided country

The numbers of Christians in Iraq has fallen from 1.5 million before the 2003 UK/US invasion of the country to less than 300,000 today. Mr Ozan said everything changed after the invasion. “Before that we didn’t have the difference between people and minorities—it was everyone all together—but after 2003 even the Muslims are killing each other with the [sectarian divide],” he said. “Now Islamic State kill Christians, the Yazidis, the situation is getting worse and worse.”

The Iraqi said he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he gets sent back to the divided country. “But what can you do?” he asked.

ACN are calling on young people in Scotland who wish to help persecuted people to volunteer with the charity. Anyone interested can tweet @ACN_Scotland or contact the Motherwell office on 01698 337 470

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—This story ran in full in the June 24 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.