As the Iraqi national election approaches, terrorist insurgents and Kurdish paramilitary groups continue to target the ChaldoAssyrian Christian minority, trying to prevent them from freely participating in the vote, according to a human rights group.

"These Christians have endured suicide bombings at their churches, acid thrown on women for not wearing the hijab, kidnappings for profit and the murder of store owners," says Washington, D.C.-based International Christian Concern.

ICC says that in addition, the Kurdish authority has withheld crucial funding and has been linked to paramilitary groups targeting the ChaldoAssyrian villages in the Assyrian Administrative Region east of Mosul.

Out of $20 billion designated and distributed to rebuild Iraq, the Kurdish administrators have released no money for reconstruction in ChaldoAssyrian areas, the group said.

Leading up to the election, the Assyrian town of Bakhdeda has come under attack from groups linked to Masoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party, or KDP.

The KDP militia threatened Christians in the area and has attempted to coerce them from participating freely in the upcoming election, offering armed protection if they would transfer their support from ChaldoAssyrian political parties to the KDP, according to ICC.

An Assyrian villager spoke to the Assyrian International News Agency about the KDP.

"These thieves actually flaunt their close ties to the U.S. military as if to say 'there's nothing you can do to stop us,'" the villager said.

ICC said it is calling on the Kurdish Authority and Iraqi government to provide necessary security and support.

Tens of thousands of Christians already have fled the country.

AsiaNews reported that despite attacks threatening voters, the Chaldean bishop of Kirkuk is encouraging Christians to participate in the voting as a national and religious duty.

Bishop Louis Sako told the news agency he's been telling parishioners during services to go out and vote.

He regards the elections Sunday as "something immense and new" as Iraqis for the first time "freely choose their leaders."

Leaders of various churches in Kirkuk issued a joint statement saying, "Voting is a national and religious duty that contributes to the birth of a new Iraq, for everyone: an Iraq which is able to develop in vitality."

Sako said Christians have an important role in the elections.

"We told people to go and vote because even if the situation is not perfect, the elections are an important step toward democracy and freedom," he said. "The elections are the right path for a society capable of progress. There are Christian parties running for both provincial elections and the National Assembly. Christian politicians are also part of other parties, for example Kurdish ones."

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