By Christine Lagorio | CBS Evening News | January 2, 2007
Born in Baghdad, Rita Oisha left her family in Iraq to study in Chicago. Her story reflects the broader reality faced by Iraqi Christians navigating displacement, violence, and uncertainty.
“Mesopotamia is a cradle of civilization — today, it has become a cradle of death.”
— Robert DeKelaita
“I cried actually. I cried a lot,” Oisha told CBS News.
She believed she could always rely on her faith and her father — until violence intervened.
Communities on Chicago’s North Side, where Aramaic is still spoken in churches, remain deeply connected to events in Iraq.
Families regularly gather not only in worship, but in concern for loved ones facing danger abroad.
Robert DeKelaita, an immigration attorney, has worked extensively with Iraqi Christian clients seeking refuge.
“They are targeted because of their religion, their culture, and their perceived association with the West,” he explained.
Oisha’s family became part of that reality when her brother was threatened and her father was ultimately killed.
Her remaining family members now reside in Syria, awaiting the possibility of resettlement.
Oisha’s goal is clear: reunite her family and fulfill her father’s wish that she become a doctor.
“I will,” she said.