Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Congressman Cardoza’s letter comes on the heels of a meeting with His Beatitude Mar Emmanuel III Delly, the Chaldean Assyrian Catholic Patriarch. 

California’s San Joaquin Valley is home to one of the largest concentrations of Assyrian-Americans in the U.S.  In his letter, Congressman Cardoza echoed concerns expressed by many of his constituents:

 “Many of my constituents have expressed concern that the new constitution will subject Iraqis of all religious and cultural backgrounds to strict Islamic law. American men and women of diverse religious backgrounds have fought and died to bring liberty to the people of Iraq. It is unacceptable, therefore, to see the rights of Iraq’s 800,000 Christians undermined by the new constitution. The United States must act now to guarantee that the rights of Iraq’s women and Christians are not pushed aside in the constitutional process.

“I strongly urge you to use all diplomatic means at your disposal to ensure that the new Iraqi government respects the rights of all Iraqis, regardless of sex or religious affiliation.”