The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum

=> Church Bombings Outrage Iraqis of All Faiths

Church Bombings Outrage Iraqis of All Faiths

Posted by Jeff (Guest) jeff@attoz.com - Tuesday, August 3 2004, 8:04:10 (CEST) from Commercial - Windows XP - Internet Explorer Website: Website title:

Church Bombings Outrage Iraqis of All Faiths *** I know that the news is and can be propaganda, but look at the sentiment expressed...most of it seems valid... Iraqis, Christians and Muslims, brothers and sisters...without distinctions. Dead children are dead children. ------------------------------------------------ Neighbors Express a Sense of Collective Injury By Pamela Constable Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, August 3, 2004; Page A01 BAGHDAD, Aug. 2 -- Two teenage sisters picked disconsolately through the wreckage of their bedroom Monday: Barbie dolls, movie magazines and a jumble of lingerie half-buried in the dust and debris from a car bomb that had exploded in the street below their window Sunday evening. "What am I going to wear now?" wailed Rana, 16, lifting a ruined blouse from her bed and letting it drop. In the parlor downstairs, the girls' father, Majid Shammari, shook his head in anger. It was not the damage to his stately home that outraged him, said the graying Muslim engineer. It was the terrorists' cynical targeting of the Assyrian church next door, a community he said he had always been proud to know as a neighbor and friend. "From the time of my birth, there has never been a question of whether you are Christian or Muslim," Shammari said, sweeping up shards of glass from a shattered fish tank. "We rent our upstairs to a Christian family, we share food with each other. The bonds between all of us are very strong. What cowards are these terrorists to hurt the innocent, to try and break those bonds? If that is their aim, I swear they will never, never succeed." Shammari's determination was echoed by other residents who live near Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad's Karrada district. It was one of four Baghdad churches attacked in coordinated car bombings Sunday, including an Armenian church a few blocks away. A fifth church was bombed in the northern city of Mosul. U.S. military officials said at least 11 people were killed and 47 wounded. The neighborhood is home to a diverse mix of Christian Arabs and Muslim Kurds, and Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Many have lived for years near the sand-colored stone church, built in 1961, that rises to a soaring double arch around an abstract cross. Above the wooden doors, an Arabic inscription reads, "Glory to God in heaven, and on Earth, peace." A day after the bombing, neighbors of all faiths came out to inspect the tableau of charred vehicles, dangling power cables and sprays of broken glass surrounding a deep crater in the road between the church and Shammari's house. Many people peered through the locked church gates, and some paused to say a prayer. Although the bomb was clearly aimed at the church and its congregation, a dozen houses and apartments nearby were damaged in the blast, and Muslims at home or in the street were wounded by the same shrapnel and flying glass that bloodied the fleeing worshipers, adding to a sense of collective victimization. "We helped protect this church from looters during the war. It is a house of God, just like a mosque," said Khadima Wadi, 54, a Shiite woman who lives with nine relatives in a one-room house behind the church. The blast broke all the windows in her house and blew off part of the roof. "We slaughtered a sheep to the Virgin Mary and prayed for our sons to be safe during the war," Wadi said. "Now we ask her to take revenge on these criminals." Christians in the neighborhood emphasized that they had never felt any threat from Iraqi Muslims, and that the atmosphere in the community had been peaceful until Sunday's attacks. Some made a point of visiting their Muslim neighbors whose houses had been damaged, and the Rev. Rafael Kotaimi, the priest at Lady of Salvation, paid a personal call on the Shammari house. Maryam and Sarah, two sisters who live across the street from Lady of Salvation and did not want to give their surname, were attending evening Mass when the bomb exploded outside. Within seconds, they said, the crowded sanctuary became a black, smoke-filled pit, filled with panicked screams and showered with deadly window glass. "We've been going to that church for 17 years and nothing ever happened. After all, our religion is from ancient times in Babylon," said Sarah, sitting with her parents in an immaculate parlor with a small crucifix by the front door. "But now we are living in fear. We just want to live in peace with our neighbors, but now the terror has touched everything, even churches." Despite most residents' insistence that the bombings would not drive a wedge between Muslims and Christians, there was an edgy, bitter tone to some of their comments. Several also cast blame on the U.S.-led forces who have occupied the country for months, saying they had permitted chaos and lawlessness to flourish. Outside the church, Fadi, 26, a young engineer, stood staring at a wrecked car that had melted into the pavement. Then he looked up angrily. "Before the Americans came, everything was fine," he said. "We all celebrated Easter and Christmas and Eid," a Muslim holiday. "We were out in the streets until midnight. Now there is no army, no police, no security on the borders. They say they brought us freedom, but look what this freedom has brought us." A block away, at the Shammari home, a stream of sober-faced well-wishers picked their way among bloodstained rubble strewn across the front yard. A few feet beyond the collapsed wall, American soldiers impassively guarded the bomb site. The engineer greeted each visitor gratefully, repeating the story of how he had heard the first bomb explode at the Armenian church and was rushing down the street to help when the second bomb went off next to his home. His wife hung back in the shadows, her eyes red and her shirt still bloodstained from carrying a wounded child out of the church. The couple's two daughters came downstairs, dazed and dirt-streaked. They were lugging a plastic sack full of stuffed animals and singed clothing salvaged from their room. "I guess we'll have to tear down the house and build another one," the father said matter-of-factly, gesturing at the devastation around him. The teenagers glanced at each other and burst into tears. ------------------------------------------------ NYTIMES.COM RELIGIOUS COEXISTENCE Leading Muslim Clerics in Iraq Condemn Bombing of Churches By IAN FISHER Published: August 3, 2004 AGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 2 - Top Muslim clerics and political leaders united Monday behind Iraq's Christians, condemning the coordinated bomb attacks on five churches the day before as a dangerous escalation of the war and an assault on centuries of coexistence between Christians and Muslims here. Still, some Christians, who make up less than 5 percent of the nation's 25 million people, said they feared that the attacks were a frightening signal of a rise of fundamentalist Islam - and that the day might come when they were no longer welcome in Iraq. At least 10 people were killed in the bombings, timed as Christians gathered in churches for Sunday evening Mass. "What else do they want?" asked a Christian woman, who gave her name as Um Khalid, 56, who runs a food shop down the street from an Assyrian Christian church in Baghdad, where twisted and blackened cars still stood from the explosion the night before. "They want us out of here." Iraqi officials lay blame for the attacks on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian militant with ties to Al Qaeda. But his group, Tawhid and Jihad, did not claim responsibility for the attacks, as has been its practice for others. The group did release two videotapes on Monday: one showing what appeared to be a Turkish hostage shot to death with three bullets to the head, the other saying it was releasing a Somali truck driver because his employer had agreed to halt operations in Iraq. The Iraqi Christian community, concentrated around Baghdad and the Kurdish-controlled region in and around Mosul, is one of the oldest in the world, tracing its roots back 2,000 years. Most of its members are Assyrians, an independent Christian church, and Chaldeans, Eastern-rite Catholics who recognize papal authority. Though subject to persecution throughout their history, they considered themselves generally well treated under the largely secular rule of Saddam Hussein, and some of them - notably the former deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz - rose to positions of power. Their numbers have dwindled to about 800,000 now and falling, from about one million in 1991, around the time of the Persian Gulf war. The exodus has grown markedly since the fall of the Hussein government last year, with the crumbling of the generally secular atmosphere and the spread of lawlessness. A recent rise in attacks on retail businesses often owned by Christians and considered blasphemous by Islamists - liquor stores, beauty salons and shops selling Western music - has increased the worries. On Monday, leaders from nearly every major Muslim group, Sunni and Shiite alike, spoke out forcefully against the bombings, in what amounted to a call for national unity against what they said were terrorists aimed at pulling the country apart. The most revered Shiite leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, described the bombings as "criminal actions" and called on the new Iraqi government to end such violence. "We confirm the necessity of respecting the right of Christians and other religious minorities and their right to live in their country, Iraq, in security and peace," Ayatollah Sistani, who communicates publicly only on matters he regards as vital, said in a statement. There were similar words from the Muslim Scholars Association, a relatively moderate group of Sunni Muslims which nonetheless has ties to the insurgency here. Even Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric whose militia is thought to be responsible for many of the attacks on liquor stores, condemned the bombings. The American military also strongly condemned the attacks. "These terrorists will attack anyone and anything to create widespread fear and destroy the security and future of Iraq," Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, a military spokesman, said in a statement. Mowaffak al-Rubaie, Iraq's national security adviser, said both the nature of the attacks and evidence collected from the bombing sites pointed firmly to Mr. Zarqawi, possibly working in cooperation with supporters of Mr. Hussein. He said there were direct similarities with earlier bombings believed to have been carried out by Mr. Zarqawi, including the types of explosive and detonators. ------------------------------------------------------------------ www.telegraph.co.uk Iraqi Christians pray for their attackers (Filed: 03/08/2004) Adrian Blomfield in Baghdad finds the newly targeted minority community defiant yet calling for forgiveness With a tear rolling down his cheek, Fr Faris Toma stood amid the wreckage outside his Baghdad church yesterday, and prayed for the bombers who killed 10 of his congregation. An Iraqi woman passes a church bombed yesterday "We cannot understand why or how they could do something like this," he said. "All we can do is ask God to give them forgiveness and grant us peace." As American soldiers picked through the blackened remains of 19 vehicles in the church compound, an elderly man, supported by a young priest, wept quietly. His son was among those killed by the blast as they left after Vespers at the Chaldean Church of St Peter and St Paul, in the capital's Doura district. At least 12 people died in Sunday's attacks on five churches in Baghdad and Mosul - the first time terrorists have openly targeted Iraq's Christian minority since the fall of Saddam Hussein. With Iraq racked by violence, many Christians knew they were likely to become victims of militants at some stage, yet some were taken aback by the co-ordination and brutality of these attacks. Despite the shock, Christians at churches across Baghdad preached a twin message of forgiveness and defiance yesterday. "I am honoured to be a Christian, and to keep a low profile would be to deny my faith," said Tania, a 21-year-old woman, outside an Assyrian church. "I'll be at church as usual next Sunday." The Chaldean Church and its Assyrian offshoot are nearly 2,000 years old. Founded by St Thomas, who famously doubted the resurrection of Jesus, Chaldean Christianity was Mesopotamia's universal religion until the arrival of Islam. Centuries of persecution followed, and today there are only 800,000 Christians left in Iraq - about three per cent of the population. Many of the traditions of the ancient church persist and services are conducted in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, which is still spoken by some Iraqi Christians. "Some of my friends say they will no longer speak Aramaic in public because it identifies us so easily," said Tania. "I am afraid, too, but if you stop speaking your language to save your life, what have you left? They have won." The community survived Saddam's dictatorship relatively unscathed because religious repression was mostly directed at the Islamic Shia majority. Recently, however, there has been a spate of fire bombings of Christian shops selling alcohol and CDs. In a show of support for the Christians, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's senior Shia cleric, called Sunday's bombings "hideous crimes". Iraq's interim government blamed them on foreign Islamist militants led by the al-Qa'eda-linked terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In a statement on an Islamist webite yesterday, a hitherto unknown group, the "Planning and Follow-up Committee in Iraq", claimed responsibility. It said: "Your mujahideen brothers dealt painful blows to the dens of the Crusaders, the dens of evil, corruption, vice and Christianisation." • Masked gunmen shot a blindfolded Turkish contractor three times in the head in a gruesome internet video released yesterday - a warning to Muslim workers to stay out of Iraq. Turkish lorry drivers announced they would stop hauling goods for US forces in the hope of saving two other Turkish hostages. ---------------------------------------------------------- thestar.com.my Frightened Christians try to leave Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Wissam Sagman has already tried unsuccessfully to leave the country, fearing his Christian family would not be safe in the new, chaotic Iraq. Now, after a series of bombings at churches across the country on Sunday, his fear of his neighbors has grown and he plans to redouble his efforts to get out. "These people, they love blood. They hate humanity. They hate us,'' Sagman said, looking around his wrecked living room, damaged from a car bomb attack on an Armenian church across the street. "They want all the Christians to leave.'' The coordinated attacks hit four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens more in the first significant strike on Iraq's minority Christians since the U.S. invasion last year. Iraqi leaders condemned the violence Monday, trying to quell Christian fears they were being routed from the country. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric, called the attacks "hideous crimes.'' Iraq's 750,000 Christians have grown ever anxious at the rise of Islamic fundamentalism since the ouster of Saddam Hussein last year. Hundreds have fled to neighboring Jordan and Syria. Others are waiting to join them. "This is my church! My church!'' Thomas George, 73, cried, shaking his walking stick outside a Syrian Catholic church in Baghdad that was among those targeted Sunday. Muslim neighbors tried to console George and Tarek Kidr, another churchgoer. One, Sadek Rabi, said Muslims and Christians were both facing the same violence. "A Muslim can't go to a mosque and a Christian can't go to church now,'' said 32-year-old Rabi, recalling attacks in recent months on Muslim sites of worship that have killed hundreds. No group claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks. Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh vowed authorities would hunt down those responsible. "The interim government of Iraq is united in condemning all acts of terrorism and is determined to use all available force, both Iraqi and those of multinational forces in Iraq, to pursue and destroy the people who plan and carry out such atrocities,'' Saleh told reporters. Iraq's religious leaders unanimously denounced the bombings. "We condemn and reproach these hideous crimes,'' said al-Sistani. He said the assaults "targeted Iraq's unity, stability and independence'' and called on the government and Iraqis to work together to end the violence. The Association of Muslim Scholars, an influential Sunni Muslim group believed to have links to insurgents, issued a statement offering condolences to the victims and blaming foreign fighters for trying to instigate sectarian fighting. "Targeting churches is another type of effort aimed at damaging Iraqi unity, "the group said. "Such acts cannot be done by Iraqis.'' The Roman Catholic Chaldean Patriarch, the Rev. Emmanuel Delly, said Iraqis of all religions will stay united. "Perhaps they wanted to divide us from our Muslim brothers, but we and the Muslims are one family _ one Iraqi family that should be protected by brotherhood and love,'' he said Pope John Paul II sent Delly a condolence telegram. "The sorrowful news ... against various Catholic communities gathered in prayer in their houses of worship struck me deeply,'' the pope said. Despite the support, Kidr, like many other Christians, is looking for a way out. "I want to go now, go to Syria and try to get to Australia,'' he said. "It's not safe in Iraq and it will only get worse.'' The Armenian church sustained little damage but Sagman's living room, where his two young sons were watching cartoons on television, suffered the brunt of the blast. The front window blew in, spraying glass everywhere, knocking tables and vases over. His youngest son Hamam, 7, suffered cuts from broken shards of glass, but escaped serious injury. "I'm tired, I didn't have any expectations from this life before, and now ... ,'' he broke off his sentence, his shoulders shaking as he fought to hold back tears. Sagman was recently granted a temporary permit to stay in Syria, but hoping to settle elsewhere, he turned it down. Now he wants to try again. "A true Muslim would never touch a house of God,'' he said. "I feel despair now, only despair.'' Outside, his Muslim neighbors and colleagues came to visit and offer their sympathies, sitting on chairs perched gingerly between pieces of glass and concrete. "I didn't believe this until I came to see it with my own eyes,'' said Karima Hadi, one of Sagman's Muslim co-workers. She pulled back her veil to wipe the sweat from her face and tried to smile. "We are all one heart, whether we're Muslim or Christian, this can't break us,'' she said. At St. Peter's seminary in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, the parking lot where people waited in cars to collect relatives after Sunday's evening Mass was a singed soaking mess. An armed guard showed reporters around the scene. Unlike before, the gates to the monastery were locked, only to be opened from inside. People muttered that the church had been careless by not having a guard check entering cars. "We've never had to do this before,'' said church administrator Majid Adwar, pointing to the guard's automatic rifle. "We've always considered ourselves peaceful people. We never thought this would happen.'' - AP --------------------- - BACK TO INDEX - REPLY - QUOTE - EDIT - DELETE -

The full topic: Church Bombings Outrage Iraqis of All Faiths Jeff - Tuesday, August 3 2004, 8:04:10 (CEST) Re: Church Bombings Outrage Iraqis of All Faiths Qasrani - 08/03 09:59

Content-length: 21954 Content-type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded Accept: image/gif, image/x-xbitmap, image/jpeg, image/pjpeg, application/x-shockwave-flash, application/vnd.ms-excel, applicatio... Accept-encoding: gzip, deflate Accept-language: en-us Cache-control: no-cache Connection: Keep-Alive Cookie: *hidded* Host: www.insideassyria.com Referer: http://www.insideassyria.com/rkvsf2/rkvsf_core.php?.UZbu. User-agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)

Powered by RedKernel V.S. Forum 1.2.b9