Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ninive (Fides Service) - Iraqi Christians have launched a pressing call for help: “Save us, they are killing us! We are being persecuted” a Chaldean Christian in the Al-Baker district of Ninive in northern Iraq not far from Mosul told Fides on the telephone this morning.
At three in the morning of October 5 a group of Muslim fanatics dressed in black broke into the home of the Mazen Sako family with cries of: “We have come to exterminate you! This will be the end of you Christians!” When Mazen tried to resist the militants brutally killed his ten year old son Majed. The parents are in a state of shock and the entire Chaldean Christian community shares their grief and fear .
“This is one of dozens of attacks on Christians in Iraq which people afraid to report to the authorities. Christian women are also being harassed. As the month of Ramadan approaches our Christian women are being told by Muslim fundamentalists that they too must wear headscarves” the local source told Fides.
“Three days ago 7 young Christians were killed in Baghdad. We are beginning to wonder what will be the future of Iraqi Christians? Who can we turn to? Already more than 40,000 Christians fled to Syria after churches were attacked in August. What can we do? They want to kill us”.
Ninive has a population of 25,000 mostly Chaldean Catholics. Last year during the US led war to oust Saddam Hussein 10,000 Christians left Baghdad for safer rural areas and were generously welcomed by the local people. Will they find help this time? (BM) (Agenzia Fides 6/10/2004 Righe: 25 Parole: 281)
