"The situation is tragic" with these words Msgr. Shleimun Warduni, Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar, started out the interview with Baghdadhope referring to what is happening in Mosul, where in four days four Christian men were murdered in cold blood.
"I just talked to the bishop of Mosul, Msgr Nona" continued the prelate, "who confirmed it to me. We, Christians, are innocent victims, we never hurt anybody, we just want to live in peace in our country. If someone doesn't want us here, if someone wants to uproot us from our land, tell it, otherwise leave us in peace."
There is despair, but also anger in the voice of the bishop who appeals to God to open up the minds and hearts of those who commit these crimes to goodness and truth, but also - and for the umpteenth time - to the institutions that have the duty to protect the Christian citizens "citizens like all the others, with the same duties and rights", "local government, but especially the Iraqi national government that is doing nothing to stop this massacre." "We also ask to the international community to put pressure on their governments and that they, in turn, put it on the Iraqi government. I particularly appeal on the Iraqi Christian community living in the United States who suffers from what is happening in its motherland: write to your representatives in Congress, report to the U.S. government our requests for help. The Iraqi Christian community must not die. Everyone in the world agrees with this. So help us to live and continue not only to bear witness of the Gospel as we did for centuries, but also to remain what we are: Iraqis!"
It's sad to hear Msgr. Warduni's words. Sad to repeat them. How many times the Iraqi Christians will ask for our help to continue to live? And we, what can we do to help? Can we stop murderers' hands?
No. But we can use all the means at our disposal to spread their appeals, to ensure that the tragedy they are experiencing is not ignored.
So that they at least know not to have been forgotten. Let's do it.
