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Christian Iraqis mourn lives lost in Iraq church bombings

Posted by Tiglath (Guest) davidchibo@hotmail.com - Thursday, September 2 2004, 16:49:45 (CEST) from Australia - Windows XP - Internet Explorer Website: Website title:

Christian Iraqis mourn lives lost in Iraq church bombings By Lori Arnold CHRISTIAN EXAMINER EL CAJON, Calif. — After years of brutal unrest in their homeland, the Christian Chaldean population was rocked again Aug. 1 when 11 Iraqi citizens were killed during five orchestrated attacks on Christian churches in Mosul and Baghdad. Dozens were wounded. In response, nearly 100 people attended a memorial meeting Aug. 4 at the Chaldean American Association center, north of the city’s downtown. El Cajon, Calif. is home to the second largest Chaldean community in the nation, behind Detroit. The observance opened with prayers recited by a visiting priest and several deacons. The acapella chants of mourning, offered in the Chaldean language, eventually gave rise to impassioned condemnations of the civilian attacks. “The land is now filled with terrorists, criminals, guns and havoc,” interpreter Sami Banarji quoted Hanna Qalabat as saying. “The land where law was first established has become a land of lawlessness.” Qalabat, who asked for mercy for the “martyrs who died in the churches,” said despite the bloodshed, their resolve for a free Iraq should remain strong. “We’ve got to continue to fight these gangsters, no matter what happens,” he said. A few minutes into the event, with the arrival of several contingents of Muslims—there to show solidarity through their own calls for peace—the conversation switched to Arabic. Alan Zangana, program director for Kurdish Human Rights Watch, said that any attack on a place of worship is condemned by all. “The ones that executed these people, they say they are Muslims, but the Muslims disown them,” he said. In a news release issued there, Zangana said that his group “condemns any evil act committed toward innocent civilians. Citizens of Iraq view Chaldeans, Assyrians and Armenians as brothers and sisters and respect one another’s worship places and these criminal acts are not accepted by all Iraqis from all different faiths.” The perpetrators of such attacks, he said, should be “punished and brought to justice.” A call for unity Sheikh Saeed, from Al-Madina Al-Munawara Mosque in El Cajon, offered his own prayers of peace for the dead and recuperation for the injured. “The Iraqi people are all united, regardless of ethnicity or religion,” he said. “We are only one family. There is no animosity, no hostility. All parties are trying to live in peace, but these criminals are trying to divide that unity.” His statement also contained a stern warning for the terrorists. “The more you execute these activities the more we’re going to stand united,” he said, challenging the terrorists to cite the passage in the Koran that commands use such measures. “Where were you criminals when Saddam Hussein was killing or terrorizing the people?” Fears fulfilled The church bombings underscored fears long held by Iraqi Christians, whose numbers are estimated at 750,000. With the country’s new government still in its infancy, missionary and evangelism groups are keeping a careful eye on the situation. Many Christians, Open Doors officials said, are feeling increased persecution from Muslims who view Christians as American sympathizers. Even before the church bombings, Christian businesses were being targeted for attacks, including liquor stores and fashion and beauty shops. As a result, Open Doors USA has ceased all training sessions scheduled in that country, although materials targeting teens and children are still being supplied. A new education center is to help church leaders get together, while offering English and computer classes. A mobile medical clinic is also being organized in one extremely dangerous Iraqi city. In the days before the change of power, Open Doors issued an alert asking Western Christians to pray for a peaceful transition. “Pray for the violence to come to an end and that the transition of power will be smooth,” said Dr. Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors USA. “Pray that Iraqi Christians and other Christians working and serving in Iraq will be kept safe. And pray that Christians will be allowed to worship our Lord in freedom as a new government is formed later this year.” Fleeing Iraq Still, many Iraqi Christians, fearful of imminent attacks and uneasy about the government’s ability to protect them, have fled to neighboring Jordan and Syria. Wissam Sagman, an Iraqi Christian living in his native country, told reporters that he had already attempted unsuccessfully to leave the country, fearing his family would not be safe. The attacks confirmed his fears, he said standing in his living room, wrecked from a car bomb attack on an Armenian church across the street. “These people, they love blood. They hate humanity. They hate us,” Sagman told Associated Press. “They want all the Christians to leave.” Sagman said he will continue his quest to leave the country. “I feel despair now,” he said. “Only despair.” Looking forward Despite the fear and unrest in the Middle East, Dr. Labib Sultan, of the locally based Organization for Civil Society in Iraq, speaking at the El Cajon memorial event, stressed his longing for a peaceful Iraq. “We hope that we have a good solid future tomorrow for Iraq to build new rights, the rights and the freedom to work, the freedom of prayer, the freedom of speech. We have been dependent on all these rights for years and years,” Sultan said, according to the translator. “The same guns that attacked the Christians, attacked the Muslims and they attacked the Kurds up north and Muslims in the south. They claim they are Muslims. They are followers of Saddam. The only thing is the time and place is different.” While much of the local discussion focused on verbal condemnation, one speaker encouraged action. Words alone, Saleem Ibrahim of the American Middle-Easter Christian Association said, will not bring lasting peace. “Be ambassadors of peace,” he said. “When things are tough, things get solved. So the time is right for things to be solved. Do positive actions, it’s not enough to just come and talk. Terrorism will not go away unless we plan and think and educate people.” For Banarji, the translator, he said the presence of Muslims at the meeting was a sign of hope. “They said condolences and condemned the whole thing,” Banarji said. Published by Keener Communications Group, September 2004 --------------------- - BACK TO INDEX - REPLY - QUOTE - EDIT - DELETE -

The full topic: Christian Iraqis mourn lives lost in Iraq church bombings Tiglath - Thursday, September 2 2004, 16:49:45 (CEST) Re: Christian Iraqis mourn lives lost in Iraq church bombings parhad - 09/02 20:48

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