Update June 5th: I see that Friends of Refugees blog has more on this story, here.
The Detroit Free Press reports:
With growing concern about the plight of Christians in their native land, local Iraqi Americans met this week with the highest-ranking State Department official in charge of Iraq policy when he made a three-day stop in Detroit.
But Michael Corbin, deputy assistant secretary of State for Iraq in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, faced an angry crowd that shouted him down during one of his meetings with Chaldeans, illustrating the frustrations many have about the perceived erosion of Christianity in Iraq and Chaldean refugees facing deportation.
Some Chaldeans approached the stage, forcing Corbin to quickly leave a Troy center Tuesday night and prompting a police response.
Later, someone from the Free Press spoke to Corbin.
QUESTION: Some local Iraqi Chaldeans say the U.S.-led invasion has caused the erosion of Christianity in Iraq. How can they be helped? ANSWER: We’ve acknowledged that mistakes were made after the invasion of Iraq. But … the Iraqi government has committed to protect churches, protect religious observances, festivals, religious holidays. This is important. These communities are vulnerable. They don’t have militias.
To the reporter: It’s not a little quirk of Chaldeans to claim that Christianity in Iraq isn’t doing so well; it’s a widely known fact, one that the Michigan Chaldeans might know a lot about. To Michael Corbin: So what is our government is doing to protect Christians? Not much, huh?