Bookmark this site

  Christians of Iraq
Contact

Links

Historical articles

 Historical pictures

 Photos of Bombed Churches

Home  Only this link has access to all News articles

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

Translation From English
<

----

 

Christian Migration From Mid-East At Heart of Patriarchs' Meeting

Oct. 19, 06

Beirut (AsiaNews) --- How to stop the emigration of Christians -- guarantors of human rights -- from the Middle East was the main topic of the first day of a meeting of the seven patriarchs of the East. The gathering opened yesterday in Bzoummar, the seat of the Armenian-Catholic patriarchate on Mount Lebanon. From the start, participants lamented conditions facing Christians in some Arab states, where they were treated as second class citizens, made to feel like "strangers in their homeland" and hence pushed to emigrate.

Significantly titled "The Church and the earth", the Ordinary Session of the meeting of the seven patriarchs of the East started yesterday, Tuesday 17 October, with an appeal to all Christians of the East. Ending on Friday, the meeting gathers the following patriarchs: Maronite, Nasrallah Sfeir, Greek-Melchite, Gregory III Laham, Coptic, Antonios Nagib, Syrian-Catholic, Boutros VIII Abdel Ahad, Latin of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, Chaldean, Emmanuel III Delly, as well as the host, the Armenian Catholic patriarch, Narsis Bedros XIX.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Lebanon, Mgr Luigi Gatti, greeted the patriarchs and underlined the importance and meaning of the chosen topic. He also stressed the value of the Christian presence in this land, because "Christians must understand that their staying is the only guarantee of the survival of symbolic values of independence, pluralism, denominational balance and respect for human rights". The pontifical representative expressed hope that dialogue would be strengthened, as it is the only means capable of fighting fear, anguish and neglect.

In his opening address, the Armenian-Catholic patriarch talked much about the hidden danger in the emigration of Christians from the Middle East. He insisted on the value of the Christian presence in the region, consisting of testimony and mission. He indicated wars and social crises as the main historical reasons for migration that has affected all religious families of the East. But Narsis Bedros XIX also hit out at the approach of some Arab countries that treated Christians like second class citizens, making them feel like "strangers in their homeland". This attitude was caused by a lack of trust in Christians, who are often thought to be linked to the West and to be somehow less Arabic than their compatriots. Moreover, due to the action of fundamentalist groups, continued the Armenian Catholic patriarch, we are faced with violence and persecution against Christians, their churches and their assets, to force them to leave their land of origin and to emigrate. To this must be added the incentives offered by countries that need their presence.

The patriarch closed his speech by reiterating the need of keeping the Christian presence alive in the East and of highlighting their cause in the international community. Key to the struggle is immediate solutions for the prevalent unemployment crisis, to give Christians the jobs they deserve.

By Youssef Hourany

 

 

 

 

      

Who are the Christians of Iraq?

Tishrin 1 = October

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