Christians of Iraq

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Updated list of Opression and Murders of the Assyrians in Iraq Not reported by the International Press

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---- IRAQ: CHRISTIANS LIVE IN FEAR Oct. 20, 06 The group of Iraqi women in front of the Rome headquarters of Adnkronos Rome, 20 Oct. (AKI) - Lionan Daved, a self assured financial consultant for the past 28 years, says she is used to mumbling her name these days so people won't understand she is Christian. She is also used to hiding the cross pendant she always wears on her neck and to wearing a head scarf on her frequent trips from her hometown Kirkuk to Baghdad where she works as a financial advisor to coalition forces in Iraq. "We don't even go to Church to pray anymore because it is too dangerous," she told Adnkronos International (AKI) in a recent interview in Rome. Daved is in Italy with a group of Iraqi women to attend a two-week training course on federalism promoted by the Italian foreign ministry's Task Force Iraq and coordinated by Adnkronos Comunicazione. Three years after the US ousted Saddam Hussein from power, reports say as many as half the Christians in the country could have fled, driven out by church bombings, murders and death threats targeting their community. Muslim anger over Pope Benedict XVI's speech in Germany a month ago in which he linked Islam to violence led to a further escalation of attacks targeting Christians. Many churches cancelled services throughout Iraq as extremist groups threatened to kill all Christians unless the pope apologised. Although the pontiff expressed regret that his speech on 12 September at Germany's Regensburg university was "misunderstood", the damages appear significant in Iraq today. "In our community we decided to hang banners saying 'we are not responsible for what he (the pontiff) said' so we wouldn't be targeted," said Daved. "All Christians had to do that in Iraq, we apologised for what he said." She added that during Sunday services, the priest in her church would "advise us to be patient with Muslims, not to talk about the (pope's) speech nor fight because we were asked all the time by people why he said that." The number of Christians who have not fled is uncertain. The last Iraqi census in 1987 counted 1.4 million Christians. Many started leaving the country in the 1990s when sanctions were imposed on the country. Today many more have left. Yonadan Kanna, the only Christian member of the Iraqi Parliament, was quoted as saying by the New York Times this week that Christians in Iraq are around 800,000, approximately 3 percent of the population. Catholic News Service quoted a Chaldean Catholic auxiliary bishop, Andreas Abouna, as saying this earlier this year that only 600,000 had remained. "It is very difficult and in Baghdad and the south the situation is terrible," said Daved. "More Christians left because after what the pope said the situation got worse. When they had to pray they risked an attack. They even killed our priests. Many Christians have left for Syria, Jordan and Turkey but, still, it's difficult to migrate and many want to stay." Church attendance has dropped in Iraq and at least 60 percent of Baghdad's churches have closed after receiving threats from fundamentalists since the pontiff's speech, the UN's IRIN news service reports. In the northern city of Mosul, a priest from the Syriac Orthodox Church was kidnapped last week. His community complied with the abductors' request and publicly apologised for the pope's remarks on Islam - to no avail. The beheaded body of Boulos Iskander Behnam was found on Wednesday - the latest member of the community to be killed there. "The pressure is really strong on Christians right now and the situation is hard to bear," Najla Hanna Rawoof, an attorney who lives in Mosul, told AKI. "I am forced to wear the veil all the time and not to make others notice I am Christian. This is why many Christians leave Iraq or move to places where there are more Christians, like Kurdistan." Hanna Wisal, a teacher in Mosul, who is also attending the federalism training course in Italy, said "Christians have moved to the Christian areas of Kurdistan." Many have taken refuge in the town of Aain Kawa, near Erbil, in the Kurdish north, which is believed to be the main centre for internally displaced Christians. Though no official data is available on the number of refugees in the area, religious leaders say thousands have moved there. In Baghdad, the Dora and Karrada neighbourhoods once heavily populated with Christians, are now reportedly empty. Yet, though the south is more dangerous for Christians - said Daved, Rawoof and Wisal - Mosul and Kirkuk in the north are also witnessing a rise in threats and killings. Wisal told AKI she has never experienced problems as she lives in a Christian area of Mosul. But her sister, who attends Mosul university lives a difficult situation, she says. In Mosul, where both Baathists and Islamist groups reportedly control entire neighbourhoods, a Christian woman from Mosul university was recently abducted and then beheaded. The kidnappers said that "if anyone comes to college without hijab [headscarf], they risk their lives," she said. adnkronos intrnational (Ebc/Aki)

Who are the Christians of Iraq? Tishrin 1 = October IRAQ: CHRISTIANS LIVE IN FEAR Oct. 20, 06 Iraq: Christian Minority Seeks Haven From Violence Oct. 19, 06 GEORGIA: Will mob halt Assyrian Catholic centre? Oct. 19, 06 Ancient ruins inspire hope in U.S. forces in Pre-Christian Iraq . Oct. 18, 06 Christian Migration From Mid-East At Heart of Patriarchs' Meeting Oct. 19, 06 Assyrian language Lecture and Seminar in London Oct. 19, 06 Save Us from the Time of Trial Oct. 18, 06 Persecution of non-Muslims increases in Iraq. Oct. 18, 06 In Iraq, a New Level of Threat to Christians Oct. 17, 06 World Has Forgotten Iraqi Christians: Chaldean Patriarch Oct. 16, 06 Some 500 people attend funeral of beheaded priest Oct. 16, 06 Christians are vacating land of Christ Oct. 15, 06 Threats force Iraqi Christians to flee to Syria Oct. 15, 06 Turkey starts to admit it has an ‘Armenian Question’ Oct. 15, 06 Some Turks change religion as way to West Oct. 14, 06 Beleaguered Yazidi find peace high in Iraq's northern mountains Oct. 14, 06 Beheading of Iraqi priest latest attack on minorities Oct. 14, 06 Kurdish Militia Attacks Assyrian TV Station in North Iraq Oct. 13, 06 Iraq priest 'killed over pope's speech' Oct. 13, 06 More than 35,000 Christians have fled violence in Iraq Oct. 13, 06 Prominent Assyrian Priest Beheaded Oct. 12, 06 Father Paulos Iskandar Killed by Terrorist Abductors Oct. 12, 06 Who Will Remember the Assyrian Genocide? Oct. 11, 06 Abducted and raped, young Christian women and girls are driven to suicide in Iraq Oct. 11, 06 Was the genocide of the Ottoman Empire in1915 only against the Armenians, or included Assyrians also? Oct. 10, 06 Traditional Assyrian Costumes Oct. 9, 06 Organisation and Substitutionism Oct. 8, 06 A Nation Without a Country Oct. 8, 06 Swedish authorities honor Malfono Gabriel Afram Oct. 7, 06 Christian husband and wife converts from Islam released Oct. 7, 06 Terror campaign targets Christians of Iraq Oct. 6, 06 In 20 years, there will be no more Christians in Iraq' Oct. 5, 06 \FIRST-PERSON: Assyrian haircut Oct. 5, 06 The Assyrians: Ignored Among Fears of an Iraqi Civil War Oct. 4, 06 Two Iranian Christians arrested in Mashad. Oct. 4, 06 Car Bombs at the Christian Assyrian shopping district in Baghdad killed 16, injured 87 Oct. 4, 06 30 Christian families receive threats to leave Mosul - Iraq Oct. 2, 06 Mr. Sarkis Aghajan, the Finance Minister of the Kurdistan regional Government Asks for more rights for the Assyrians Oct. 2, 06 Ealool = September National Council of Churches Ignores Christian Suffering Sept. 29, 06 Violence Against Christians Grows in Iraq Sept. 29, 06 EP Report Drops Genocide Clause, Calls for Investigation Sept. 28, 06 Nenveh Essa, 21, studied accounting, Dies in Car Accident Sept. 27, 06 Kurds and Arabs Vie for Control of Mosul Sept. 26, 06 Iraq ensnared in quest to escape Arab politics Sept. 25, 06 Two Assyrian churches attacked in Mosul and Baghdad Sept. 25, 06 Turkey invites Assyrian and Armenian dignitaries to meal that breaks daily Muslim fast. Sep. 25, 06 Dutch Lawmaker May Remove Assyrian Genocide Reference in Report on Turkey Sept. 25, 06 Tense Time for Christians in Iraq Sep. 24, 06 Assyrian Church Bombed in Baghdad; 2 Dead, 17 Injured Sept. 24, 06 Assyrian Police Officer Murdered in Mosul Sept. 24, 06 Assyrian-Swedish journalist investigates the arrest of the Assyrian-Georgian General Sept. 21, 06 Muslims react to the speech of Pope Benedict XVI Sept. 20, 06 Iraq: International Religious Freedom Report 2006 Sept. 19, 06 Fear Strikes Iraq's Christians Over Pope Words Sept. 19, 06 Assyrian Cultural Day Sept. 19, 06 When Iraqi Christians Vanish, Locals Pay the Price Sept. 18, 06 Dozens Dead in Kirkuk Bombings Sept. 17, 06 Book Exhibit in Baghdeda Iraq Sept. 17, 06 Second Assyrian Christian Killed in Retaliation for Pope's Remarks Sept. 17, 06 The Hellenic, Armenian and Assyrian Communities in the Late Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey Sept. 16, 06 'I Felt God Was With Me,' Says Released Assyrian Priest' Sept. 15, 06 Two Assyrians Killed in Separate Terrorist Attacks Sept. 15, 06 Rosie Malek - Yonan Documentary, My Assyrian Nation on the Edge Sept. 14, 06 Two Assyrians Killed in Separate Terrorist Attacks Sept. 14, 06 Kirkuk: The potential spark for civil war Sept. 14, 06 Sabri Atman in Sweden Sept. 14, 06 Assyrian Candidate Gains Republican Endorsement Sept. 13, 06 Priest Abducted in Baghdad Was Threatened and Tortured Sept. 13, 06 Assyrians Accuse Kurdish Authorities of Discrimination Sept. 12, 06 Priest Kidnapped in Baghdad Released Sept. 12, 06 Turkey's refusal to acknowledge the Assyrian, Armenian genocide Sept. 10, 06 Rosie Malek - Younan; The Assyrian Woman of the Year Sept. 10, 06 Lebanese Bishops Chastise Hizbullah, Back Siniora Sept. 6, 06 A Feast Awaits At Annual Assyrian Festival Sept. 6, 06 Prominent Assyrian Christian Leaves Iraq. Says Work Situation 'Intolerable' Sept. 5, 06 Turkey's terror against Christians in Midyat Sept. 4, 06 Syria; Sanctuary for Iraq's Displaced Christians Sept. 3, 06 August = Tubbakh Assyrians honour the Lt General Sir Stanley Savige KBE CB DSO MC ED August 31,06 Assyrian archaeologist resigns amid threats by the fundamentalists August 31, 06 Assyrians: from Bebar Khan to Saddam Hussein (a new book) August 28, 06 Donny George of Iraq's State Board of Antiquity, Heritage Flees to Syria August 28, 06 A New Film by Lina Yakubova August 27, 06 PM Maliki urges tribal unity in Iraq August 27, 06 Lebanese Bishops Appeal for a Stop to the Christian Exodus August 24, 06 Iraqi Christians Caught in the Crossfire August 23, 06 Assyrian Universal Alliance, Australian Chapter Meeting in Canberra August 23, 06 Iraqi Christians on Edge After Priest's Kidnapping August 23, 06 The Secrets Of Mustafa Barzani In KGB Archives August 23, 06 Pope urges release of priest in Iraq August 20, 06 Heading Toward an (Inevitable) War in Kirkuk August 20, 06 TWO CHALDEAN PRIESTS KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD August 18, 06 Confiscation of the Assyrian villages by the Kurds August 18, 06 The Kurdish Democratic Experiment: an Assyrian Tragedy August 17, 06 Assyrians Experience Slow Cultural Revival In Southeastern Turkey August 17, 06 Lebanese Bishops Call for Single National Leadership August 16, 06 Lebanese Cardinal Concerned About Christian Exodus August 16, 06 In Turkey non Muslims are listed as Foreigners August 14, 06 Murdered Assyrians in Iraq in August August 14, 06 Why Can't A Christian Be More Like A Muslim? Revisited August 13, 06 Peter W. Galbraith's 'The End of Iraq' August 12, 06 Babylon the Great lives August 12, 06 We Don't Want a Proxy War in Lebanon:' Cardinal Sfeir August 10, 06 Go-ahead for dam that will drown history August 9, 06 750,000 Christians Caught in Middle East Crossfire August 8, 06 Arabist Indoctrination At Middlebury College August 8, 06 Middle-Eastern conference: from worship to ‘reunion’ August 8, 06 Hezbollah Uses Christian Villages As Shields in Missile Attacks August 7, 06 Family Pays Ransom in Iraqi Kidnapping August 7, 06 Johanns meets with Iraqi leaders to help rebuild agriculture August 6, 06 Half of all Christians have fled Iraq since 2003, says Baghdad bishop August 4, 06 Christian Persecution Groups Express Concerns for Mideast Believers August 3, 06 Assyrians and Australians will honour Captain Savige for his world war one help August 3, 06 Nuri Kino Wins Swedish Award of: good role model for the youth Aug 1, 06   Archives June, July 06 March April May 06 January- February 06