Source: SIR
“Iraqi Christians feel isolated and forgotten because of the deep silence of the international community and the Church itself, apart from the Pope and some European Bishops. I ask the Churches of the West to comfort us by effectively helping us to stay in our country”. This is the appeal made by mgr. Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, who in Milan on Saturday 31st will receive the “Defensor Fidei” award, promoted by Fondazione Fides et Ratio and the monthly magazine Il Timone. In commenting the news with SIR, the archbishop says he is “honoured for this award” and denounces “ethnic and religious extremisms”, “politics which often takes care of its own interests” and “the rush to armaments”.
“For the war in Iraq, the USA alone have already spent over 3 thousand billion dollars and the other countries have spent as much. By building confidence and dialogue, violence is defeated”. Speaking of the persecution of the Christians, mgr. Sako recalls that “they have always bravely defended the integrity of the country along with their Muslim brothers”. Unfortunately, he adds, “recently they are targeted as scapegoats to be got rid of. In some regions of Iraq, they suffer migration, rapes, abductions, threats and murders disguised by religious reasons. This unusual behaviour contradicts the values of the Iraqi population and the moral values of Islam. An Iraq without Christians will be disastrous for all Iraqis”.
