Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - In Iraq violence against Christians continues. The local Church reported that after the murder of Fr Ganni and his three assistants in Mosul, in Baghdad a Chaldean Catholic priest Fr. Hani Abdul Ahad and five young Catholic men were taken hostage.
The Chaldean Bishops and other Christian leaders in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East have denounced violence on Christians in Iraq, and appealed to Iraqi civil authorities and the international community to intervene.
Caritas Internationalis, holding its general assembly in the Vatican, discussed the dramatic situation of Iraqi refugees, “and the exodus continues”, said Wael Suleiman, Caritas Internationalis executive director in Jordan, a country which has offered shelter to 800,000 Iraqi refugees including about 10% Christians. “Today Iraqi Christians are a tiny minority subject to daily threats and danger. Christians are persecuted by Sunni and Shiite Muslims alike. Only a few families are left in what were once whole Christian districts. They are afraid to leave the house to visit relations because when they return they may find the house occupied by Muslims. Life for Christians in Iraq is impossible”, said Suleiman, describing a community sorely tried, forced to flee which feels abandoned.
A loud voice to defend Iraqi Christians was raised by Aid to the Church in Need association whose chairman Hans-Peter Röthlin has called for prayers and concrete solidarity. “it is our duty to help Iraqi Christians because we share the same faith. And they are suffering precisely because they refuse to give up their Christian faith ”.
Iraqi Christians are one of most ancient components of the population and they have always lived side by side with Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, and they have contributed to the civilisation of Iraq. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/6/2007 righe 26 parole 267)
