By Baghdadhope*
Three weeks were not enough to soothe the pain of Iraqi Christians who can’t forget the massacre carried out by an Islamic State of Iraq terrorist group in the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad. Pain combined with other emotions such as fear, distrust, resignation and anger. And that turns into an indictment to those who, in the world, ignore the tragedy that an entire community is experiencing. So, Father Ameer Gammo, one of the Chaldean priests who already expressed through Baghdadhope this pain, does it again talking about a society incapable of giving attention to the true values of life, "Gift of God" and attentive instead to material goods and trivial issues. A society whose silence becomes accomplice to the atrocities perpetrated against the human being and that seems unwilling, or unable, to find the strength to say "stop" to evil.
"We all received the sad news of the attack on Christians in Baghdad in the church of Our Lady of Salvation on October 31. For some it was an opportunity to show solidarity in prayer for the victims and the situation in Iraq, and to do everything possible to bring their weak voice to those who have the power to do something for them. For others the news was only a headline and they did not think that more than 50 people were killed and more than 100 injured. They said nothing, they don’t care: it is not an advertisement for a new movie or an interesting exhibition, they are not new models of clothes, or a scandal involving a president or a singer, not an economic offer, or a love story! I wonder why these people behave like this. Maybe the victims are not human beings? Or maybe “they” are not? To all these people the Lord asks: "Where is your brother?" And they answer: "I don’t know! Are we the keepers of our brother?" And again, the Lord," What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. " Alas also these people attacked the church through their silence. Because through it they cover up the evil that was done and help it to grow. Those faithful in the church at the time of the massacre were praying for the world, for peace, for the deads, the sicks, the families, the children, and especially for you who don’t know your responsibilities towards your brother! What have they done wrong not to find you to their side? They shed their pure blood in a sacred place, they said with the Lord, "this is my body, this is my blood", they became a living mass for the world and taught us how we should show our faith in God and in the other people, praying for the enemies. For this reason I say in a loud voice: the terrorists killed them and you buried them, because with your silence you help the evil spreading throughout the world to dominate, and tomorrow it will hit you too. Wake up from sleep and look at what's in the world! Seek the truth that frees you from all the evils, take care of your brothers, especially the weaker ones who do not have a voice, and that even when they cry are not heard because your voices are higher than theirs, with your useless talk that can only make grow a world empty of human dignity because empty of the responsible love to each other! I will repeat the cry of Adam, a child of only three years victim of the massacre in the church, a child who had his world, a little world made of his toys. Adam was the most beloved in his family and communicated with his loved ones through the gestures and the few words he had learned. When he came out from his world, however, he saw terrible things: men playing with guns and not as he used to do with a ball, who shouted in loud and nasty voices, not the ones he was used to because everyone used to talk to Adam with serene and beautiful voices, his childish eyes saw the death of many people and especially that of his father, the man who was everything to him ... Adam shouted to the armed men only one word: "Stop!" until his death three hours later. Adam could not speak well, he knew only a few words of love "Dad, Mom, I love you, hello, ...." but in those terrible moments he chose the right word, "Stop!" to give the world an important message:
stop with the evil that dominates and distorts the human creature
stop with the wars that bring pain, disease, poverty
stop with the darkness that entered the human heart and will darken it
stop with the lost dignity of man
stop with the social injustices
Stop, stop, stop.... Adam cried, but they didn’t listen to him and they killed him not to hear his angelic voice carrier, in one word, of the whole truth: "Stop". The first Adam brought the original sin into our world the consequences of which hit the little Adam who shouted to them: "Stop!" To those who do not care about this innocent child I say that the word "stop" will resonate in the world to recall them their responsibility towards the others. Thanks Adam, you reminded us of our duty towards our life, the gift of God, and towards others' life. You are wiser than all of us, and even if you could still not talk like us, you told the whole truth without fear and the evil was afraid of you. Enough to kill you. And all of us, with you, cry out to the evil "Stooooooooop!"
Father Ameer Gammo
