martedì, febbraio 09, 2010
Baghdad. I ricordi nelle pietre o le pietre dei ricordi?
.jpg)
By Baghdadhope*Nell’ambito del processo di de-baathificazione dell’Iraq, dell’annullamento cioè di ogni ricordo o legame con il passato regime di Saddam Hussein, che è già passato attraverso il fallito tentativo del governo a maggioranza sciita di escludere dalle prossime elezioni politiche del 7 marzo 500 candidati accusati di avere simpatie ba’athiste o legami con il vecchio partito, nulla viene risparmiato: neanche le pietre.
Nel 2005 il governo iracheno creò il Committee to Remove the Remains of the Baath Party and to Consider Building New Monuments and Murals, il comitato che da allora si sarebbe occupato di cancellare ogni traccia dei resti del partito Ba’ath e di costruire nuovi monumenti.
Così furono distrutti alcuni monumenti dedicati alla guerra tra Iraq ed Iran, ed altri che ricordavano la grandezza del leader che li aveva fortemente voluti in un impeto di autocelebrazione.
Nel 2007 il comitato decise addirittura l’abbattimento di quello che è certamente diventato il monumento più fotografato di Baghdad, non fosse altro perché si trova all’interno della Green Zone, la zona a controllo americano, e quindi a portata di click per ogni soldato o contractor che di lì è passato: le famose spade incrociate di Saddam che, in doppia copia chiudono le estremità del Ground Parade, il lungo viale dove il regime magnificava se stesso in grandiose parate.
Quella volta i lavori furono sospesi ma ora sembra che la distruzione di quello ed altri monumenti sia imminente.
Il governo ha già infatti avviato quella del bianco monumento intitolato “l’unione” ideato da Ala Albashir, medico di Saddam Hussein, ma anche pittore e scultore, e che accoglieva a Baghdad i viaggiatori provenienti via terra dalla Giordania.
La decisione non ha mancato di suscitare reazioni controverse.
La distruzione dei monumenti appartenenti ad un periodo storico rappresenta un tentativo – vano – di cancellazione della memoria umana.
Le vittime della brutalità del regime iracheno non dimenticheranno le proprie sofferenze solo perché la città sarà ornata di nuovi monumenti, perché più che nel marmo il dolore è scolpito nei loro cuori.
Coloro che invece guardano con nostalgia al passato non smetteranno di farlo solo grazie alla distruzione dei suoi simboli.
Cancellare il passato è inutile quindi. Ed anche politicamente miope. L’essere umano tende a dimenticare le disgrazie altrui, le pietre servono invece a renderle sempre presenti alla memoria.
Coloro che hanno sperimentato la tragedia dell’essere governati da un regime brutale come quello iracheno dovrebbero quindi preservare quelle pietre per “capitalizzare il dolore”, per far sì che esso non sia dimenticato, che serva da monito alle future generazioni.
Che senso avrebbe avuto, ad esempio, abbattere, radere al suolo i campi di sterminio nazisti?
La loro sparizione sarebbe servita a coloro che lì sono sopravvissuti a lenire il dolore dei ricordi? O a convincere qualcuno dell’orrore della guerra e del tentativo di annullamento fisico del nemico?
Conservare quei campi ha significato invece permettere ai giovani di visitarli, nella speranza che il loro avvicinarsi al dolore che quei luoghi evocano li porti domani ad opporsi a qualsiasi violenza.
In un’ipotetica Baghdad del futuro, se e quando chiunque potrà recarvisi, proprio quei monumenti terribili serviranno a chi la visiterà a sapere ciò che vi è successo. Ad enumerare le popolazioni che lì sono state represse tra le altre già note nel mondo, evitando che le loro sofferenze cadano nell’oblio.
Il desiderio di cancellare il passato, per quanto legittimo, è miope. Non si tratta di preservare delle opere d’arte – obiettivamente quei monumenti non lo sono – né di voler glorificare attraverso la loro conservazione il passato regime, ma di capitalizzare il dolore nella speranza di evitarlo in futuro.
Nel 2005 il governo iracheno creò il Committee to Remove the Remains of the Baath Party and to Consider Building New Monuments and Murals, il comitato che da allora si sarebbe occupato di cancellare ogni traccia dei resti del partito Ba’ath e di costruire nuovi monumenti.
Così furono distrutti alcuni monumenti dedicati alla guerra tra Iraq ed Iran, ed altri che ricordavano la grandezza del leader che li aveva fortemente voluti in un impeto di autocelebrazione.
Nel 2007 il comitato decise addirittura l’abbattimento di quello che è certamente diventato il monumento più fotografato di Baghdad, non fosse altro perché si trova all’interno della Green Zone, la zona a controllo americano, e quindi a portata di click per ogni soldato o contractor che di lì è passato: le famose spade incrociate di Saddam che, in doppia copia chiudono le estremità del Ground Parade, il lungo viale dove il regime magnificava se stesso in grandiose parate.
Quella volta i lavori furono sospesi ma ora sembra che la distruzione di quello ed altri monumenti sia imminente.
Il governo ha già infatti avviato quella del bianco monumento intitolato “l’unione” ideato da Ala Albashir, medico di Saddam Hussein, ma anche pittore e scultore, e che accoglieva a Baghdad i viaggiatori provenienti via terra dalla Giordania.
La decisione non ha mancato di suscitare reazioni controverse.
La distruzione dei monumenti appartenenti ad un periodo storico rappresenta un tentativo – vano – di cancellazione della memoria umana.
Le vittime della brutalità del regime iracheno non dimenticheranno le proprie sofferenze solo perché la città sarà ornata di nuovi monumenti, perché più che nel marmo il dolore è scolpito nei loro cuori.
Coloro che invece guardano con nostalgia al passato non smetteranno di farlo solo grazie alla distruzione dei suoi simboli.
Cancellare il passato è inutile quindi. Ed anche politicamente miope. L’essere umano tende a dimenticare le disgrazie altrui, le pietre servono invece a renderle sempre presenti alla memoria.
Coloro che hanno sperimentato la tragedia dell’essere governati da un regime brutale come quello iracheno dovrebbero quindi preservare quelle pietre per “capitalizzare il dolore”, per far sì che esso non sia dimenticato, che serva da monito alle future generazioni.
Che senso avrebbe avuto, ad esempio, abbattere, radere al suolo i campi di sterminio nazisti?
La loro sparizione sarebbe servita a coloro che lì sono sopravvissuti a lenire il dolore dei ricordi? O a convincere qualcuno dell’orrore della guerra e del tentativo di annullamento fisico del nemico?
Conservare quei campi ha significato invece permettere ai giovani di visitarli, nella speranza che il loro avvicinarsi al dolore che quei luoghi evocano li porti domani ad opporsi a qualsiasi violenza.
In un’ipotetica Baghdad del futuro, se e quando chiunque potrà recarvisi, proprio quei monumenti terribili serviranno a chi la visiterà a sapere ciò che vi è successo. Ad enumerare le popolazioni che lì sono state represse tra le altre già note nel mondo, evitando che le loro sofferenze cadano nell’oblio.
Il desiderio di cancellare il passato, per quanto legittimo, è miope. Non si tratta di preservare delle opere d’arte – obiettivamente quei monumenti non lo sono – né di voler glorificare attraverso la loro conservazione il passato regime, ma di capitalizzare il dolore nella speranza di evitarlo in futuro.
Foto da: Elaph.com
Leggi tutto!
Baghdad. Memories in the stones or the stones of memories?
By Baghdadhope*In the process of de-Baathification of Iraq, namely the cancellation of any memory or connection to the former regime of Saddam Hussein, that has already gone through the failed attempt by the Shiite majority government to exclude from the next political election planned for March 7 500 candidates accused of having ties or sympathies with the old Baathist Party, nothing is spared: not even the stones.
In 2005 the Iraqi government created the Committee to Remove the Remains of the Baath Party and to Consider Building New Monuments and Murals, a committee that since then worked to remove all traces of the remains of the Ba'ath Party and to build new monuments.
So some monuments dedicated to the war between Iraq and Iran were destroyed, and so were others recalling the greatness of the leader who had strongly desired them in an impetus of self-celebration. In 2007 the Committee even decided to pull down what has certainly become the most photographed monument in Baghdad, if for no other reason than its being located inside the Green Zone, the US controlled area, and then in the zoom of each soldier or contractor passing by: the famous Saddam crossed swords that in two copies close the ends of the Parade Ground, a long avenue where the regime praised itself in grandiose parades.
That time the work was suspended, but now it seems that the destruction of that and other monuments is in the offing again. The government has already started in fact the pulling down of the white monument called the "Union" designed by Ala Albashir, Saddam Hussein’s doctor, but also a painter and a sculptor, and that welcomed in Baghdad the travellers from Jordan.
The decision gave rise to controversial reactions.
The destruction of monuments belonging to an historical period represents an attempt - vain – of cancellation of human memory.
The decision gave rise to controversial reactions.
The destruction of monuments belonging to an historical period represents an attempt - vain – of cancellation of human memory.
The victims of the brutality of the Iraqi regime will not forget their sufferings just because the city will be adorned with new monuments, as more than in the stones their pain is carved in their hearts.
Those who look back nostalgically to the past will not cease to do it only because of the detruction of its symbols.
To erase the past is therefore useless.
And politically shortsighted too.
Human beings tend to forget others’ misfortunes, the stones fix them in people’s memory. Those who have experienced the tragedy of being ruled by a brutal regime like the Iraqi one should instead preserve those stones to "capitalize the pain" so that it is not forgotten, that serves as a warning to future generations.
What sense would have, for example, to pull down, to raze the Nazi extermination camps? Would their disappearance serve to those who there survived to soothe the pain of their memories? Or convince someone of the horror of war and of the attempt to cancel physically the enemy?
To keep those camps meant instead to allow young people to visit them in the hope that their approach to the pain that those places evoke will take them to oppose any violence in the future.
In a hypothetical Baghdad of the future, if and when anyone can go there, those terrible monuments will serve to those who will be visiting the city to know what happened there, to enumerate the populations repressed there together with the others already known in the world, preventing their suffering to be forgotten.
In a hypothetical Baghdad of the future, if and when anyone can go there, those terrible monuments will serve to those who will be visiting the city to know what happened there, to enumerate the populations repressed there together with the others already known in the world, preventing their suffering to be forgotten.
The desire to erase the past, however legitimate, is shortsighted. This is not about preserving works of art - objectively those monuments are not - or glorifying through their conservation the past regime, but to capitalize the pain in the hope of avoiding it in the future.
Photo by Corvus Art Center
Leggi tutto!
lunedì, febbraio 01, 2010
Carrying a Displaced Nation: Father Noel Gorgis
Source: Headline Bistrot
From Fighting for Saddam, to Leading Iraqi Catholics in the U.S.
Interview by Michele Nuzzo-Naglieri
Prior to the 1970s, life was relatively peaceful for Iraq’s religious minorities. Of the 1.4 million Christians, Chaldean Catholics were the greatest in number, occupying a series of villages in the northern part of the country. When conflict broke out between the Kurds and government-armed forces, residents of the northern communities were forced to migrate to bigger cities. Once resettled, the Chaldeans continued to steer clear of politics while doing their part to strengthen the fabric of the nation.
When Saddam Hussein rose to power in 1979 dispersing much needed wealth throughout all sectors of society, a sense of security and freedom began to permeate the nation, but it was short-lived. Hope began to dissipate during the final decade of Saddam’s rule. Both the Iran-Iraq and Gulf Wars led to the country’s rapid economic decline, and what began as a more subtle change in the attitude towards non-Muslims. More and more, Christians were pushed to become members of Saddam’s Baath Party. Soon after, it became illegal to give babies biblical names, and the clergy was forced to go to war and fight against their will.
One such priest was Father Noel Gorgis who headed straight for the H3 airfield upon graduating from the seminary at 22. Now pastor of St. Paul Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic Church in North Hollywood, Calif., Father Gorgis spoke with Headline Bistro about fighting in the Gulf War, life as a refugee and the persecution of Christians back in his native land.
A Christian in Iraq
HB: Can you share with us what it was like growing up Christian in Iraq? How did you come to discover your call to the priesthood?
Father Gorgis: Well, I am number eight of 11 children. I have seven brothers, four sisters and grew up in a very devoted Catholic family. ...
It was interesting because when I was just a boy, we didn’t have a priest stationed in our village. There was one who would come to our village in the summer months to visit with us, encourage us in our faith, and invite us children to visit the Chaldean monastery – I was about 12 or 13-years-old at the time. He would lead all of the village children to the church, and my responsibility was to open and lock the church, so I had to make sure I was the first to arrive and the last to leave. It was in this way that I grew very close to the church and to our priest. I remember very clearly how he would ask all of us boys: “Who wants to be a priest?” Never did I doubt that that was my calling.
I was very blessed because my parents were always extremely supportive of my vocation, especially my dad. He was in fact the one who sent in my application to enter the monastery. Of all the boys in the village, five of us ended up going to St Peter’s Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad to discern, and of the five, I alone continued on to be a priest.
Growing up, did you have total freedom to practice your faith?
At the time, yes. We were free to practice our faith, to attend our schools and to form part of our parish communities … as long as we never openly criticized the government. If anyone dared attempt this, they ran tremendous risks.
Is this the reason you became a soldier?
Yes. I was 22 when I graduated from the seminary and was forced to join the army under Saddam’s rule. Since army chaplains were forbidden, I was given no special status. Had I been an imam, my time of service could have been significantly shortened, but this exception did not apply to priests.
I served from 1987 during the Iran-Iraq war and then again during the Second Gulf War. I remember there were 14 other Christians in my division, but I was the only priest among them. Sometimes they sought me out for spiritual counsel, but ultimately we were all good friends. No matter what faith you practiced, there was an overall sense of respect among all the soldiers.
Was it out of fear that you ended up fleeing?
No, it wasn’t so much fear. Every day I kept on fulfilling my duties and all that was expected of me but had difficulty accepting it. After the second war, I escaped the western desert and took refuge in a northern monastery. From there, I fled to Turkey because I felt strongly that fighting was not the answer. Fighting was not resolving the situation, and there’s no point in fighting for nothing. I stayed in Turkey for one and half years, six months of which I spent in a camp. I then went to Istanbul and from there the United Nations brought me to the U.S. as a refugee.
HB: Can you share with us what it was like growing up Christian in Iraq? How did you come to discover your call to the priesthood?
Father Gorgis: Well, I am number eight of 11 children. I have seven brothers, four sisters and grew up in a very devoted Catholic family. ...
It was interesting because when I was just a boy, we didn’t have a priest stationed in our village. There was one who would come to our village in the summer months to visit with us, encourage us in our faith, and invite us children to visit the Chaldean monastery – I was about 12 or 13-years-old at the time. He would lead all of the village children to the church, and my responsibility was to open and lock the church, so I had to make sure I was the first to arrive and the last to leave. It was in this way that I grew very close to the church and to our priest. I remember very clearly how he would ask all of us boys: “Who wants to be a priest?” Never did I doubt that that was my calling.
I was very blessed because my parents were always extremely supportive of my vocation, especially my dad. He was in fact the one who sent in my application to enter the monastery. Of all the boys in the village, five of us ended up going to St Peter’s Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad to discern, and of the five, I alone continued on to be a priest.
Growing up, did you have total freedom to practice your faith?
At the time, yes. We were free to practice our faith, to attend our schools and to form part of our parish communities … as long as we never openly criticized the government. If anyone dared attempt this, they ran tremendous risks.
Is this the reason you became a soldier?
Yes. I was 22 when I graduated from the seminary and was forced to join the army under Saddam’s rule. Since army chaplains were forbidden, I was given no special status. Had I been an imam, my time of service could have been significantly shortened, but this exception did not apply to priests.
I served from 1987 during the Iran-Iraq war and then again during the Second Gulf War. I remember there were 14 other Christians in my division, but I was the only priest among them. Sometimes they sought me out for spiritual counsel, but ultimately we were all good friends. No matter what faith you practiced, there was an overall sense of respect among all the soldiers.
Was it out of fear that you ended up fleeing?
No, it wasn’t so much fear. Every day I kept on fulfilling my duties and all that was expected of me but had difficulty accepting it. After the second war, I escaped the western desert and took refuge in a northern monastery. From there, I fled to Turkey because I felt strongly that fighting was not the answer. Fighting was not resolving the situation, and there’s no point in fighting for nothing. I stayed in Turkey for one and half years, six months of which I spent in a camp. I then went to Istanbul and from there the United Nations brought me to the U.S. as a refugee.
For the whole article by Headline Bistrot click here
Etichette: Noel Gorgis
Leggi tutto!
venerdì, gennaio 29, 2010
Bahgdad
Dall'Italia un sorriso per i bambini iracheni. Prossima missione: Iraq ( Nassiriya) - Febbraio 2010
Fonte: Sorrisi dal mondo. Smile Train Italia onlus
Nel corso del 2008 i volontari di Smile Train Italia onlus hanno realizzato con successo due missioni chirurgiche in Iraq, nella provincia di Nassiriya. Grazie a queste missioni, che hanno visto partecipare in qualità di volontario il prof. Roberto Cortelazzi, Direttore della U.O.C. di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale presso l’Ospedale “F. Miulli” di Acquaviva delle Fonti, sono stati operati 177 bambini. Purtroppo, nonostante l'eccellente risultato delle missioni, sono stati individuati dei casi clinici particolarmente gravi per i quali non è stato possibile intervenire sul posto. Il prof. Cortelazzi e la sua equipe chirurgica, in collaborazione con il resto del personale dell’Ospedale "F. Miulli", ha scelto di dare una seconda possibilità a questi bambini permettendo loro di essere operati a Bari.
I pazienti operati sono stati in totale 4.
Prossima missione: Iraq ( Nassiriya) - Febbraio 2010
Leggi tutto!
Nel corso del 2008 i volontari di Smile Train Italia onlus hanno realizzato con successo due missioni chirurgiche in Iraq, nella provincia di Nassiriya. Grazie a queste missioni, che hanno visto partecipare in qualità di volontario il prof. Roberto Cortelazzi, Direttore della U.O.C. di Chirurgia Maxillo-Facciale presso l’Ospedale “F. Miulli” di Acquaviva delle Fonti, sono stati operati 177 bambini. Purtroppo, nonostante l'eccellente risultato delle missioni, sono stati individuati dei casi clinici particolarmente gravi per i quali non è stato possibile intervenire sul posto. Il prof. Cortelazzi e la sua equipe chirurgica, in collaborazione con il resto del personale dell’Ospedale "F. Miulli", ha scelto di dare una seconda possibilità a questi bambini permettendo loro di essere operati a Bari.
I pazienti operati sono stati in totale 4.
Ahmed e Hussein erano affetti da una grave patologia tumorale e sono stati curati tramite l’utilizzo di un trattamento sperimentale che avvale di un farmaco importato direttamente dal Giappone, rientrando anche un un gruppo di Studio internazionale. Il terzo paziente è stato invece vittima dello scoppio di un ordigno bellico che gli ha provocato una gravissima perdita di sostanza della faccia, l’equipe è stata impiegata per questo caso in un delicato intervento di ricostruzione microchirurgica del volto trasportando una porzione ossea e cutanea della gamba a livello della regione mandibolare.
Il quarto paziente Ali Johad, è stato vittima dell’esplosione che a Nassiriya ha causato la morte di numerosi soldati italiani e che a lui ha provocato un notevole danno alle strutture ossee e molli del naso. Ali è arrivato in Italia nel luglio 2009 ed è tornato in Iraq ad ottobre, dopo essere stato sottoposto a tre interventi chirurgici grazie ai quali gli è stato interamente ricostruito il naso, permettendo al suo volto di riacquistare funzionalità e la dignità che la guerra gli aveva portato via.
Il quarto paziente Ali Johad, è stato vittima dell’esplosione che a Nassiriya ha causato la morte di numerosi soldati italiani e che a lui ha provocato un notevole danno alle strutture ossee e molli del naso. Ali è arrivato in Italia nel luglio 2009 ed è tornato in Iraq ad ottobre, dopo essere stato sottoposto a tre interventi chirurgici grazie ai quali gli è stato interamente ricostruito il naso, permettendo al suo volto di riacquistare funzionalità e la dignità che la guerra gli aveva portato via.
Prossima missione: Iraq ( Nassiriya) - Febbraio 2010
Clicca qui per sapere di più della Smile Trian Italia onlus
Leggi tutto!
giovedì, gennaio 28, 2010
Iraq: L'Arcivescovo di Mosul valuta le prospettive per i cristiani
Fonte: Aid to the Church in Need
By John Pontifex
Leggi tutto!
By John Pontifex
Tradotto ed adattato da Baghdadhope*
Colui che è diventato il più giovane arcivescovo cattolico del mondo ha parlato di "speranza e fiducia" nell'assumere il ruolo di pastore di alcuni dei cristiani più perseguitati in Iraq.
Ad appena 42 anni, Amil Shamaaoun Nona è stato ordinato arcivescovo di Mosul, nel nord dell'Iraq, sostituendo Paulos Faraj Rahho, rapito davanti alla sua cattedrale quasi due anni fa e deceduto in prigionia 10 giorni dopo.
In una dichiarazione ad "Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre" l'organizzazione caritatevole cattolica per i cristiani perseguitati e che soffrono, il nuovo arcivescovo ha dato la sua risposta alla continua ondata di omicidi, rapimenti e attentati dinamitardi a chiese ed ad altri centri cristiani in tutta la città. L'Arcivescovo Nona, che fino alla sua nomina è stato sacerdote della vicina diocesi di Alqosh, ha scritto: "La mia nuova missione è dare speranza e fiducia ai cristiani di Mosul, rendendoli consapevoli della presenza di un padre e di ,un ministro accanto a loro nell'attuale situazione. "
L'arcivescovo, che è stato installato nella sua cattedrale venerdì 22 gennaio, circa due settimane dopo la sua ordinazione episcopale, ha dato una valutazione realistica delle enormi sfide per i cristiani della regione affermando che, a causa della recrudescenza delle violenze anti-cristiane e delle intimidazioni nel 2003, la comunità cattolica di rito caldeo nella città di Mosul si è ridotta di due terzi ed è ora di appena 5000 persone.
L' arcivescovo Nona ha avvertito che una diminuzione del numero dei cristiani potrebbe far sprofondare il cristianesimo di Mosul nelle catacombe.
Ha scritto: "Quando tutte le persone ricche che hanno un'attività in proprio, investimenti e fabbriche, lasciano la città, coloro che rimangono avranno un effetto trascurabile."
Mosul, sul fiume Tigri e legata alla biblica Ninive, è considerata come il cuore storico del cristianesimo in Iraq e tradizionalmente la città che vantava il maggior numero di fedeli nel paese.
Con le crescenti prove dell'attività di Al Qaeda e di altri estremisti nella regione i cristiani sono fuggiti in risposta all'aumento delle vittime tra loro, un problema aggravato dal loro essere etichettati come facile bersaglio negli scontri tra curdi e arabi della città. Nel suo messaggio ad Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre l'Arcivescovo Nona ha continuato a chiedere che i cristiani siano lasciati in pace e tenuti fuori dalla lotta politica per il controllo della regione.
Con un riferimento indiretto alle prossime elezioni generali di marzo ha scritto: "Come cristiani dobbiamo portare la nostra causa all'attenzione dei paesi influenti in modo da esercitare pressioni sui poteri politici in conflitto in Iraq perchè non si servano di noi per ottenere vantaggi politici. Questo è ciò che sta accadendo ora ".
Ai resoconti secondo i quali l'attacco ai cristiani è considerato dai gruppi radicali come uno stratagemma per attirare l'attenzione internazionale il vescovo ha aggiunto: "Ciò che è necessario è la pressione internazionale sui partiti forti ed influenti in Iraq perchè ci tengano lontani dalla loro lotta per il potere".
Un'ondata di violenza all'inizio dell'autunno del 2008 ha costretto circa la metà della comunità cristiana di Mosul a lasciare la città.
Molti vi sono tornati ma tra essi un gran numero è ripartito con il continuare delle violenze sporadiche. Ricordando le minacce ai cristiani in tutta la città l'Arcivescovo Nona ha sottolineato come la polizia stia proteggendo ogni chiesa e le case dei sacerdoti. I suoi commenti arrivano dopo l'impennata di violenza contro i cristiani a Mosul, in particolare nel periodo di Natale.
La serie di rapimenti e uccisioni ha avuto il suo culmine il giorno prima della vigilia di Natale quando una bomba ha danneggiato la Chiesa di San Tommaso (Mar Toma) che risale a 1.200 anni fa. Due persone sono state uccise e cinque sono rimaste ferite.
In risposta all'aumento della violenza anti-cristiana l'arcivescovo di rito latino di Baghdad, Mons. Jean Sleiman, si è scagliato contro ciò che ha definito un "silenzio dei media" sulla persecuzione della chiesa in Iraq.
In un'intervista all'agenzia di stampa SIR di lunedi 25 gennaio della notizia di due uomini cattolici uccisi a Mosul nel fine settimana l'Arcivescovo Sleiman ha detto: "Rompiamo il muro di silenzio che circonda l'uccisione dei cristiani a Mosul ed in Iraq. I cristiani vengono uccisi a Mosul mentre lo Stato non fa nulla. Le forze dell'ordine in servizio nei luoghi degli attentati e delle uccisioni non vedono, non sentono e non parlano".
In questo contesto l'Arcivescovo Nona ha sottolineato nel suo messaggio ad Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre come la chiesa sia stata per molti cristiani di Mosul l'unica fonte di speranza. Ha scritto: "L'unica cosa cui ancora i fedeli sono vicini è la Chiesa. Per questo motivo essa, rappresentata nella persona del vescovo, deve prendersi cura dei suoi seguaci ed aiutarli a sentirsi al sicuro attraverso la sua presenza tra loro."
Mons. Nona è nato nel novembre del 1967 ad Alqosh, un antico villaggio cristiano nella piana di Ninive nei pressi di Mosul, dove ha prestato servizio come sacerdote successivamente alla sua ordinazione avvenuta nel gennaio del 1991 all'età di 23 anni. Alcuni progetti pastorali per i quali ha lavorato in quella zona hanno ricevuto un finanziamento da parte di Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre - in particolare nel settore del lavoro giovanile e per la costruzione di un asilo nido.
Oltre a diventare il più giovane arcivescovo cattolico secondo http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/ Mons Nona è il nono tra i vescovi cattolici più giovani nel mondo (il più giovane ha solo 39 anni).
Leggi tutto!
Iraq: New Archbishop of Mosul assesses the outlook for Christians
Source: Aid to the Church in Need
by John Pontifex
The man who has become the world's youngest Catholic archbishop has spoken of his "hopes and confidence" as he takes up his role as shepherd to some of Iraq's most persecuted Christians.
At barely 42, Amil Shamaaoun Nona has been ordained Archbishop of Mosul in northern Iraq, replacing Paulos Faraj Rahho, who was kidnapped outside his cathedral nearly two years ago, dying in captivity 10 days later.
In a statement to Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, the new archbishop gave his response to the ongoing spate of killings, abductions and bomb blasts aimed at churches and other Christian centres across the city.
Archbishop Nona, who until his appointment was a priest of nearby Alqosh diocese, wrote: "My new mission is to provide hope and confidence to the Christians in Mosul, making them aware of the presence of a father and a minister beside them in their present plight."
The archbishop, who was installed in his cathedral at a ceremony on Friday (22nd Jan) about two weeks after his episcopal ordination, gave a realistic assessment of the huge challenges facing the region's Christians.
He stated that, since the upsurge of anti-Christian violence and intimidation in 2003, the Chaldean-rite Catholic community in Mosul city has dwindled by two-thirds and is now down to as few as 5,000 people.
Archbishop Nona warned that a decline in numbers threatens to force Christianity in Mosul into obscurity.
He wrote: "When all the wealthy people who own businesses, investments and factories leave the city, those who remain will have an effect that is negligible."
At barely 42, Amil Shamaaoun Nona has been ordained Archbishop of Mosul in northern Iraq, replacing Paulos Faraj Rahho, who was kidnapped outside his cathedral nearly two years ago, dying in captivity 10 days later.
In a statement to Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, the new archbishop gave his response to the ongoing spate of killings, abductions and bomb blasts aimed at churches and other Christian centres across the city.
Archbishop Nona, who until his appointment was a priest of nearby Alqosh diocese, wrote: "My new mission is to provide hope and confidence to the Christians in Mosul, making them aware of the presence of a father and a minister beside them in their present plight."
The archbishop, who was installed in his cathedral at a ceremony on Friday (22nd Jan) about two weeks after his episcopal ordination, gave a realistic assessment of the huge challenges facing the region's Christians.
He stated that, since the upsurge of anti-Christian violence and intimidation in 2003, the Chaldean-rite Catholic community in Mosul city has dwindled by two-thirds and is now down to as few as 5,000 people.
Archbishop Nona warned that a decline in numbers threatens to force Christianity in Mosul into obscurity.
He wrote: "When all the wealthy people who own businesses, investments and factories leave the city, those who remain will have an effect that is negligible."
Mosul, on the River Tigris and linked to the Biblical Nineveh, is seen as the historical heartland of Christianity in Iraq and traditionally it has been the city boasting the largest number of faithful in the country.
But, with growing evidence of Al Qaeda and other extremist activity in the region, Christians have fled in response to increasing victimisation, a problem compounded by their being labelled as easy targets in clashes between Kurds and Arabs in the city.
In his message to ACN, Archbishop Nona went on to plead for Christians to be left in peace and kept out of the political struggle for control of the region.
In an oblique reference to the upcoming general elections in March, he wrote: "We need to carry our cause as Christians to the influential countries so as to exert pressure on the conflicting political powers in Iraq not to use us to gain some political benefits. That is what is happening now."
Amid reports that attacking Christians is seen by radical groups as a ploy to attract international attention, he added: "What is required is an international pressure on the strong and influential parties in Iraq to keep us away from their struggle for power."
A wave of violence in early autumn 2008 forced about half of Mosul's Christian community to leave the city.
Many returned but of those a large number have left as sporadic violence continues.
Pointing out the threats to Christians across the city, Archbishop Nona stressed that police protection was now in place at every church and priests' house.
His comments come after a surge of violence against Christians in Mosul, especially over Christmas.
A number of kidnappings and killings took place climaxing on the day before Christmas Eve when a bomb blast damaged the city's St Thomas's Church (Mar Toma), which dates back 1,200 years. Two people were killed and five were injured.
In response to the rise in anti-Christian violence, Latin-rite Archbishop Jean Sleiman of Baghdad, spoke out against what he called a "media silence" on persecution against the Church in Iraq.
In an interview with SIR news agency given on Monday (25th Jan) amid reports of two Catholic men being killed in Mosul at the weekend, Archbishop Sleiman said: "Let us break the wall of silence that surrounds the killing of Christians in Mosul and in Iraq.
"Christians are killed in Mosul, while the State does nothing. The forces of order serving in the places of the attacks and killings don't see, don't hear, don't speak."
Against this backdrop, Archbishop Nona underlined in his message to ACN that the Church was for many Christians in Mosul the only source of hope.
He wrote: "The only thing that the faithful are still adhering to is the Church. For this reason, the Church, represented in the person of the bishop, has to care for its followers and help them feel secure through its presence in them and among them."
Archbishop Nona was born in November 1967 in Alqosh, an ancient Christian village in the Nineveh plain outside Mosul, where he ministered as a priest after his ordination in January 1991 at the age of 23.
A number of pastoral projects he has worked on in the area received funding from Aid to the Church in Need -- most notably youth work and funds to build a kindergarten.
As well as becoming the youngest Catholic archbishop, according to http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/, he is also the ninth youngest Catholic bishop in the world (the youngest being only 39).
But, with growing evidence of Al Qaeda and other extremist activity in the region, Christians have fled in response to increasing victimisation, a problem compounded by their being labelled as easy targets in clashes between Kurds and Arabs in the city.
In his message to ACN, Archbishop Nona went on to plead for Christians to be left in peace and kept out of the political struggle for control of the region.
In an oblique reference to the upcoming general elections in March, he wrote: "We need to carry our cause as Christians to the influential countries so as to exert pressure on the conflicting political powers in Iraq not to use us to gain some political benefits. That is what is happening now."
Amid reports that attacking Christians is seen by radical groups as a ploy to attract international attention, he added: "What is required is an international pressure on the strong and influential parties in Iraq to keep us away from their struggle for power."
A wave of violence in early autumn 2008 forced about half of Mosul's Christian community to leave the city.
Many returned but of those a large number have left as sporadic violence continues.
Pointing out the threats to Christians across the city, Archbishop Nona stressed that police protection was now in place at every church and priests' house.
His comments come after a surge of violence against Christians in Mosul, especially over Christmas.
A number of kidnappings and killings took place climaxing on the day before Christmas Eve when a bomb blast damaged the city's St Thomas's Church (Mar Toma), which dates back 1,200 years. Two people were killed and five were injured.
In response to the rise in anti-Christian violence, Latin-rite Archbishop Jean Sleiman of Baghdad, spoke out against what he called a "media silence" on persecution against the Church in Iraq.
In an interview with SIR news agency given on Monday (25th Jan) amid reports of two Catholic men being killed in Mosul at the weekend, Archbishop Sleiman said: "Let us break the wall of silence that surrounds the killing of Christians in Mosul and in Iraq.
"Christians are killed in Mosul, while the State does nothing. The forces of order serving in the places of the attacks and killings don't see, don't hear, don't speak."
Against this backdrop, Archbishop Nona underlined in his message to ACN that the Church was for many Christians in Mosul the only source of hope.
He wrote: "The only thing that the faithful are still adhering to is the Church. For this reason, the Church, represented in the person of the bishop, has to care for its followers and help them feel secure through its presence in them and among them."
Archbishop Nona was born in November 1967 in Alqosh, an ancient Christian village in the Nineveh plain outside Mosul, where he ministered as a priest after his ordination in January 1991 at the age of 23.
A number of pastoral projects he has worked on in the area received funding from Aid to the Church in Need -- most notably youth work and funds to build a kindergarten.
As well as becoming the youngest Catholic archbishop, according to http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/, he is also the ninth youngest Catholic bishop in the world (the youngest being only 39).
Leggi tutto!
mercoledì, gennaio 27, 2010
God Weeps on the Web - On line voice for persecuted Christians
Source: Aid to the Church in Need
25th January 2010 –
25th January 2010 –
by John Newton
A multi media website was launched on Monday, 25th January to highlight the plight of Christians who suffer for their faith. The website Where God Weeps has been produced by Catholic Radio and Television Network (CRTN) in cooperation with Aid to the Church in Need. The new multi-media website complements CRTN’s Where God Weeps television and radio series on persecuted Christians, which are broadcast by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). The Where God Weeps website draws on a number of sources including Aid to the Church in Need’s report on the persecution of Christians, Persecuted and Forgotten and interviews with cardinals, bishops, priests, missionaries and lay experts – those who live and work daily in areas of persecution around the world. The central element of the website is a monthly focus on particular countries where Christians endure persecution, featuring a 12-minute documentary, key statistics, political and social facts and an interview with a leading Church figure, such as a bishop or a religious superior. Mark Riedemann, director of CRTN, said: “The media platform provides an important opportunity for people wanting to find out more about the suffering Church and how they get involved.” He stressed the importance of the launch date – the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul (25th January) – saying that the Apostle’s transformation from persecutor of Christians to champion of their cause “points to the essence” of the website’s aims and objectives. In addition to the online documentaries and interviews, the website also includes breaking news pages and a ‘how to help’ section featuring projects supported by Aid to the Church in Need. Mr Riedemann said the website aims to reflect strong evidence that the persecution of Christians had increased. He made reference to a December 2009 study by the Pew Research Centre’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, which concluded that nearly 70 percent of the world’s 6.8 billion people live in countries with high or very high restrictions on religion. Complementary information provided by organisations such as the International Christian Concern and the Christian Solidarity Worldwide indicates that Christians are persecuted more than any other religious group. In some countries persecution now threatens the survival of the Church. Mr Riedemann said this growing persecution of Christians contravenes article 18 of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees “the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion”.
Leggi tutto!
Chaldean Rite Mass celebrated on COB Basra
Source: The Red Bull news
By Spc. Samuel Soza
Sunday, 24 January 2010
COB BASRA, Iraq – Service members, civilians, and contractors joined acting Bishop of Basrah, Imad al-Banna, as he conducted Mass according to the Chaldean rite in the new chapel, here, Jan. 16.
“The reason was to continue a relationship begun by our allies,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Morris, 34th Infantry Division chaplain.
According to the Afton, Minn. native, the tradition of coalition forces attending and hosting religious ceremonies with the local religious community is part of an important association in the stabilization of the country.
“Hosting Mass is a way to foster that relationship,” said Morris.
Morris described the acting bishop’s involvement in helping develop Basrah’s civil capacities -- such as the three schools in Basrah that teach children from all faiths -- as a “tremendous asset”.
Since April, the 34th Inf. Div. has hosted the Chaldean Mass three times – twice at Contingency Operating Base Basra and once at COB Adder.
Al-Banna, a native of Basrah, is a strategic leader in United States Division-South.
He leads Christian communities in Basrah, Amarah, Nasiriyah and al-Kut. He is also a significant national leader and has met in the past with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani and Prime Minister Nouri Kamel al-Maliki, said Morris.
Morris said he hoped the service would give Soldiers experience with a “diverse and ancient culture”.
“They have 1,800 years of continued existence in Iraq and represent a more ancient people, the Chaldeans, who have a recorded 6,000-year-old history,” he said.
He also said that he hoped the service would be spiritually encouraging for those in attendance and that by sharing in religious fellowship they could enhance the relationship between the Americans and the Iraqis.
“I find it very moving, very inspiring,” he said.
Al-Banna took the place of the actual bishop of Basrah, who fled to Australia in March 2008 after receiving threats during the time of the “Charge of the Knights” operation.
The operation was the first Iraqi Army-led operation and aimed to drive the Mahdi army out of the area.
Morris said that sharing in religious ceremonies is only a small part of a much larger picture.
“I think this has dimensions beyond Mass. It has to do with religious freedom,” he said, “It has to do with the protections of minorities in the new Iraq. It has to do with healthy stability.”
Leggi tutto!
martedì, gennaio 26, 2010
Un altro attacco ai cristiani di Mosul
Nel corso del prossimo sinodo del Medio Oriente che si terrà a Roma a metà ottobre il Vaticano dovrà trovare il modo di fermare l'emorragia dei cristiani dal Medio Oriente.
Particolarmente difficile sarà trovare una soluzione per gli iracheni cristiani.
Questa mattina a Mosul sono stati colpiti due negozi di alcolici. Uno di essi, nel quartiere di Alwasa, era di proprietà di un cristiano, Ragheed Sabah Tobia, che è stato gravemente ferito dall'esplosione ed è subito stato ricoverato in ospedale. L'altro negozio, nel quartiere di Bishop Castle, era di proprietà di un uomo appartenente alla minoranza yazida le cui condizioni di salute dopo l'esplosione sono tuttora ignote.
Leggi tutto!
Another attack to the Christians of Mosul
By Baghdadhope*
Source of the news: Ankawa.com
In the next synod for the Middle East that will be held in Rome by mid October the Vatican will try to find a way to stop the haemorrhage of the Cristians from the Middle East.
Particularly difficult will be to find a solution for the Iraqi Christians.
This morning in Mosul two alchool shops have been targeted. One of them in the Alwasa neighbourhood was owned by a Christian man, Ragheed Sabah Tobia, who was seriously injured by the explosion and was taken to hospital. The other shop, in the Bishop Castle neighbourhood, was owned by a man belonging to the Yazidi community whose health conditions after the explosion are still unknown.
Leggi tutto!
lunedì, gennaio 25, 2010
Mons. Nona prega sulla tomba di Padre Ragheed Ganni a Karamles
By Baghdadhope*Fonte delle notizie e foto: Ankawa.com
Sabato 23 gennaio il vescovo di Mosul, Mons. Emile Shimoun Nona, è stato accolto a Karamles da una grande folla che lo ha accompagnato nelle sue visite alle chiese dedicate alla Vergine Maria ed a Santa Barbara. Il giorno successivo Mons. Nona ha celebrato la Santa Messa nella chiesa dedicata all'apostolo Mar Addai. Il significato della visita di Mons. Nona a Karamles è profondo, e si lega ai tragici avvenimenti che hanno segnato la storia della cristianità irachena, e della chiesa caldea in particolare, negli ultimi anni.
Fu proprio a Karamles, infatti, che fu sepolto nel giugno 2007 Padre Ragheed Ganni, il giovane sacerdote di Mosul ucciso a sangue freddo con tre diaconi della sua chiesa, e che per un anno, prima di essere trasferite a Mosul nel marzo 2009, riposarono le spoglie di Mons. Faraj Paulos Raho, il predecessore di Mons. Nona.
Nel corso della sua visita alla chiesa di Mar Addai Mons. Nona si è fermato a pregare sulla tomba di Padre Ragheed.
Leggi tutto!
Msgr. Nona prays on Father Ragheed Ganni's tomb in Karamles
By Baghdadhope*
Source of the news: Ankawa.com
Saturday, January 23, the bishop of Mosul, Msgr. Emile Shimoun Nona, was welcomed in Karamles by a large crowd who accompanied him in his visits to the churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Santa Barbara. The next day Msgr. Nona celebrated the Holy Mass in the church dedicated to the apostle Mar Addai.
Leggi tutto!
Source of the news: Ankawa.com
Saturday, January 23, the bishop of Mosul, Msgr. Emile Shimoun Nona, was welcomed in Karamles by a large crowd who accompanied him in his visits to the churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Santa Barbara. The next day Msgr. Nona celebrated the Holy Mass in the church dedicated to the apostle Mar Addai.
The significance of the visit of Msgr. Nona to Karamles is deep, and it is bound to the tragic events that marked the history of Iraqi Christianity, and of the Chaldean church in particular, in recent years. It was in Karamles infact that in June 2007 was buried Father Ragheed Ganni, the young priest of Mosul killed in cold blood with three deacons of his church, and that for a year, before being transferred to Mosul in March 2009, rested the remains of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho, the predecessor of Msgr.Nona.
During his visit to Mar Addai church Msgr. Nona prayed on the tomb of Father Ragheed Ganni.
Leggi tutto!
Iraq: Mons. Warduni (Baghdad) "Il digiuno di Ninive per la riconciliazione del paese"
Fonte: SIR
“Una penitenza per tutto l’Iraq”. Così il vicario patriarcale caldeo di Baghdad, mons. Shlemon Warduni, presenta al Sir il “Digiuno di Ninive”, che si apre oggi (fino al 27) e che fa memoria di quando, guidati dal profeta Giona, gli abitanti di Ninive si convertirono a Dio. “Preghiamo per tutti e non solo per noi. Abbiamo bisogno di fare penitenza per l’Iraq, perché il Signore conceda il dono della pace, della sicurezza e della stabilità al nostro Paese e al mondo intero”. La pratica, afferma il Vicario, “è molto seguita dai fedeli caldei i quali si astengono totalmente dal cibo dall’alba fino a mezzogiorno, e mangiando nel prosieguo della giornata solo verdure, rinunciando anche a pesce, carne e derivati del latte. Il tutto accompagnato dalla preghiera, al mattino o al pomeriggio. In questi momenti le chiese si affollano di fedeli”. Un’intenzione particolare del digiuno sarà rivolta anche al Sinodo per il medio Oriente di ottobre: “un momento molto importante per tutte le nostre Chiese – dichiara mons. Warduni – che si trovano in grandi difficoltà politiche, religiose, sociali, economiche e con il fondamentalismo e fanatismo che avanzano. Il nostro auspicio è che questa assemblea favorisca la comunione e l’unità dei cristiani mediorientali, quindi un rafforzamento per far sentire la nostra voce. La divisione, infatti, ci indebolisce e ci impoverisce”.
Leggi tutto!
sabato, gennaio 23, 2010
Stay or go: Christians in Mideast battle tough choices amid violence
Source: Catholic News Service
By Carol Glatz
A recent preparatory document for an October Synod of Bishops for the Middle East made a forceful appeal to the Christian minority there to resist emigration and to openly give witness to the Gospel values of hope, joy, justice and forgiveness in their native communities.But like most commandments -- that's easier said than done.
The synod outline said a strong faith would provide the courage for enduring the violence, persecution, prejudice and poverty that Christians in the Middle East often face today.
It's a drama that has already changed the Christian landscape in the region, according to church experts.
"To stay today in Iraq, you need to have a very profound conviction of the value of your faith" and a strong sense that the Christian presence is important for the country, said Father Leon Lemmens, secretary-general of the Vatican coordinating body of church funding agencies for Eastern Catholic churches, known by its Italian acronym, ROACO.
Msgr. Robert L. Stern, secretary-general of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, said that when Christians feel threatened or that they don't belong, "you need a heroic sense of commitment on that occasion to say, 'I'm going to stay and I'm going to give witness.'"
The two priests spoke to Catholic News Service Jan. 20 during a break in a ROACO assembly at the Vatican.
Father Lemmens said he was amazed by the resolute dedication of the Christian leaders he met during a mid-November visit to Arbil in northern Iraq. "We all know it's not an easy choice, it's a risky choice" since people are keenly aware that priests and bishops have been threatened, kidnapped or killed because they were Christian, he said. The targeted killings and abductions have forced many priests to flee Iraq, resulting in a critical shortage, he said. For example, he said, it's estimated that there are only about 14 priests left to minister to perhaps 100,000 Christians in Baghdad.
"This is discouraging also to Christians; they say, 'The pastor has fled, why should the flock stay?'" he said.
Local bishops need to be very close to their priests, encouraging them to stay and bringing them together as a family, he said. So many Christians in the Middle East "are very often struggling alone and it should not be," he said. While many require material assistance, they also really need spiritual support through prayer and receiving letters, phone calls and visits from Christians from around the world, he added. Father Lemmens said Christians in the Middle East are accomplishing "an important, difficult mission."
The Middle East is the cradle of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, and it's critical that Christians continue to be present in order to witness the Gospel, showing compassion for the poor and dedication to justice, reconciliation and peace, he said. An active Christian presence in the Middle East can also help reverse the prejudice against or misinformation about the Catholic faith, he said. It's better that Muslims "really know Christians in a concrete way" and not through some distorted image given by the media, he said. But more importantly, if Christians and Muslims can live together in the Middle East, then it shows the rest of the world that they can live together peacefully in Europe, the Americas and Asia, he said. "Living together with people who are very different is part of globalization," and part of the way the future of the world is heading, said Father Lemmens. Peace is not achieved with ethnic cleansing or forcing parts of a community to leave, he said.
While strengthening Christian communities in the Middle East must be the church's first priority, Msgr. Stern said there comes a point in some situations when it must be decided what is more important: the people or the place they live. "Because if you are concerned about the people you want to make life as good as possible for them where they are," he said. But if people feel they must leave and there is no alternative, "then perhaps you assist them to migrate," he said. Even though the Holy Land and holy sites are "a very precious part of the world for us," Christians are "not as land-bound as the Muslims and the Jews," he said, because Christianity is called to be universal and to exist anywhere and everywhere.
"I think that it would be sad if the homeland of Christianity and the lands of the Bible had no Christians at all, but if it happens, we can live with it," said Msgr. Stern. He recalled the Gospel account of Jesus telling the Samaritan woman "the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.""I think our first concern is the people -- Christians and all the people ... -- and if there is room for us to be there, fine. And if there is no peace for us to abide there then we, again like the Gospel, must shake the dust off our feet and the Christians move to where they can find peace," he said.
"Christians, by being really authentic followers of Jesus, have a very powerful message. And like the Lord they don't necessarily come out on top winning in a political or social sense, but ultimately they do" win new life, he said.
Leggi tutto!
