Kirkuk: Christians, Muslims and ethnic groups together for a new Iraq

By Asia News

“Closure is a sign of death; openness is a sign of growth and integration. Everyone must start from himself with a desire to rebuilt,” said Mgr Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, in an address for Iraq’s many ethnic and religious groups. He spoke at a conference organised by the Catholic Chaldean Archbishopric in cooperation with the Association for Threatened Peoples in Erbil (Kurdistan).
The meeting brought together about 150 religious and political leaders representing Christian and Muslim groups of different ethnic background: Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen, Assyrian, Yazidi and Mandean.
Along with Mgr Sako, three Muslim representatives of ethnic Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen background—Umer Ibrahim, Abdul Karim Khalifa and Adil Salih—also spoke at the event.
Participants looked at the issue of coexistence from a socio-cultural, educational-psychological and religious point of view.
Here are the highlights of the archbishop’s address, in which he focused on religious pluralism and peaceful coexistence among the country’s various communities.
“Iraq is made up of various groups, which constitute a mosaic of cultures, civilisations, religions, sects and languages with many faces and colours.” Mgr Sako.
“Each carries a heritage that profoundly links us all. Our country needs a cultural and social model that promotes unity through pluralism, tolerance and harmonious coexistence among various religious and ethnic groups,” he explained. “Closure is a sign of death; openness is a sign of growth and integration.”
“Everyone must start from himself with a desire to rebuilt,” he explained. “Religions must act in a positive manner.” They must “end the climate of hatred and encourage responsible participation in the population” to reach more justice and harmony among men.
For this reason, politics must favour unity and not the interests of single groups, which cause divisions and conflict, the prelate said.
For him, religious groups must engage in dialogue so that “they can know each other and learn to live together”. This, however, cannot occur without the protection of religious freedom.
Hatred in modern Iraq is the outcome of the excessive politicisation of religion, the archbishop explained. In his view, some practical steps can be taken in favour of unity whilst separating religion from politics.

1) Each Iraqi should be willing to meet the Other, show a desire to know him, and downplay a tendency to highlight differences at the expense of exchanges.
2) Political leaders should write a constitution that guarantees equal rights and duties for all citizens.
3) The education system should stress national unity, eliminating from school programmes, books and religious institutions, expressions that favour hatred and the marginalisation of one religious group as opposed to others.

Film Exposes Genocide of Assyrian Christians

By CBN, (Christian Broadcasting Network) July 15, 2011
by Paul Strand



A short film that documents the near-genocide of Iraq's ancient Assyrian Christian civilization had a high-profile showing on Capitol Hill.
Congressmen and the media mixed with Assyrians anxious to plead their cause at the showing of the film, "Defying Deletion: The Fight Over Iraq's Nineveh Plains," Thursday.
The documentary highlights how other Iraqis have systematically targeted the Assyrian Christians who've called Iraq their homeland for thousands of years. More than 600,000 have fled the country, more than half of the entire population.
"There are a lot of shootings. There are a lot of bombings. Churches have been bombed. I would say over 60 churches have been bombed," Andre Anton, the film's 26-year-old director, told CBN News.
Anton said extremists often go after Assyrian priests.
"They want to instill fear into the rest of the population and so what better way to do it than actually kidnap and kill someone who's meaningful and powerful?" he said.
Anton talked more about his eye-opening film on the CBN News Channel's Midday News, July 14.
The film points out that while Iraqis are out to grab the homes, lands, and resources of the Assyrians among them, the main reason for the persecution is the Assyrians' Christianity.
"That's why they're getting attacked from these extremists who are saying, 'Okay, these are Christians, like the Americans. Let's show them what we think of them,'" Anton explained.
This is very personal for Anton, whose family is in America only because of the 33 attempted genocides against his people over the last 1,400 years.
"I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of Assyrians that have been born here because of the constant persecution," he said.
Anton and his fellow Assyrians hope that America will use its influence to push for an actual Assyrian homeland in Iraq or at least more protections for these beleaguered Christians.

Saving Christians in Iraq

By Deseret News July, 15, 2011

When Saddam Hussein's regime toppled in 2003 there were about 1 million Christians in Iraq.
Now there are about 300,000.
But this exodus of Christian refugees isn't a matter of a foreign religion being forced out of an Islamic country. It is a cleansing of interlopers and Western influence.
"Christianity is not just something Western, but originally it was something Eastern," said Herman Teule, chair of the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at the Netherlands' Radboud University Nijmegen. "So Christianity is at home in Iraq. Christianity is older than Islam. You cannot understand Islam unless you understand the early development of Christianity in that region."
And knowing the history of Christianity in Iraq opens a window into how missionary-minded churches grow and die. It explains why Iraq Christians are fleeing their country to places like San Diego, but also why keeping Christians in the Middle East may be important for the future of the world.
Teule spoke on June 7 at BYU's David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies on "Christians in Contemporary Iraq: Current Plight and Future Prospect," which meant he had to first explain what happened in the past.

The other branch of Christianity

Many Western Christians have a vague understanding of Christian history. That history follows the missionary efforts of the Apostle Paul and the spread of Jesus' teachings through the Roman Empire, eventual acceptance by Rome, and then progress north throughout Europe and from there out to the rest of the world.
But this understanding of history isn't entirely true.
Christianity also spread in other directions. East for example. East into Mesopotamia including what is modern-day Iraq. This growth was at the very beginning of Christianity — during the first quarter of the second century — the 100s.
And it flourished.
It developed its own liturgy. It developed schools, universities and monasteries. It sent out missionaries. It built churches and religious centers. And all this while most of Europe was yet to be converted and Islam was yet to be founded by the Prophet Muhammad.
It became larger than its Roman Christian cousin. But its glory wouldn't last long — only about 1,000 years.
The eastern branch of Christianity is usually called the Church of the East or, more precisely today, the Assyrian Catholic Church of the East ("Catholic" meaning "universal").

A Christianity of martyrs

At the start, the Christians got along well enough with the Arsacid dynasty of the Parthian Empire. But governments don't last forever and with the rise of the Persian Sassanides in the 3rd century, Christians came under hard times.
They didn't get along as well with the new official state religion Zoroastrianism.
"They didn't fit in," Teule said. "They became a Christianity of martyrs."
One of the problems they had is a problem Christians face today in Iraq. The majority suspected that the minority Christians had more loyalty to their religion than to their own country. The Persian Empire worried they would align themselves with Christians in enemy countries. To counteract this, the Church of the East showed its independence by having its own Catholicos or Patriarch.
Around the 6th century, some Christians came from the West and established their own group now called the Syrian or Syriac Orthodox Church (Also called "Jacobites" after Jacob Baradaeus, Bishop of Edessa from that time). The theological differences between the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Catholic Church of the East were slight — but enough to cause tension.
Then the world changed.

Enter Islam

The Persians were defeated in 635 by the Muslims at the Battle of Qaddasiyyah. A new government was in town.
Zoroastrianism was out. Islam was in.
Teule said in many ways, this was a golden age for the Church of the East. By 781, the new capital, Baghdad, the center of the church. Christians proudly identified themselves as Arabs. They had prominent government positions. They sent out missionaries and had established Christian communities as far flung as Tibet, China and Afghanistan. They translated the writings of Greek philosophers into Arabic and engaged in deep discussions with Muslims.
Everything wasn't rosy, of course, but when the Mongols came and destroyed Baghdad in 1258, things got bad. The Church of the East found itself in the mountains of modern day Kurdistan. It had lost its power, its schools and developed a tribal form of governance.
At first the Mongols were sympathetic with the Christians (they hoped for an alliance with the Western Christians). But this changed, and when it did the results were disastrous for the Christians.
In the late 1300s the central Asian warlord Timur destroyed hundreds of Christian churches. "It was a dark night for Christians," Teule said, "and for Muslims as well."
But the Christians survived.
The Church of the East divided in the end of the 1500s when three bishops broke off and then aligned themselves with the Roman Catholic Church. This new split is now called the Chaldean Catholic Church — and is today the largest group of Christians in Iraq. A similar split happened around that time to the Syriac Orthodox Church, creating the Syriac Catholic Church.
These four churches, The Assyrian Catholic Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Catholic Church and Syriac Catholic Church are now the main Christian traditions in Iraq. They survived 2,000 years of history in Iraq — but some experts do not think they will survive new challenges.

Theology of extinction

In 2008, historian Philip Jenkins wrote "The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — and How It Died." Jenkins argued that the Iraqi churches need to face the inevitable and develop a "theology of extinction;" a way of coping doctrinally that the churches are dying. The consolation prize is that at least Christianity itself will go on, even if their ancient branch of Christianity doesn't.
And churches have died (Ever heard of the huge center of Christianity in North Africa? Gone.). Jenkins told Christianity Today how it happens. "What kills a church is persecution. What kills a church is armed force, usually in the interest of another religion or an antireligious ideology, and sometimes that may mean the destruction or removal of a particular ethnic community that practices Christianity," he said. "Iraq is a classic example of a church that is killed over time. The church will probably cease to exist within my lifetime."
Teule, however, doesn't like this scenario — and its implications. The Roman Catholic Church doesn't either and Pope Benedict XVI called a meeting of the Synod of Middle East Bishops to, among other things, try to find ways to maintain a Christian presence in the Middle East.
"These Christians don't think about extinction, but are trying to survive and have a future in Iraq," Teule said.

A Christian homeland

One of the strongest voices in Iraq for Christians, according to Teule, is Sarkis Aghajan. Aghajan fought with the Kurds against Saddam and even had a place in the Kurdish government after the new Iraq Constitution was adopted. He hopes for a semi-independent homeland for the Christians in Northern Iraq and has worked to establish Christian cities and towns where Christians can flee violence.
And there has been violence.
Two-thirds of Iraq's Christians have fled the country. Many have fled their homes and found new homes in the relative peace of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. But many of these refugees are not suited for life in the mountains. "You can have safety, but if there is no work what good is that?" Teule said. "But if they can adapt there is a possibility of building a future there."
Part of the difficulty in building a future, and something that Aghajan is working against, is the reluctance of the different churches to have all Iraqi Christians think of themselves as one ethnic identity. In the 19th Century, one identity began to rise up as archeologists unearthed the ruins of the huge pre-Islamic Assyrian civilizations. Christians began to think of themselves as the heirs to these glory days and identified themselves as ethnic Assyrians and less as Arabs. But the churches resist this because it is a more secular identity and lessens their direct control.

Fleeing Iraq

But the biggest danger is that the remaining 300,000 or so Christians in Iraq will also flee the country like those who have moved to Jordan and surrounding countries as well as those who went to Europe, Australia and the United States.
Bob Montgomery, the executive director of the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, is on the receiving end of many of those refugees who have fled Iraq. They come to San Diego where there is a large community of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The flow of refugees picked up following several attacks on Christians in December last year. The process to be resettled in a new country can take years.
"When refugees get to the United States they are coming to an economy that is not great and it presents new challenges," Montgomery said. "But they don't have the luxury to wait until the economy gets better. They are in dire straits now."
But even though Teule recognizes the cultural and economic pressures that are pushing individual Christians to flee the home of their ancestors, he worries the exodus has broader implications for the fate of the Middle East.
"I think it would be a disaster if Iraq is emptied of its Christian population," Teule said in an interview with the Deseret News. "It would mean the division of the world into two blocks. An Islamic Middle East and a so-called Christian West." Teule said this would create a true clash of civilizations and go against a history where Muslims and Christians have had long periods of peaceful co-existence. "It would make Islam an almost monolithic thing — something it has never been before. It has always been open to other ideas and open to the Christian minorities. It has always been the reality in Iraq that there was interaction between Christians and Muslims. It would be a pity if that would disappear."

Note by Baghdadhope:
Listen to Professor Herman Teule's lecture at Kennedy Center by clicking here

Iraq: il 2010 un anno terribile per i cristiani

By Asia News
di Naman Tarcha

Il 2010 è stato l’anno peggiore per la comunità cristiana in Iraq. Lo denuncia l’organizzazione per i diritti umani in Iraq Hammurabi. Molti cristiani sono stati costretti a lasciare il Paese nel timore di uccisioni e violenze di ogni tipo. Il bilancio delle vittime tra i cristiani negli ultimi sette anni, secondo Hammurabi, supera la 822 persone. 629 di loro sono stati assassinati per il fatto di far parte della minoranza cristiana. Altri 126 sono rimasti coinvolti in attentati di vario genere; altri ancora sono rimasti vittime di operazioni militari compiute dalle forze americane e irachene. Il 13% delle vittime sono donne. Fra le vittime cristiane del 2010 si contano 33 bambini, 25 anziani e 14 religiosi. Nell’anno 2010 Hammurabi registra 92 casi di cristiani uccisi e 47 feriti; 68 a Baghdad, 23 a Mosul e uno a Erbil.
Il direttore dell'Organizzazione umanitaria Hammurabi, che trae il suo nome dal Codice di Hammurabi, una fra le più antiche raccolte di leggi conosciute nella storia dell'umanità, William Warda, ha affermato che attraverso il monitoraggio costante e la documentazione raccolta risulta che tutte le Chiese cristiane in Iraq - caldei, assiri, siriaci, armeni -, hanno subito forti perdite nel numero dei loro fedeli, in tutto il Paese. Il calo appare particolarmente forte a Baghdad e Mosul, dove i cristiani sono concentrati in numero maggiore. Warda ha aggiunto che in solo anno ci sono stati più di 90 cristiani assassinati e 280 feriti; e due chiese sono state bersaglio di attentati a Baghdad. Secondo l’Unicef fra il 2008 e il 2010 i bambini uccisi in Iraq sono stati più di 900, e 3200 i feriti. I bambini rappresentano l’8.1% delle vittime di attentati in Iraq, dove si moltiplicano gli attacchi contro le scuole e il personale dell’istruzione.
A dispetto della violenza che ancora miete vittime, nella comunità cristiana irachena non mancano i segnali di una forte vitalità. Il 4 luglio il capo della comunità caldea, il patriarca Emmanuel Delly III, ha reso visita alla massima autorità religiosa sciita irachena, Ali al Sistani, e ha sottolineato che si è trattato di “una visita fraterna, per ribadire l'unità dell’Iraq e degli iracheni musulmani e cristiani”.
La settimana scorsa a Kirkuk, a nord di Baghdad, è stata inaugurata la prima chiesa costruita dopo l'invasione dell'Iraq del 2003, su un terreno donato dal governo iracheno con il contributo del Presidente Jalal Talabani, e finanziata dalle offerte dei cristiani iracheni (IRAQ, "Tre fontane": una nuova chiesa a Kirkuk, segno di speranza).

In questo quadro ci sono voci, finora impossibili da verificare, sull’ipotesi di una visita di Benedetto XVI nella storica di città di Ur dei Caldei, nel sud dell’Iraq. Un viaggio analogo programmato da Giovanni Paolo II per il Giubileo del 2000 non si è potuto realizzare per ragioni di sicurezza. Benedetto XVI ha più volte invitato i cristiani del Medio Oriente e dell’Iraq in particolare a non abbandonare la loro patria.

2010 a terrible year for Iraq’s Christians

By Asia News
by Naman Tarcha

The year 2010 was the worst year to date for the Christian community in Iraq, it has been revealed by the organization for human rights in Iraq, Hammurabi. Many Christians were forced to leave the country in fear of killings and violence of all kinds. The death toll among Christians over the past seven years, according to Hammurabi exceeds 822 people. 629 of them were murdered for being part of the Christian minority. Others were involved in 126 attacks of various kinds and many others have been victims of military operations undertaken by U.S. and Iraqi forces. 13% of victims are women. Among the Christian victims of 2010 there are 33 children, 25 elderly and 14 religious. In 2010 Hammurabi recorded 92 cases of Christians killed and 47 wounded, 68 in Baghdad, 23 in Mosul and one in Erbil.
The director of Hammurabi, named after the Code of Hammurabi, one of the oldest known collections of laws in human history, William Warda, said that constant monitoring and documentation show that all the Christian Churches in Iraq - Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrians, Armenians - have suffered heavy losses in the number of their faithful, all over the country. The decline is particularly strong in Baghdad and Mosul, where Christians are concentrated in greater numbers. Warda said that in one year there were more than 90 Christians killed and 280 wounded, and two churches have been the target of attacks in Baghdad. According to UNICEF, between 2008 and 2010 more than 900 children have been killed in Iraq, and 3200 injured. Children represent the 8 .1% of the victims of attacks in Iraq, where there are an increasing number of attacks against schools and educators.
Although violence is still taking its toll on the Iraqi Christian community there are also strong signs of vitality. On 4 July the head of the Chaldean community, Patriarch Emmanuel Delly III, visited the highest Shiite religious authority of Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, and stressed that it was "a fraternal visit to reaffirm the unity of Iraq and of Iraqis, Muslims and Christians."
Last week in Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, the first church built after the 2003 invasion of Iraq was inaugurated, on land donated by the Iraqi government with the support of President Jalal Talabani, and funded by donations from Iraqi Christians (IRAQ, New ‘Three Fountains Church’ near Kirkuk, a sign of hope).

There are also rumours, almost impossible to verify, of a possible visit by Benedict XVI to the historic city of Ur of the Chaldeens, in southern Iraq. A similar trip planned by John Paul II for the Jubilee of 2000 was called off for security reasons. Benedict XVI has repeatedly urged the Christians of the Middle East and Iraq in particular not to leave their homelands.

Iraq. L’allarme dei caldei negli Usa: “Cristiani in fuga perché facili bersagli”

By Radiovaticana

I cristiani in Iraq sono un facile obiettivo delle persecuzioni perché sono colti, educati e non possiedono armi: la denuncia è della Federazione dei caldei d’America e del suo direttore esecutivo, Joseph Kassab, che all’associazione caritativa Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre (Acs) ha confermato che la comunità cristiana nel Paese è diminuita da un milione e 200mila persone ad appena 300mila. “La maggior parte è stata costretta a fuggire nel nord – sono le sue parole riferite dall’agenzia Sir – altri hanno chiesto asilo politico in Europa o in Paesi confinanti come Libano, Giordania, Siria, Turchia ed Egitto”. Quello che può fare l’opinione pubblica contro questa diaspora è pressione sul governo affinché i fedeli possano tornare nelle terre che abitano da migliaia di anni, in un’area che è considerata la culla del Cristianesimo. “Noi desideriamo la pace, non amiamo combattere – chiosa Kassab – senza i cristiani l’Iraq non sarà più lo stesso Paese”.

Clicca qui per leggere l'intera intervista a Joseph Kassab (in inglese)

The Extermination of Iraq’s Ancestral People - An interview with Joseph Kassab

By Aid to the Church in Need

Christianity in Iraq dates back to the end of the first century with the arrival of the Apostle Thomas. Christians were a majority long before Islam set foot in Iraqi soil. Today, however, Christians number a little more than 300,000 of the original 1.2 million that were there before the arrival of the U.S. led invasion. An Interview with Joseph Kassab, the Executive Director of the Chaldean Federation of America in USA.
As we know, Christians are leaving Iraq in great numbers. Why and what was the situation of Christians in Iraq before the US invasion?
As you stated earlier, the number of Christians in Iraq before the 2003 war was more than 1.2 million. Now we have less than 300,000 in Iraq and the majority are either internally displaced people seeking security in Northern Iraq and another 300,000 – 400,000 are seeking asylum as refugees in neighboring countries like Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt and some of them are stranded in Europe. One of the reasons for their displacement is because of the vicious violence committed against these people. The atrocities are intolerable and unbelievable. They have become a “soft target” for many reason, one of which and the most important is: Christians do not carry arms. They do not have a militia to protect them. They do not have tribal people to help them and the Iraqi Christians are known to be the elite, highly educated, scholars and part of the “think tank” of Iraq and so they were also targeted for that.
I want to address these questions, but first, I would like to know what was the reality for Christians living under Saddam Hussein?
Let us put it this way: during Saddam there was order but there was no law; now there is no law and no order. So you can see that they were better off during that time because there was some order, somehow something to protect them, but at the same time, Saddam during the last decade of his rule, became vicious and an Islamist and went after the Christians in many ways: He sent our seminarians to war against their will; forced them to carry arms and kill people. He nationalized our Christian institutions and forbade Christian babies from being named with Biblical names. He also forced Christians to belong to the Ba’ath Party - his party - otherwise they were ordered to leave. These were the kind of things that were happening at that time, but in terms of security issues, the Christians were better off at that time than today.
How would you describe the political situation, today in Iraq?
Many drastic changes took place in Iraq after the war. One of the most important change was the formation of more than 300 political parties. Iraq only had one before the war. The Americans let go of the Iraqi Army and as a result, these people are now fighting the Americans and the newly installed government. Unemployment has risen to about 90% so people do not know what to do and the situation is still chaotic. If you ask me whether democracy has taken root in Iraq, I very much doubt it. The principle of democracy is based on two pillars: The first is majority rule. The second, which is more important, is the recognition and respect of the rights of the minorities, and the respect of religious and civil rights. This is not happening in Iraq and therefore democracy has not taken root yet.
In the new Iraqi constitution, there is an article, which guarantees the freedom of religious expression. Is there religious freedom?
The Constitution recognizes religious freedom, but the Constitution comes very short in terms of the rights of the religious minorities such as the Christians. It is contradicted in Article 2 which states that Islam is the major religion of Iraq and no ruling can be issued that is contrary to Islam. That means that others who do not profess Islam have lesser rights and this is not helping at all. I think the Constitution of Iraq needs to be reviewed. I think the Iraqi Christians should have more representation in parliament and the government in order to survive.
You mentioned the question of security. Christians are suffering increasing persecution and violence. Where is this coming from? What is the agenda?
I think that there is a hidden agenda. I think there is the agenda to drive Christians out of not only in Iraq, but out of the whole of the Middle East. This, unfortunately, is happening but the international community is not saying anything about it. We do not know the reason why there is this agenda to empty this region of Christians considering that this area is the cradle of Christianity.
And the Christians are the indigenous people?
The Christians are indeed the indigenous people and our ancestry and history goes back 5,000 years ago, 3,000 years before Christ. I do not understand why this is happening and I think that there is an agenda in making this particular area having one religion rather than multi-religious area.
What kind of stories are we talking about when we talk about violence against Christians?
There are many atrocities committed against Iraqi Christians and there are plenty of undocumented as well as horrific stories, fore instance: Rita a 24 year-old Christian woman, because of threats and intimidation fled Iraq for Jordan. Within a month or so she heard that her three brothers who stayed in Iraq were kidnapped by fundamentalists. She insisted on returning and try to save them. On her way back, she was kidnapped by the same kidnappers. They held her for 5 days, beat her and raped her a multitude of times. Her family paid the ransom for her release and then was able to tell her story. She said that during her ordeal she prayed to God and Jesus Christ that she would remain Christian even unto death. She was eventually released after the ransom was paid.
There are some Christians that have gone to the point of death?
That is true. We have Ajad who was 14 years old. His job was security to an electric generator in his neighborhood. This financially assisted his mum. His father was killed by the insurgents. One night while on the job, a fundamentalist came to him and said, “What are you doing here"? He said: “I’m guarding this; it’s my job". They saw that he was wearing a cross and they said to him: “You are Christian? He said: "Yes, I’m a Christian”. They said: “You have to convert to Islam otherwise you die”. He said: "I’d rather die a Christian than convert to Islam”. They then killed him and crucified him and after that they tossed his body into a fire. These are the kind of stories you hear from Iraq. Not too long ago our Archbishop, Archbishop Rahho of Mosul, a very good man who was trying to help his people, was kidnapped. I was on my way from the US to see and visit him and acknowledge him for the good work he was doing. All of a sudden I was informed that he was kidnapped and instead of me visiting, hugging and shaking hands with him, instead I ended up attending his funeral.
A number of Catholic hierarchy: Bishops, priests, and deacons have been targeted. Would you say that the hierarchy are targeted to scare them away?
As you know more than 59 churches in Iraq have been burned, bombed and many members of the clergy of our Church have been kidnapped, killed, some released. Everybody who is a “soft target” mainly the Christians, are becoming a target of the fundamentalists. So, yes, everyone who is “soft” and who is unable to protect themselves are targets of the fundamentalists and our hierarchy are definitely targets or are in jeopardy.
Why are Christians a “soft target”?
The reason is because of their Christian beliefs. They believe in peace. They do not like to fight. They do not carry arms. They don’t have tribal people to protect them. They do not have a militia and therefore become a “soft target”. In addition to that they own many business and are successful business entrepreneurs. They are also professionals. This makes them obvious targets. Firstly, because they pay the ransoms when kidnapped, which pays or fuels the fundamentalist agenda. Secondly, this is a method by the fundamentalists to intimidate these minority religious groups.
You mentioned that a lot of them are successful entrepreneurs; many of them make up the intellectual base of Iraq. What is the risk to Iraq for the loss of this Christian population in terms of a brain drain if you will?
You are right that the majority of Iraqi Christians are highly educated. The majority of them are either educated in Iraq by the American Jesuits or by the European and American universities. They are, indeed professionals and highly successful and are easy targets. There is certainly a significant brain drain. Iraq has been depleted of its “think tanks”. The UNESCO agency, not too long ago, reported that more than 20,000 Iraqi intellectuals and professionals have fled Iraq because of intimidation, and fear for their lives. These people whether Christians or Muslims because of their professionalism; they are known to bridge people together because they understand what peace is and what life is, which is a positive thing, but they are unable to live in Iraq. This is a loss for Iraq because this loss deprives Iraq of the potential to rebuild itself and get out of this problem. These people are unwilling to go back until the security situation improves.
We have to clarify that the violence inflicted on the Christians comes from a particular group because you’ve mentioned about the moderate Muslims. Do you have stories of moderate Muslims are working to save the Christian population?
Yes, there are a lot of stories to be told about moderate Muslims protecting Iraqi Christians. This is particularly true among neighbors. We know that in the past, Iraqi Christians and Muslims lived side by side; these were friends, visited each other, interacted among themselves and there was mutual respect. We have a lot of cases of good Muslim neighbors harboring and protecting their Christian neighbors from being hurt by the fundamentalists. This a very positive sign of hope in Iraq and I hope that it will continue. We need to see more people doing it. Is there a glimmer of hope in Iraq at this time? I do not know. I’m not very sure that there is this glimmer of hope for Iraq unless more moderate people come forward and create a unity for all.
Why is there a muted response or silence from the international community to what is happening in Iraq?
I think that the Christians have been forgotten by the international community and mainly by the world churches. We need more publicity for the plight of Christians. We are doing our best to make sure that their voices are heard and we will continue to do so and therefore, we plead to the international community and the Iraqi government to make sure that these people are protected and are able to survive in their own country.
The Christians are moving out of fear to the plains of Nineveh and there seems to be a push, or an idea that is circulating, in creating Christian enclaves in the plains of Nineveh. Is that, in your opinion a good idea?
Yes and no; let me explain: It is a good idea for our people to move to a safe area; to a secure area where they are able, at least for the time being, to survive. It is also good to know that these areas allow access to various resources that will assist them. They are also close to the Kurds who are, at this time, sympathetic to all Iraqi religious minorities who are suffering. We would like the Iraqi government to be doing the same thing. But, at the same time, there is a lot of misunderstanding with the thinking that if this is done then they become vulnerable because of their concentration in one area. This is not what we are calling for. What we are calling for is a self administrative area where they police themselves. These areas should also allow for good economic programs as well for them to thrive as well as security measures. If this is established then the Christians can live anywhere in Iraq especially when their rights are recognized. Another proposal we’ve presented to the International community is that there should be an Iraqi Minority Security council in place, made up of the members from the Iraqi religious minorities, the Iraqi government, the UN or members of the International community, in order to enforce that and make sure that the Iraqi religious communities are protected. This is something very, very important. Things are getting out of hand; as we speak we are seeing cases of murder, kidnapping moving from Mosul to Kirkuk and there is an outcry there in Kirkuk: “What is going on? Why is the Iraqi government and the international community not protecting the Christians, after all, these are the indigenous people of Iraq. These are the ancestral people of Iraq and they should be entitled to the first right to be in Iraq".
They won’t come back until they know that there are certain conditions in place to guarantee their safety?
That is correct and what we are working on this to make sure that there are certain security measures in place. They can have self-rule. They can police themselves and the most important factor is that Iraq and the international community should provide the infrastructures to provide good education, health care, transportation for these people and a very conducive environment for economic activity to attract these people back to Iraq. Iraqi Christians are very resilient people. They are survivors; given all these guarantees, they will thrive and rebuild.
What can we do; you and me?
We have to inform; our word has to go out. It has to be well publicized - as we are doing now. And we would also like to see the humanitarian agencies in the area, to provide immediate humanitarian assistance for these people. There is a call for a very important rescue for our people especially the refugees. They are going through a horrible time in the countries where they have sought asylum and which are unable to re-settle them all, and as a matter of fact, cannot re-settle them all or do not want to because they want them to go back to their homeland. In order to do that., we have to push for a better conditions for them to go back to Iraq. These are the same people who will be able to bridge Iraq together; they are the buffer between the contesting parties. It is now the time to call for reconciliation among all the people of Iraq to be united and not fragmented and when this happens the Iraqi Christians will certainly be better off.
One last question: What will Iraq be without the Christians?
The Christians as I’ve said, are an integral part of Iraq. They are the elite. They are the most educated in Iraq and they have contributed so much for Iraq without anything in return and without any agenda. Therefore, Iraq without the Christians will not be the same Iraq that we’ve know for centuries.

This interview was conducted by Mark Riedemann for "Where God Weeps," a weekly television and radio show produced by Catholic Radio and Television Network in conjunction with the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. On the Net: www.wheregodweeps.org

Nuova chiesa caldea dedicata a San Paolo in Iraq

By Baghdadhope*

Foto della nuova chiesa caldea dedicata a San Paolo nel villaggio di Sikanayan, nel territorio dell'Arcidiocesi di Kirkuk ed alcuni momenti della messa celebrata da Mons. Louis Sako.

Per altre foto da Kaldaya.net clicca qui

"Tre fontane": una nuova chiesa a Kirkuk, segno di speranza

By Asia News
di Joseph Mahmoud

Una nuova parrocchia caldea è stata inaugurata ierii a Kirkuk, nel villaggio di Sikanayan, a 10 km dal centro città. La chiesa porta il nome di San Paolo Apostolo perché la parola kurda “sikanayan” significa “Tre Fontane” ed è fuori delle mura cittadine, proprio come la chiesa delle Tre Fontane a Roma che ricorda il luogo in cui è stato martirizzato l’apostolo. Ci sono 200 case nel villaggio, fra quelle già costruite e quelle in costruzione. Il terreno è stato offerto gratuitamente da tutti.
La chiesa è stata aperta al pubblico già dal 4 luglio, con una messa presieduta dall'arcivescovo di Kirkuk, mons. Louis Sako. Nella sua omelia, mons. Sako ha incoraggiato i cristiani a rimanere nel Paese e a testimoniare la loro fede con fiducia e coraggio.
Alla cerimonia ufficile di inaugurazione, il 7 luglio, erano presenti i responsabili della Provincia, gli shaikhs e alcuni imam. La corale ha cantato inni e salmi. La preghiera universale è stata letta da uno shaikh musulmano arabo, da un kurdo e da un turkmeno. Dopo di ciò un imam ha fatto una preghiera spontanea, di augurio: che questo luogo sia sempre santo, e che i cristiani possano pregare e lodare Dio.
L'arcivescovo nel suo discorso ha detto: “La chiesa è un luogo speciale per adorare Dio in spirito e verità, così come anche una moschea. Nella misura in cui questi luoghi riflettono la bellezza di Dio, la sua verità, il suo amore, la sua misericordia e il perdono, sono sacri. Questa è la dimensione verticale, così si dice da noi; la chiesa è 'Casa di Dio', ma questo non basta. C’è anche una dimensione orizzontale: il suo ruolo è di formare il cuore dei fedeli con valori grandi e nobili: il bene, l'amore e la carità, l'onestà, la generosità e la cooperazione, e tenere lontano il cuore dal male e dall'odio, e dalla violenza. Allora la chiesa è anche la ‘Casa del popolo’”.
Mons. Sako ha così continuato: “Rendiamo grazie a Dio oggi in questo luogo santo in cui adoriamo un solo Dio e glorifichiamolo non solo con le parole, ma con il nostro comportamento e nei rapporti quotidiani. Abbiamo bisogno l'uno dell'altro, non possiamo essere isolati gli uni dagli altri e vivere da soli, perché l'isolamento è una morte lenta. Invece l'apertura è segno di vita rinnovata e di crescita ... Speriamo di continuare la nostra presenza cristiana insieme ai nostri fratelli, musulmani e altri, nella stabilità, sicurezza e dignità”.
L’arcivescovo ha concluso: “In questa occasione vorrei ringraziare tutti coloro che hanno contribuito non solo a questa chiesa, ma a questo microcosmo, al mosaico di Kirkuk. I cittadini di Kirkuk devono rimanere uniti e collaborare insieme, per tempi migliori".
Il presidente del Consiglio municipale, un turkmeno, nel suo discorso ha sottolineato il ruolo dei cristiani nella civiltà irachena e ha apprezzato la loro apertura, la loro moralità e la loro lealtà verso l'Iraq.

Iraq: First new church since US invasion opens

By Yahoo News (AFP), 8 July 2011

Iraq's first new church since the 2003 US-led invasion opened in a poor Christian neighbourhood of the northern city of Kirkuk, the region's Chaldean archbishop told AFP on Friday.
The inauguration of Mar Bulos (Saint Paul's) church in the multi-ethnic and multi-religious city comes despite the sharp fall in the number of Christians in Iraq because of attacks and threats by Al-Qaeda.
In an opening ceremony on Thursday, Louis Sako, the Chaldean Archbishop of the northern province of Sulaimaniyah and Kirkuk (also the name of the provincial capital) said that Christians and Muslims "need each other."
"We need each other, we cannot isolate ourselves and live alone," he told a congregation of about 300.
"Isolation is a slow death, so we have hope for a joint life as Christians and Muslims, to have a righteous country, and a city full of security, stability and dignity."
"This is considered as the first new church in Iraq since 2003," Sako said.
The number of Iraqi Christians has dwindled to about 400,000 from an estimated figure of between 800,000 and 1.2 million before the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Most of them live in Baghdad, Kirkuk, the area surrounding the northern city of Mosul and parts of the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north of Iraq.
On October 31, a group of Al-Qaeda commandos stormed a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad, with the ensuing siege killing 44 worshippers, two priests and seven Iraqi security force officers. It was the worst attack against Iraq's Christian community since 2003, and countless members of the minority have since fled the country.
The new Kirkuk church serves a housing community of about 200 Christian families who fled to Kirkuk and nearby regions from other parts of the country, Sako said.
The church and complex were built on land donated by the Iraqi government and with donations, including $10,000 by President Jalal Talabani.
He said it was a secure location with fewer instances of violence and was better protected because of its location near the facilities and housing complexes of the state-run North Oil Company.
In a symbolic gesture of solidarity with the Christian community, Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad Ameen, the Muslim Imam of Kirkuk, recited a prayer before the congregation, asking God for peace and security for the people of Kirkuk and the rest of Iraq.
The ceremony was also attended by several Arab and Kurdish officials.
Hassan Toran, the chief of Kirkuk's provincial council, said that the local government "will support the Christians, financially and morally.
Today is an example for forgiveness in this city, a message of peace to confirm the coexistance and fraternity of all the sects of Kirkuk." he said.
Emad Yelda, an MP representing Iraq's Assyrian Christians, said that the opening of the church was a message for Christians not to abandon Iraq, and a message to everyone not to target the Christians.
"Building the church today is a message for all countries and everyone who has an agenda: don't target us and leave us (to) build houses of God," he said.
Several members of the congregation said they had received homes in the complex after fleeing from other regions.
Saad Issa Rowi, a 55-year-old day-labourer, said: "I left Baghdad last year due to the security situation and decided to live in Kirkuk, because I have relatives and friends here."
"Getting the land (for the housing complex) is like a gift from God, a gift to stay in Iraq, die here and be buried here."

Turchia. Piccoli gesti di speranza Gli incontri tra giovani francesi e rifugiati iracheni a Istanbul

By SIR

Rifugiati iracheni a Istanbul: è uno dei reportage presentati dalla rivista della Chiesa cattolica turca, "Presence", nell'ultimo numero di giugno-luglio. La Turchia è un Paese di accoglienza per un buon numero di cristiani, tra loro ci sono anche 4600 rifugiati iracheni che vivono per la gran parte a Istanbul, dove si sono rifugiati per fuggire dalla violenza settaria che dal 2003 ha pressoché ridotto del 50% l'antica presenza delle comunità cristiane. Gli iracheni in Turchia rischiano di attendere molti anni prima emigrare verso altri Paesi.
Nel Paese della Mezzaluna non hanno assistenza sanitaria, permessi di lavoro e diritto allo studio. In Turchia bisogna per legge registrarsi presso gli uffici della polizia entro 10 giorni dall'arrivo e richiedere agli uffici dell'Alto Commissariato per i rifugiati (Unhcr) un documento che certifichi lo status di rifugiati. Fino al rilascio del documento i profughi sono considerati come "richiedenti asilo", mentre coloro che non si registrano o non fanno domanda di asilo rimangono immigrati senza documenti. In molti casi queste persone, che la guerra ha portato in Turchia, a Istanbul vivono di piccoli lavori o di carità quando in Iraq erano benestanti, con titoli di studio e proprietà che ha dovuto vendere, o meglio svendere, per poter fuggire dalla violenza.

Un centro di accoglienza. Ad occuparsi di loro è il vicario patriarcale caldeo di Diyarbakir, mons. François Yakan che ha creato un centro di accoglienza dove offre diverse tipologie di aiuto: dal riempire i moduli di iscrizione per l'Unhcr, trovare un alloggio, provvedere ai più elementari bisogni, fino ad organizzare dei corsi di lingua turca, scolarizzare i bambini fino a pagare le spese più urgenti. Ma per fare tutto ciò mons. Yakan deve girare l'Europa in cerca di fondi e di aiuto perché qualche Stato prenda in carico qualcuna di queste famiglie. E tra un battesimo ed una prima comunione il vicario trova anche il tempo di celebrare una messa in qualche sperduto villaggio dell'interno dove vive qualche isolata famiglia di rifugiati cristiani e di riaprire, nello scorso maggio, l'antichissima chiesa, risalente al IV secolo, dedicata a sant' Hormisda, uno dei patroni della chiesa caldea.

Una parrocchia mobilitata. A Istanbul le famiglie irachene risiedono in gran parte in appartamenti siti nel quartiere di Kurtulus dove i più piccoli hanno l'opportunità di seguire un insegnamento bilingue (arabo e inglese) nella scuola Don Bosco, diretta dai salesiani della cattedrale dello Spirito Santo. In aula ci sono professori che non contenti di insegnare le materie necessarie si prodigano anche per cercare di migliorare la vita quotidiana di questi loro alunni. È nata anche da qui la voglia di molti giovani, soprattutto di lingua francese figli di lavoratori stranieri a Istanbul, e catechisti che frequentano la parrocchia locale di san Luigi dei Francesi, di mobilitarsi a favore dei piccoli rifugiati.

Un'esperienza di condivisione. Un primo contatto è avvenuto il 12 dicembre, in Avvento, scorso quando giovani hanno partecipato ad una messa in aramaico con la comunità irachena rimanendone impressionati positivamente per la ricchezza liturgica e del rito. A questo incontro ne è seguito un secondo, diviso in due momenti: la festa di Martedì Grasso, con maschere, musica e dolci seguita dall'inizio della Quaresima nel corso della quale la comunità parrocchiale si è impegnata nel donare dei libri in inglese agli amici rifugiati. La scelta di regalare dei libri, ben 140 insieme a dei dizionari e a tre abbonamenti a riviste inglesi, organizzando di fatto una vera e propria biblioteca, è nata dal desiderio degli iracheni, che pure hanno bisogno di tutto ma mantengono alti l'orgoglio e la fierezza del loro popolo, di trasferirsi in Paesi anglosassoni per ricostruirsi un futuro migliore. Libri come simboli del sapere, del pensiero e della libertà che hanno senso e profondità a questo scambio di culture e di amicizia. "Per noi giovani occidentali che non soffriamo e che, soprattutto, non abbiamo bisogno di nulla, - affermano Geneviève du Parc Locmaria e Laure Accolas - l'incontro e lo scambio con dei nostri coetanei che mancano di tutto, perfino della loro Patria, è stata un'esperienza formidabile. A noi continuare sulla strada della fraternità e della condivisione".

Turkey. Small gestures of hope.Meetings of French youth and Iraqi refugees in Istanbul

By SIR

Iraqi refugees in Istanbul are the objects of a reportage published in the last issue (June-July) of "Presence", the review of the Turkish Catholic Church. Turkey is the country of arrival of a large number of Christians, including 4600 Iraqi refugees, most of whom have settled down in Istanbul, where they sought shelter from the sectarian violence which since 2003 reduced by 50% the ancient presence of Christian communities. Iraqis in Turkey risk having to wait many years before they can emigrate to other Countries.
In the Crescent-Moon country they are not granted health assistance, working permits nor rights to public education. Turkish legislation stipulates registration in police stations within 10 days after arrival in conjunction with the request of a document certifying the refugee status to the offices of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Until they receive the document refugees are considered "asylum seekers", while those who don't register or fail to submit asylum requests are considered immigrants without documents. In many cases these people, who fled from armed conflicts, have low-paid jobs or live as beggars, while in Iraq they were wealthy, with high education titles and property that they were forced to sell - indeed to undersell - in order to escape violence.

A reception centre. The Chaldean patriarchal vicar of Diyarbakir, Msgr. François Yakan, created a reception centre for migrants providing various support services that include advice on UNHCR registration forms, housing, primary needs, Turkish language courses, schooling for children as well as the coverage of urgent expenses. In order to fulfil this mission, Msgr. Yakan travels across Europe in search of funding and support, so that the States may accept to provide for the needs of some of these families. The vicar, along with baptisms and first communions, even finds the time to celebrate Mass in remote inland villages for the isolated families of Christian refugees and to reopen - past May - the ancient church, dating back to the 4th century, dedicated to Saint Hormisda, a patron saint of the Chaldean Church.

An active parish church. Most Iraqi families in Istanbul live in apartments located in the neighbourhood of Kurtulus where the young have the opportunity to follow bilingual classes (Arabic and English) in the Don Bosco school, directed by the Salesians of the cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The classes are taught by teachers who to do their utmost to help improve the living conditions of their pupils. This triggered the desire of many young people, notably French-speaking sons and daughters of foreign workers in Istanbul, as well as catechists that attend the local parish of Saint Louis of the Rench, to be actively involved in providing help and assistance to young refugees.

The experience of sharing. They first met with them on December 12, during the Advent, when young people took part in a Mass in Aramaic with the Iraqi community. They were positively impressed by the liturgical richness and by the rite. This meeting was followed by another, divided in two moments: the feast of Shrove Tuesday, dressed up, with music and candies, followed by the beginning of Lent during which the parish community committed itself to donate English books to their refugee friends. The decision to donate books - as many as 140 along with dictionaries and three subscriptions to English magazines - organising a real and true library, springs from the wish of the Iraqis (who need everything but keep high the pride and dignity of their people) to settle down in Anglo-Saxon countries to rebuild a better future for themselves. Books, understood as the symbols of knowledge, of thought and of freedom, provide meaning and significance to this exchange of cultures and friendships. "For us young people from Western Europe, who don't suffer, and most of all, need nothing - said Geneviève du Parc Locmaria and Laure Accolas - meeting and sharing our experience with our peers that lost everything, including their homeland, was a magnificent experience. Now it is our duty to continue along the path of fraternity and sharing".

Iraq: Incontro dei vescovi cattolici

By Baghdadhope*
Fonte: Kaldaya.net

Dopo l'importante incontro con l'Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani avvenuto a Najaf lo scorso lunedì il patriarca della chiesa caldea, Cardinale Mar Emmanuel III Delly, ha ospitato nella del convento delle suore caldee a Baghdad l'incontro dei vescovi cattolici in Iraq.
Presenti oltre al Cardinale Delly erano il Nunzio Apostolico in Iraq e Giordania, Mons. Giorgio Lingua, il vescovo latino di Baghdad, Mons. Jean B. Sleiman, l'arcivescovo caldeo di Erbil, Mons. Bashar M. Warda, l'Arcivescovo caldeo di Mosul, Mons. Emile Nona, il vicario patriarcale di Baghdad, Mons. Shleimun Warduni, l'Arcivescovo siro cattolico di Mosul Mons. Boutros Moshe, e quello siro cattolico di Baghdad, Mons. Yousif Abba e l'Arcivescovo armeno dell'Iraq, MOns. Emmanuel Dabbaghian. Presenti anche alcuni sacerdoti caldei tra cui Padre Salem Saka e Padre Basel Yaldo, vicario parrocchiale della chiesa caldea di Saint George, nel Michigan (USA) che sta accompagnando il patriarca caldeo nelle sue visite pastorali in Iraq.
Alla fine della riunione il Cardinale Delly ha celebrato una messa durante la quale è stato ricordato il 60° anniversario dell'ordinazione sacerdotale di Papa Benedetto XVI.
Ieri invece è stata la volta dell'incontro tra il Patriarca caldeo ed il neo ambasciatore francese in Iraq, Denys Gauer che ha sottoneato i legami tra Francia ed Iraq e la collaborazione dei cristiani al servizio di tutti.

EC. All'incontro dei vescovi cattolici erano presenti anche Mons. Louis Sako, Arcivescovo caldeo di Kirkuk, Padre Yohanna Issa e Padre Johnny Dawood, rispettivamente amministratori patriarcali caldei delle diocesi di Aqra e Zakho.

Northern Iraq – where Christians are a bridge to Islam

By Aid to the Church in Need July 6, 2011

"In northern Iraq, Christians are a bridge to Islam. Hence the West must do more for them."

These are the words of Professor Hans Hollerweger, one of the cofounders of the "Initiative Christian Orient" and until 1995 a professor for liturgical studies in Linz, Austria.
He was speaking to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the situation of Christians in Iraq.
Whereas Christians in the south of the country, in Baghdad, and even in Mosul, must fear for their lives, in Iraqi Kurdistan they can live safely, insisted Professor Hollerweger, during a recent visit to the headquarters of the charity in Germany.
Two thirds of the Christians in northern Iraq belong to the Chaldean Catholic Church, while the remaining third are either Syrian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox or Armenian Christians.
"These are ancient churches that have always been there and which for centuries have cultivated an overwhelmingly peaceful relationship with their Islamic neighbours", said Professor Hollerweger. Now Islamic extremists were trying to destroy this coexistence, he said, whereas Kurdish representatives expressly wished the Christians to remain in the country.
Professor Hollerweger, who has been committed to the cause of the Christians in the Orient for over 20 years, is a regular visitor to Iraq.
He maintains that the West is not doing enough for the Christians in the country and advocates that it is the Christians who can build bridges between the different religions and ethnic groups.
He believes that the Western media report one-sidedly on Iraq and virtually ignore the positive developments in the North.
According to Professor Hollerweger, in this area of Iraq, which is under Kurdish control, there are several hundred thousand Christians. The local administration has been actively involved in the resettlement of the Christian population who were expelled by Saddam Hussein.
Since 2003, in the Chaldean Catholic diocese of Zakho alone, in the Dohuk governorate, no fewer than 16 villages have been rebuilt, he told ACN.
However, many people are unable to find work and are therefore looking for a way of leaving Iraq. "Agriculture could provide a way out for many people, but there is a lack of agricultural machinery, tractors, seed; in fact everything", the Austrian professor added. He further emphasised that help was urgently needed to give the many young Christians some hope for the future.
Aid to the Church in Need has been supporting the Iraqi Christians for years. According to estimates there are still around 300,000 living on the Euphrates and Tigris. ACN helps among other things with the building, or rebuilding, of churches and other Church institutions, as well as helping with the formation of priests, religious and other pastoral workers. The charity also supports projects in the field of the youth and family apostolate, whether in the North or elsewhere within Iraq. The overall objective is to make it possible for the Iraqi Christians and their communities to find a secure future in their homeland.

En route vers les JMJ. Chrétiens d'Orient

Par Radios Chrétiennes Francophones

Présenté par Anne-Lise Fantino

En route vers les JMJ. Chrétiens d'Orient

Entretien avec Père Muhannad Al Tawil

Ambulatorio dentistico dedicato a Padre Ragheed ad Erbil.

By Baghdadhope*

Il 13 ottobre del 2007 nella chiesa di Mar Qardakh ad Erbil fu inaugurato un ambulatorio medico dedicato alla memoria di Padre Ragheed Ganni, il giovane sacerdote caldeo ucciso a Mosul nel 2007. Domenica 2 luglio 2011 all’ambulatorio si è aggiunto un gabinetto dentistico a cui tutti, cristiani e musulmani, potranno rivolgersi per le cure.
Un esempio di fraterna convivenza fortemente voluto e sostenuto dal parroco della chiesa, Padre Rayan Atto, che ha orgogliosamente aperto le porte del nuovo ambulatorio dentistico alle personalità che lo hanno visitato tra cui l’Arcivescovo di Erbil, Mons. Bashar Matti Warda ed il ministro della salute della regione autonoma del Kurdistan iracheno, Dr. Tahir Hawrami.
Preceduta dalla Santa Messa celebrata da Padre Atto e da Padre Azad Sabri Shaba, vicario generale dell’arcidiocesi di Erbil e Padre Zaid Adeel Hababa, vice rettore del seminario maggiore caldeo di Ankawa, l’inaugurazione ha visto la presenza anche di molti fedeli ed ovviamente di tutto il personale medico e paramedico che presta la propria opera su base volontaria.
I due ambulatori, medico e dentistico, sono nati con il sostegno di diverse forze che hanno creduto come l’impegno pratico fosse il miglior modo per aiutare la popolazione di Erbil che in molti casi è rappresentata da persone che per negli anni passati hanno dovuto lasciare altre zone dell’Iraq e che non avrebbero altrimenti possibilità di accesso a cure mediche completamente gratuite.
Tra queste forze la chiesa di Mar Qardakh vuole ricordare oltre ai propri fedeli ed al personale volontario Sarkhis Aghajan, ex ministro delle finanze del governo regionale curdo che ha donato 20.000 $ per la costruzione dell’ambulatorio e che ha contribuito all’arrivo dei medicinali raccolti attraverso la Caritas e la Croce Rossa austriache. Il Dottor Dominique Noel, della comunità caldea di Vienna che ha coordinato con la Caritas l’invio dei medicinali, i membri della comunità caldea svedese che hanno finanziato alcuni invii di medicinali ed attrezzature e la Caritas svedese che con il Dr. Mazin Noel hanno donato 10.000 $ per l’ambulatorio ed il gabinetto dentistico.
Alla maggior parte degli italiani questi nomi non dicono nulla ma è importante citarli perché è dovuto loro il riconoscimento di aver creduto che la carità è davvero un modo per aiutare a sopravvivere chi è in difficoltà ma anche a contribuire alla creazione di legami tra persone apparentemente diverse come sono i cristiani ed i musulmani che si rivolgono al centro medico della chiesa di Mar Qardakh.
Davvero una bella realtà.

Una domenica di festa ad Erbil. Prima comunione nella chiesa di Mar Qardakh

By Alessandro Ciquera per Baghdadhope*

La Chiesa cattolica caldea di Mar Qardakh a Shorsh, ad Erbil, è un centro nevralgico di vita nel quartiere.
Quando incominciano ad arrivare le prime famiglie dei bambini che questa mattina riceveranno la comunione il sole non si è ancora alzato totalmente, l'aria è ancora frizzante e il cielo è dipinto di un azzurro chiaro che rasserena. Si formano capannelli di persone che chiaccherano mentre i bambini corrono in giro per il cortile emozionati per il traguardo che per tanto tempo hanno aspettato di scorgere.
Il numero di fedeli in attesa della Messa si fa sempre più cospiquo, pian piano i banchi iniziano a riempirsi e il coro prende posizione. Ci sono cristiani di ogni estrazione sociale e hanno tutti un espressione tranquilla sul volto, oggi per loro è un giorno importante, un momento che riempirà i loro ricordi per tanti anni a venire. Le macchine fotografiche scattano velocemente le impressioni di questa particolare mattina di fine Giugno, ognuno vuole incidere sul rullino un istante di felicità da conservare per sempre dentro di sè, e da rispolverare nel momento in cui arrivassero giorni difficili.
Ovunque si avverte un fortissimo profumo di rose e fiori d'arancio che contribuiscono a rendere ai partecipanti il giusto spirito.
Il colore che domina è il bianco, dei vestiti dei bambini, del velluto che cinge le panche, del chierichetto, dei diaconi. Sembra di essere in un mondo a parte, come se per una volta tutte le preoccupazioni e le ansie venissero chiuse fuori dal sagrato. Al momento dell'inizio della cerimonia tutti si alzano in piedi e cala il silenzio spezzato solo dal canto iniziale.
Si alterneranno in seguito varie voci, il coro dei giovani della parrocchia guida la comunità, seguito a ruota dai fedeli. Il coro si trova nella parte superiore della Chiesa, per arrivarci si salgono alcuni gradini della scala a chiocciola e una volta sopra il panorama è ineguagliabile. L' edificio con il passare dei minuti diventa sempre più gremito, e dopo che sono arrivati anche gli ultimi ritardatari praticamente è tutto pieno. Si percepisce una grande partecipazione emotiva, un forte senso di appartenenza a qualcosa di buono, e di bello.
Grappoli d'uva sono appesi alle panchine, e due lunghi veli bianchi brillantinati seguono la navata centrale. Verso metà cerimonia anche i bambini intonano il loro coro, e nei momenti successivi l'Arcivescovo Mons. Bashar Matti Warda chiedera' loro di rinnovare la promessa che ognuno di loro ha fatto a Gesù. Il tempo passa lentamente, fino a quando uno per uno i bambini si incolonnanno per ricevere la loro prima Ostia consacrata, sono fieri e orgogliosi, glielo si legge negli occhi.
Qualche genitore si commuove, altri fissano con grande gioia quello che sta avvenendo.
Al termine della cerimonia è una grande festa di fiori e di colori, qualche gruppo canta e si abbraccia, si lanciano piccoli fiori, si sorride. Ognuno ricalca in molti particolari i primi fedeli che seguirono il Cristianesimo nei momenti successivi alla morte di Cristo, come nelle prime comunità: c'è semplicità in ogni gesto, l'essenziale da cui molti in Europa dovrebbero prendere esempio.
Questo e' un piccolo scatto di vita quotidiana nella comunità caldea di Erbil, ogni Domenica alle sei e mezza la Chiesa si riempie nuovamente con centinaia di credenti che vengono pregare durante la messa condotta dal giovane e forte Padre Rayan Atto.
Dalle sette alle otto di Domenica e dalle cinque di Venerdi è aperta la clinica nel retro della parrocchia, dedicata a Padre Ragheed Ghanni ucciso a sangue freddo a 35 anni, il 3 giugno 2007 a Mosul con tre diaconi. In questo luogo circondato da rose rosse e bianche, tutti, a prescindere dall'etnia e dalla religione, possono andare a farsi visitare e curare da alcuni medici presenti, recentemente è stato attivato anche uno studio dentistico.
Questo è probabilmente uno dei segnali di speranza più forti che arrivano da questo piccolo angolo di umanità: nulla è più potente della forza del ricordo che ci consente di vivere il presente con grinta e tenacia, conservando nel profondo del nostro cuore tutti coloro a cui abbiamo voluto bene e che ora non ci sono più. Essi non se ne sono andati totalmente: vivono con noi, camminano sulle nostre gambe e tutti continueremo e custodire i loro volti e i loro sorrisi, affinchè non vadano perduti. Custodiamo i nostri ricordi come fotografie, come fotografie di uno splendido mattino di fine Giugno, dove l'aria e' ancora frizzante e il cielo si colora lentamente di azzurro.

Iracheni cristiani e sciiti finalmente si incontrano a Najaf

By Baghdadhope*

La scorsa settimana il Patriarca caldeo Cardinale Mar Emmanuel III Delly di ritorno dalla visita pastorale alla diocesi di Bassora si era fermato a Najaf, una delle città sante sciite irachene ma non aveva incontrato la massima autorità religiosa sciita, il Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani che lì risiede. Il mancato incontro era stato attribuito a diverse cause. Si è detto che la visita non era stata programmata, che il Grand Ayatollah non poteva ricevere il Cardinale per motivi di salute o perchè già impegnato in una commemorazione religiosa. Tutte ipotesi smentite dallo stesso Cardinale che aveva sostenuto di essere sì passato da Najaf sulla via del ritorno a Baghdad ma che non era sua intenzione far visita al capo sciita. Comunque siano andate le cose la frattura del mancato incontro si è ora ricucita.
Ieri, infatti, il Cardinale Delly, accompagnato dal vicario patriarcale Mons. Shleimun Warduni, si è recato di nuovo a Najaf dove, come riportato dal sito Akhbaar ha visitato la moschea dedicata a Ali ibn Abi Talib, il primo imam nella tradizione sciita ed il museo invece dedicato al martire Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, ucciso dal regime nel 1999 e padre del leader religioso sciita Muqtada Al Sadr.
"La mia visita a Najaf ed alla sua guida religiosa" ha detto Il Cardinale Delly è "è una visita di un fratello ai propri fratelli ed io ne sono felice." "Una visita che ha confermato l'unità degli iracheni tutti, che non ha toccato questioni politiche e che è servita a chiarire la confusione venutasi a creare durante la mia precedente visita a Najaf." Mar Delly ha poi affermato che il Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani si è raccomandato che "tutti gli iracheni si comportino da fratelli" Secondo l'agenzia AKnews alla domanda se la delegazione cristiana avesse avanzato richieste alle autorità religiose sciite il Cardinale Delly ha replicato dicendo che "Non avevo nessuna richiesta da fare a parte quella per la stabilità in Iraq."
Stabilità che è alla base della richiesta fatta però al governo di affrettare la nomina del ministro per la sicurezza, ruolo ancora coperto ad interim dal primo ministro Nuri Al Maliki.

Iraq’s Christian Endowment Chief rejects isolation and Region’s project

By Aswat al-Iraq

The Chairman of the Christian & Other Religious Minorities Endowment in Iraq has said on Tuesday that “the project to divide Iraq into several Regions does not serve the interest of the country.”
“The Christian community does not want to be isolated in one single area in Iraq,” he reiterated.
“Iraq’s division into regions does not serve the interest of Iraq, as we have to form a unified Iraq, living together with all its sects, communities and religions, because, despite differences among religions, they raise their towards God; so, what is the reason for division and sectarianism?,” Raad al-Shama’a told Aswat al-Iraq news agency in Najaf on Tuesday.
Iraq’s Christian Cardinal, Emmanuel III Dally, had visited the holy city of Najaf on Monday, where he met the Shiite Authority, Sayid Ali al-Sistany and visited the Shrine of Imam Ali Bin Abi-Taleb.
“We, as Christians, don’t believe in division, because our roots are spread in different parts of Iraq, and we don’t want to be isolated in a single place,” Shama’a said, stressing that “Christians possess a civilization and churches in all areas of Iraq, including Najaf; so, we don’t want to be isolated from our civilization and our brothers in all parts of Iraq.”
Najaf’s Archaeological Department had discovered a Christian Church in its Hira township, was considered as the oldest church for the Christian Community in the world and that was built centuries before the entrance of Islam into Iraq.
Najaf is 160 km to the south of Baghdad.

Iraq's Constitution, Laws, secure decent life for Christians, MP says

By Aswat al-Iraq,

The Chairman of the Iraqi Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee has said on Monday that “Iraqi Christians enjoy chances for decent living, according to the constitutional and legal frameworks that don’t differ between them and others.” "Sheikh Human Hammoudi has conferred with the Australian Ambassador to Baghdad on bilateral relations and means for their further development, as well as inviting Australia to help in rendering services and the rehabilitation of the Iraqi State, making use of the Australian experience in the fields of agriculture and water,” a statement by Hammoudi’s office said.
On the other hand, Sheikh Hammoudi said that Iraqi Christians “enjoy chance for decent living, according to the constitutional and legal framework, that does not differentiate between them and other Iraqi citizens, thing that their Christian brothers in other countries don’t enjoy.” “They also practice their religious duties and worshipping with full freedom, according to the Constitution,” he said, “stressing that terrorism had no religion or conviction, because it targets all Iraqis.”
The statement pointed out that “both sides have also discussed the issue of the American presence in Iraq, the trimming down of the government and national reconciliation,” adding that “Sheikh Hammoudi had called on both Iraqi and American sides to implement their commitments, by practicing their Security Agreement, including the withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Iraq.”

Aiuto alla Chiesa che Soffre. Il cappello da mendicante. Rapporto annuale 2010: confermata l'opera di p. van Straaten

By SIR

“Grazie a voi, la Chiesa sta risorgendo dalle macerie di Haiti, sempre più cuori si dedicano a Dio nei seminari in Africa, i cattolici in Sudamerica riescono a resistere all’assalto delle sette e della secolarizzazione. Senza di voi, in Cina, una parte del piccolo gregge che vive come ai tempi delle catacombe sarebbe privo di qualsiasi mezzo”.

Il ringraziamento ai benefattori Acs in tutto il mondo viene dal dirigente esecutivo internazionale di Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre, Susanne Zeidler, in occasione della pubblicazione, in questi giorni, del Rapporto annuale 2010. Lo scorso anno l’Opera di diritto pontificio ha raccolto un totale di donazioni mai raggiunto in 63 anni, con un incremento delle offerte del 13,5% rispetto al 2009. “Le difficoltà aumentano, ma cresce anche la vostra generosità e con essa la fiducia che avete in noi circa il corretto uso delle vostre offerte.
Padre Werenfried – prosegue Zeidler – ne era convinto: aiutare ad alleviare le necessità della Chiesa e aiutare allo stesso tempo i benefattori ad avvicinarsi a Dio, costituiscono le due facce della stessa medaglia del suo cappello da mendicante. Se continuate ad avere fiducia in noi e a donare generosamente, anche il 2011 sarà anno ‘dei fatti e della verità’”.

Raccolta record. Gli 86,9 milioni di euro hanno finanziato 5.587 progetti, realizzati in 153 Paesi in tutto il mondo, ponendo particolare attenzione a quelli in cui la Chiesa ha più difficoltà. Lo scorso anno 10.645 seminaristi sono stati sostenuti negli studi, sono state celebrate 1.245.352 intenzioni di messe, sono stati avviati 417 progetti di costruzione o manutenzione di chiese e cappelle e finanziati 753 progetti a beneficio di suore, tra cui la costruzione di conventi, la formazione delle novizie, motorizzazione e sussistenza. La generosità delle donazioni raccolte dai 17 segretariati nazionali è stata così suddivisa: aiuti all’edilizia 26,9%, intenzioni di sante messe 16%, formazione teologica 12,1%, aiuti pastorali 12,7%, catechesi 10,5%, apostolato mediatico 8,8%, motorizzazione 4,6%, apostolato biblico 4,1%, sostentamento 2,9%, aiuti d’emergenza 1,4%. C’è stato il grande sostegno alla Chiesa in Russia, sia a quella cattolica (1.465.282 euro) che a quella ortodossa (701.300 euro), dedicando fondi (434.582 euro) anche ai progetti cosiddetti interconfessionali, a testimonianza del grande impegno ecumenico concreto di Acs.

I benefattori italiani. Massimo Ilardo, direttore della sede italiana di Acs, ha ricordato come l'attenzione dei benefattori italiani – che hanno donato nel 2010 circa 2,5 milioni di euro – si sia concentrata, in particolare, sui cristiani in Terra Santa e in Pakistan, realtà per le quali ci sono state due campagne speciali. “In Terra Santa – ha spiegato - abbiamo sostenuto la presenza in loco delle famiglie cristiane”. Acs ha sostenuto il lavoro degli artigiani cristiani che tradizionalmente realizzano manufatti in legno d'ulivo a tema religioso. “Nel solo 2010 abbiamo richiesto e poi diffuso nelle parrocchie italiane oltre 12.000 rosari realizzati a Betlemme. Invece, per i nostri fratelli in Pakistan – ha proseguito il direttore di Acs-Italia – abbiamo promosso una campagna per richiamare l'attenzione dell'opinione pubblica sulla legge anti-blasfemia, una disposizione del codice penale pakistano, pretestuosamente utilizzata per perseguitare i cristiani”.

Aiuti in tutto il mondo. “Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre è per noi il buon samaritano”, ha commentato l’arcivescovo caldeo di Kirkuk, mons. Louis Sako mostrando riconoscenza per il supporto dato da Acs alla Chiesa in Iraq, a cui nel 2010 sono stati destinati 567.697 euro.

Anche il nunzio apostolico egiziano, mons. Michael Fitzgerald, ha espresso la sua gratitudine a nome delle Chiese d’Egitto: “Lo dico al plurale perché nel nostro Paese l’Opera sostiene i sette diversi riti. Siamo tutti cristiani con tante speranze e al tempo stesso molta paura per il futuro ed il vostro aiuto ci infonde un grande coraggio”. In Pakistan lo scorso anno Acs ha sostenuto progetti per 597.290 euro. “Il sogno di ogni sacerdote è quello di poter costruire e fortificare la Chiesa nell’area che gli è stata affidata. Acs è tra le poche realtà associative che trovano nella pastorale il principale obiettivo”, ha affermato mons. Victor Gnanapragasam, vicario apostolico di Quetta, ricordando quanto realizzato grazie al sostegno dell’Opera: costruzione di chiesa, conventi, cappelle, case parrocchiali, ma anche formazione attraverso i libri di catechismo e seminari per catechisti, religiosi, donne e bambini. Ad Haiti nel 2010 l’Opera ha concentrato i suoi sforzi per sostenere la popolazione dopo il terremoto del 12 gennaio. Con un contributo di 1.917.678 euro, Acs ha realizzato oltre 100 progetti, fornendo dapprima aiuti d’emergenza e poi costruendo e riparando numerosi edifici religiosi lesionati. Tra questi il nuovo seminario dell’arcidiocesi. “Il supporto di Acs è stato fondamentale sia per la ricostruzione delle chiese che per i programmi di pastorale destinati alle comunità rurali”, ha detto il nunzio apostolico Bernardito Auza.

Il futuro. Aiuto alla Chiesa che soffre guarda ora al 2011, nei cui primi sei mesi sono stati già avviati decine e decine di progetti, tra i quali la costruzione di un centro pastorale a Stip, in Macedonia; gli aiuti e il sostegno religioso agli oltre 150mila rifugiati birmani in Thailandia; la formazione dei catechisti nell’arcidiocesi di Lusaka, in Zambia; il sostegno a “Redeviva”, l’emittente brasiliana fondata nel 1995 che è tra le maggiori televisioni cattoliche al mondo. Anche quest’anno proseguirà poi uno dei più longevi progetti dell’Opera: la Bibbia del Fanciullo, nata nel 1979 e tradotta in 166 lingue, per la quale nel 2011 si prevede una tiratura di 991mila copie.