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

Translation From English
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Pope Urges World Leaders to Help Iraqis Rebuild Troubled Nation

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI called on religious and political leaders in Iraq and around the world to help the Iraqi people rebuild their country which is so troubled by insecurity and "savage violence."

The pope expressed his deep concern for Iraq's Christian community as well as all victims of the increase in violence and intimidation throughout the country.

After praying the Angelus Oct. 22 with thousands of the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the pope first sent his "cordial greetings" to Muslims around the world who were about to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan, wishing them all "serenity and peace."

This "joyous atmosphere" of celebration, however, has been clouded by the "very serious situation of insecurity and savage violence" faced by so many innocent people in Iraq solely "because (they are) Shiites, Sunnis or Christians," he said.

The pope said he was aware of the tremendous worry running through Iraq's Christian communities, adding that his thoughts and prayers for "strength and consolation" were with them as with all victims in the conflict.

The pope prayed that God would grant Iraq and the world's religious and political leaders "the needed faith and courage" to help Iraqis rebuild their country and reach reconciliation between factions by realizing "that the plurality of its components is an integral part of (the country's) wealth."

Church leaders in Iraq have expressed concern about a marked increase in violence, especially against Christians.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, numerous churches have been bombed, and Christians have been kidnapped, killed or threatened.

Half of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country over the past three and a half years, according to Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad. Before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christians in the predominantly Shiite Muslim state; since then the overall number has dropped to about 600,000, he said.

Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly of Baghdad has said that violence, persecution and instability together with the world's apparent indifference to the plight of the country's Christians have forced them into exile.

In an Oct. 16 interview with the Rome-based missionary news agency AsiaNews, the patriarch criticized the "role of the international community that is unable to control the dramatic situation in the country."

He said Christians and Muslims had lived harmoniously in Iraq for more than 1,000 years and, "like Lebanon and Syria, (had been) a model of peaceful coexistence."

Losing Christians to emigration would represent "a big loss not only for Iraq, but for the cause of humankind, and it will have serious consequences for Muslims, too," he said.

Catholic patriarchs of the Eastern churches said their churches have always been an invaluable link between Christianity and Islam. During an assembly in Lebanon, the Catholic patriarchs said their churches help make dialogue possible, and this link between religions should not be broken.

 

 

 

 

      

Who are the Christians of Iraq?

Tishrin 1 = October

Pope Urges World Leaders to Help Iraqis Rebuild Troubled Nation Oct. 23, 06

Iraq's Christian Assyrians: Living in Fear Oct. 23, 06

Assyrians built aqueducts to bring water to Nineveh predating Romans by 400 years. Oct. 23, 06

Hope for Assyrian Christians 'Rapidly Dying,' Says Former Iraqi Minister Oct. 20, 06

Christians Live in Fear of Death Squads in Iraq Oct. 20, 06

Congresswoman Esho's Letter to Rice about the endengered Christians of Iraq Oct. 20, 06

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

 

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