By Baghdadhope
The meetings in Baghdad aimed at finding a solution to the problem of anti-Christian violence occurred in recent weeks in Mosul and of the resulting flight to safer areas of thousands of families continue.
This topic has been discussed during a meeting between Iraqi President, Jalal Talabani and Msgr. Shleimun Warduni, Chaldean Patriarch vicar, a meeting attended also by the Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, one of two vice-presidents, Tareq Al Hashimi, the chairman of Kurdish Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, the President of Kurdistan parliament, Jawhar N. Salem, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and the Iraqi industry minister, Fawzi Hariri.
"I clearly denounced the delay of the world, and even of the government, in reacting to the tragedy that was occurring in Mosul," said to Baghdadhope Msgr. Warduni, who added to be grateful to the Government for having sent police forces to the city that in any case "we would prefer to be totally replaced by the army because people have more confidence in soldiers."
"I also said that after so many promises it’s now time to do something, children must go back to school, students to university, men to work, and President Talabani gave broad assurances that it will be done everything is possible to render Mosul safe again and let families come back. We also discussed the deletion of Article 50 which guarantees the representation of minorities in the forthcoming elections of municipal councils and also in this case President Talabani said that the Council of the Presidency that he leads will reinstate Article 50, if not in the body of the law at least in the form of annexation to it. Our rights have been trampled. We are not accusing anybody for what happened in Mosul but we want the government to find the culprits and to guarantee us security. As for the accusations that in recent days have been made against the Kurds the KRG President, Massoud Barzani, denied any involvement of the Kurds in the crimes committed against the Christians. Of our trampled rights, not as Christians but as citizens, I also had occasion to speak with the French Ambassador to Iraq, Jean-François Girault to whom I asked to report our conditions in Europe as France is now chairman of the European Union, and to a representative of the Arab League who confirmed the condemnation of what happened in Mosul and to whom I asked for the League to pressure the Iraqi government to guarantee security and peace to the people who want to return to Mosul.
In recent days there have been rumours about a proposal by the Ministry of emigration to grant to some of the families that fled from Mosul small plots of land to build houses. I do not know exactly where these plots of land would be, but in any case this is not the right solution: the citizens of Mosul should be able to go back where they were born and where they have always lived. This is what I will say to the Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani whom I will meet today in Najaf. On Wednesday in the Church of the Sacred Heart there will be a day of fasting and prayer attended by Catholics of the capital, faithful, priests, bishops and the apostolic nuncio Msgr.Francis A. Chullikat."
When questioned about how many families fled from Mosul Msgr. Warduni stated that the total figure is around 2500 families,2400 of which registered in the Christian villages in the north and the other fled toward the capital or other cities throughout the country, and that about thirty families have, however, already returned to the city thanks to the presence of Iraqi security forces.
"Yes, I also was told that about thirty families returned to Mosul, but that they did so because the conditions they were living were unbearable." To speak in this way to Baghdadhope is Father Amer Youkhanna in contact with the Christian community in Mosul of which he reports the news but also the mood and who added: "Yesterday the churches were opened although there were only few dozen faithful. I was also been told that last Friday the imams, who in most cases the previous week had kept the silence on what was happening in the city, have declared their support for fellow Christians recalling how the Islamic religion imposes their protection."
In recent days there have been rumours about a proposal by the Ministry of emigration to grant to some of the families that fled from Mosul small plots of land to build houses. I do not know exactly where these plots of land would be, but in any case this is not the right solution: the citizens of Mosul should be able to go back where they were born and where they have always lived. This is what I will say to the Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani whom I will meet today in Najaf. On Wednesday in the Church of the Sacred Heart there will be a day of fasting and prayer attended by Catholics of the capital, faithful, priests, bishops and the apostolic nuncio Msgr.Francis A. Chullikat."
When questioned about how many families fled from Mosul Msgr. Warduni stated that the total figure is around 2500 families,2400 of which registered in the Christian villages in the north and the other fled toward the capital or other cities throughout the country, and that about thirty families have, however, already returned to the city thanks to the presence of Iraqi security forces.
"Yes, I also was told that about thirty families returned to Mosul, but that they did so because the conditions they were living were unbearable." To speak in this way to Baghdadhope is Father Amer Youkhanna in contact with the Christian community in Mosul of which he reports the news but also the mood and who added: "Yesterday the churches were opened although there were only few dozen faithful. I was also been told that last Friday the imams, who in most cases the previous week had kept the silence on what was happening in the city, have declared their support for fellow Christians recalling how the Islamic religion imposes their protection."
Why were they silent before and why are they speaking now?
"The presence of soldiers made them feel safer. They have less fear of being attacked if they demonstrate their closeness to the Christians."
What is the general feeling of the community?
"The presence of soldiers made them feel safer. They have less fear of being attacked if they demonstrate their closeness to the Christians."
What is the general feeling of the community?
"From the conversations I had with some of my fellow citizens I would say that the common opinion it is that one third of the Christians who left Mosul will go back sooner or later, one third will remain to live in other parts of the country and one third will try instead to expatriate. The hope of everyone is however that the crimes committed will be punished not as it was in the case of the death of Msgr. Rahho with the indictment of an individual to act as scapegoat. Iraqi Christians need to feel themselves protected, but so far they do not have much hope."