By Baghdadhope
While Cardinal Bagnasco speaks openly of "religious cleansing" in Iraq, and the Chaldean Procurator to the Holy See, Mgr. Philip Najim, recalls how the Koran calls for a dialogue of peace with Christians, the news coming from Iraq are contradictory.
On the one hand there is the allegation of increasing intimidations by Islamic militias against the Christian community of Mosul where the Christian women can not exempt themselves from the obligation to wear the Islamic veil and families are asked to pay the protection tax and/or to convert to Islam. And where the fear for the loved ones, especially for the children who in recent days began, where possible, to go to school, is pushing the Christian community to flee towards safer areas.
On the other hand the dialogue seems to resume in Baghdad where yesterday the Chaldean Patriarch, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly met with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and Ammar al-Hakim, respectively President and Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the Shiite party holding the most number of seats in the Iraqi parliament (83 on 275) During the meeting, as reported by the website of SIIC, Cardinal Delly recognized the efforts Iraqi government is making to promote security and stability and in favour of the unity of the different components of the country, unity stressed also by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim who recalled the historical ties the country has with the Christian community.