France said on Monday it was ready
to welcome Christians from northern Iraq who have
been told by the al Qaeda offshoot group now ruling
the region to either convert to Islam, pay a religious
levy or face death.
Islamic State insurgents seized large swathes of
northern Iraq last month, prompting hundreds of
Christian families in Mosul to flee a city which has
hosted the faith since its earliest years.
"We are providing aid to displaced people fleeing from
the threats of Islamic Sate and who have sought
refuge in Kurdistan. We are ready, if they wish, to
facilitate their asylum on our soil," France's foreign
and interior ministers said in a joint statement.
"We are in constant contact with local and national
authorities to ensure everything is done to protect
them."http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0FX11B20140728?irpc=932