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

 

Brussels Prosecutes Immigrant Priest for Islamophobia

From the desk of Paul Belien

March 27, 06,

One of the rare Belgian churches that is packed every weekend is the church of Saint Anthony of Padova in Montignies-sur-Sambre, one of the poorest suburbs of Charleroi, a derelict rust belt area to the south of Brussels. Holy Mass in Montignies is conducted in Latin and lasts up to four hours. Yesterday over 2,000 people attended the service by Father Samuel (Père Samuel). The priest's sermon dealt with his persecution. The Belgian authorities are bringing the popular priest to court on charges of racism.

Father Samuel has been prosecuted for "incitement to racist hatred" by the Belgian government's inquisition agency, the so-called Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism (CEOOR), because of a remark he made in a 2002 television interview when he said:

"Every thoroughly islamized Muslim child that is born in Europe is a time bomb for Western children in the future. The latter will be persecuted when they have become a minority.

Père SamuelLast Thursday the Belgian judiciary decided that the priest will have to stand trial before the penal court in Charleroi. He reacted by repeating his time bomb statement and added that he would be honoured if he had to go to jail for speaking his mind. He added that Jesus, too, had been convicted. During yesterday's sermon he called upon the faithful to accompany him to court. "We will turn this into an excursion, driving there in full buses."

Father Samuel's passport gives his name as Charles-Clément Boniface. That is not entirely correct. He was born in 1942 in Midyat, Turkey, as Samuel Ozdemir. The latter is a surname the priest dislikes because, he explains, it was imposed on his family by the Turks. Samuel was a Christian: "At home we spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus." The Aramaics are a Catholic minority in Syria and Turkey. They speak an old Semitic language, which Jesus and the apostles used and which Mel Gibson had his actors use in his movie The Passion of the Christ.

Young Samuel became a Catholic priest. In the mid-1970s he fled to Belgium, claiming that the Aramaic Christians were being persecuted in Turkey. He became a Belgian and adopted the surname of Boniface ­ "he who does good things." He was appointed to the diocese of Tournai, but soon became caught up in the culture war between Christians and secularists. Tournai is a thoroughly secularised, modernist diocese. Father Samuel clashed with the bishop, who suspended him in 2001. He then bought the St-Antoine-de-Padoue church in Montignies-sur-Sambre. There he conducts the Mass according to the traditional rites of the Catholic Church.

Hundreds of faithful from all over the country and even from the north of France attend Sunday Mass in Montignies-sur-Sambre. The congregation includes African immigrants, a large number of young people and many young families with small children. In his sermons and on his website Father Samuel speaks out against secularism, but also fights on another front of the three-way culture war, warning against "the islamic invasion" of the West. He says he has witnessed in Turkey what the future has in store for Europe. He claims Muslims are invading Europe and warns for an impending civil war. According to Father Samuel "so-called moderate Muslims do not exist."

----
      

Who are the Christians of Iraq? 

 An ancient prayer in apreciation of the months in a year

"Through your mercies, Lord, may the months
be for us the source of joy, the years, of delight;
let them bequeath to us in peace, O Lord:
Nisan has its flowers, Iyyar its lilies too,
Haziran its sheaves, Tammuz its heaps of grain;
let Ab and Illul bring along grape-clusters on poles,
let the two Teshris give response to each other in the grape pressing;
let the two Kanuns bring rest, Shebat and Adar, the Fast.
To you, Lord, be the praise."

March = Addar (a's as in Art) 

Brussels Prosecutes Immigrant Priest for Islamophobia March 30, 06

Iraqi Chaldean Prelate Says Christians Feel Desperate March 28, 06

Press Release about ASSYRISKA: the Movie  March 29, 06

Who will save Iraq's Christians? March 28, 06

Leader of the Assyrian Democratic Organization summoned to apear in Court March 27, 06

Therefore Jews call their script 'ketuv Ashuri'; Assyrian script March 27, 06

The Future of the Assyrians of Iraq: A Safe Haven vs. Self-Administrative Region Mach 27, 06

A Child in need of help March 26, 06

3 Years of War Wither a Family's Seed of Hope March 26, 06

Kurd's - Persian New Year and its Assyrian - Babylonian origin March 26, 06

US government report on Syria's human rights March 25, 06

Turkey to Renovate Churches and Synagogue  March 25, 06 

When Islamic Laws Contradict the Universal Declaration of Human Rights March 23, 06

The Foolishness of imposing Oppressive Arab Nationalism on None Arabs March 23, 06 

Afghan Man Faces Death for Being a Christian March 21, 06 

THE QUR'AN: MISINTERPRETED, MISTRANSLATED, AND MISREAD March 21, 06

Human tragedy of the Syrian citizen Yacoub Hanna Shamoun March 21, 06

The Treasure Hunter March 19, 06 

Kha b'Nissan Assryian New Year Celebrations in Los Angeles

The American Premiere of ASSYRISKA: A National Team Without A Nation March 18, 06

Sectarian divides and violence distress Many Bay Area Iraqis March 18, 06

Trouble in Kurdistan March 17, 06 

'TALAT PASHA RALLY' GATHERS 15 CHAUVINISTIC TURKS March 17, 06

Investigating Assyrian canals across time, from space March 17, 06

Turkey Should not Deny the Truth if it wants to be believed March 16, 06

Assyrian Genocide on The Liberal Party's Agenda in Sweden March 15, 06

Turkish Large-Scale campaign Project 2006 - so called "The Lie of the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide." March 15, 06

Announcing the American Premiere of ASSYRISKA: A National Team Without A Nation March 14, 06

Turks' planned demonstration in Berlin stopped March 14, 06

US government report on Iraq's human rights Iraq, Politics March 13, 06

Another Priest attacked in Turkey March 13, 06

Assyrian Elected President of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences March 13, 06

In Syria's prison without cause for More than 20 Years  March 12, 06

Muslim's Blunt Criticism of Islam Draws Threats March 11, 06

An Interview with Rosie Malek-Yonan by akitu.de.vu March 11, 06

IRAQI CHRISTIANS: CAUGHT IN A REFUGEE WEB  March 9, 06

Will You be an Assyrian Actor? March 8, 06

In Turkey Assyrians/Syriacs are being robbed of property they owned for thousands of years March 8, 06

Iraqi Women Attacked for Removing Headscarves, NGO Says March 7, 06

Car bomb in Turkey injures Assyrian March 6, 06

ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS KEEP THE FAITH  March 5, 06

"Christians do not wants to leave Iraq for good" March 4, 06

Iraqi Catholics Donate to Rebuild Samarra Mosque March, 3, 06

Relatives and friends gather at store where 2 were slain March 3, 06

A Preliminary Investigation into Assyrian Identity March 3, 06

Firodil Institute Meets The Christian Fair Trade Group March 2, 06 

UNESCO funding reconstruction of destroyed mosques but not Churches March 2, 06

Christian Churches in Iraq Subjected to Synchronized Terrorism March 1, 06

February = Eshvadt 

A better System of Government for Iraq Feb 28, 06

Exiled in a Museum, the Dream of Peace  Feb. 26, 06

Kurdish Minister Has No Objection to Assyrian Christian Administrative Area Feb. 25, 06

Vatican to Muslims - practise what you preach Feb. 24, 06

The tombs of Ur reveal treasures Feb. 23, 06

Rosie Malek-Yonan To speak at Berkely University Feb. 23, 06

IRAQI CHURCHES BOMBED: LINK WITH DANISH CARTOONS  Feb. 22, 06

Assyrian movie at the multimedia theater in Ankawa  Feb. 21, 06

Policies and Politics Iraq Three years on Feb. 21, 06

The Roman Catholic Church Role in Promoting Chaldean identity for the Catholic Assyrians Feb. 18, 06

Assyrians of Netherlands Concerned About Refugees Being Sent Back  Feb. 17, 06

Terrorism against Christianity in Pakistan Feb. 17, 06

Brought Up To Hate Feb. 17, 06

Christian and Muslim Victims of Violence  Feb. 17, 06

Assyrian-Americans Reach Out to Relatives Displaced By Iraq War Feb. 17, 06

Talabani: Autonomy for Turkmens in Kurdistan Feb. 16, 06

Ending the Exodus of Iraq's Most Vulnerable Feb. 15, 06

Christians targeted in cartoons row Feb. 14, 06

Muhammad Cartoon Protests Move Into Turkish Christian Town Feb. 14, 06

Press Release by the Assyrian Society of United Kingdom Feb. 13, 06

Iraqi Parliament Member Once Sentenced by Death of Hussein Feb. 12, 06

Iraq dignitary's visit marred by bomb threat Feb. 10, 06

SUA condemns the violence and terror against the Christians of Iraq  Feb. 10, 06

We Are Not Arab-Americans Feb. 10, 06

An Interview with Yonadam Kanna Feb. 9, 06

Lebanon bishops express solidarity with Iraqi Christians Feb. 9. 06

Ba-oota d' Ninevayee or the Fast of the Ninevites Feb. 8, 06

Chaldo-Assyrian Iraqi lawmaker speaks to backers in El Cajon Feb. 8, 06

For Iraq's Persecuted Assyrians, a Safe Haven is the Only Solution Feb. 8, 06

The Christian Role on Iraq's Fragmented Streets Feb. 6, 07

Brotherhood of cabbies joins ranks to mourn murdered driver Feb. 6, 6

Iraq Islamic Group Asks Christians to Stop Prayers in Churches Feb. 6, 06

How do Mohammad's caricatures affect the Assyrians? Feb, 6, 06

Protesters Torch Danish Mission in Beirut and ransacked the Christian neighborhood Feb. 6.06

Ongoing Hidden Persecution of Christians In Iraq  Feb 5, 06

Protests Over Muhammad Drawings Intensify Feb. 3, 06 

PRESENTATION OF AN ACADEMIC TEXTBOOK "CLASSICAL ASSYRIAN LANGUAGE" IN YEREVAN Feb. 3, 06

Iraq Christians on Edge As Cartoon Row Escalates Feb. 3, 06

Enough Is Enough - Six Assyrian Christian Churches Bombed in Iraq! Feb. 2, 06

Proposal for an Assyrian Regional Government Basic Law Feb. 2, 06

Ghetto-blaster: Cantons for Assyrians and Yazidis along with the Turkomans Feb. 2, 06 

Christian Watchdog Groups Say Iraqi Christians 'Endangered,' Fear Mass Exodus Feb. 2. 06

Iraq Christians Urge Westerners to Refrain from Inflaming the Situation. Feb. 2, 06

Legislation seeks to limit NGOs in Iraq  Feb. 2, 06

January = Canoon Kharaya 

Iraq's Simultaneous bomb attacks killed 3 Christians Jan. 31, 06

British House of Commons Holds Hearing on Assyrian Genocide Jan. 31, 06

IRAQ: Sectarian tensions on the rise Jan. 31, 06

The World's Silence over Terrorizing Christians in Iraq Jan. 30, 06

Explosions target Christian churches in Iraq Jan. 30, 06

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Comments about Iraq Jan. 28, 06

Insurgents Driven From Tal Afar in Northern Iraq: US Commander Jan. 27, 06

Saga of Assyrians in Iran comes to life in works by Turlock artist Jan.27, 06

Azerbaijani Soldiers Desecrate Armenian Christian Cemetery Jan. 25, 06

Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria, Says Former Iraqi General Jan. 25. 06

The Armenians appreciate the Assyrian efforts for Seyfo's recognition. Jan. 25, 06 

Cash meant for Iraqis 'misused' Jan. 25, 06

Explosion Rocks Baghdad's Assyrian District Jan. 25, 06

UC Berkeley Course "Assyrians, the Forgotten OnesJan. 25, 06

Moslem Protesters set Fire to a Christian House of Worship in Egypt Jan. 24, 06

Seyfo: Report of Conference at the House of Commons about the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide Jan. 24, 06

BRITISH FILM PREMIERE. DOCUMENTARY ON ARMENIAN AND ASSYRIANS GENOCIDES, 1915 Jan. 23, 06

Kidnapping of the Assyrians in Iraq continues Jan. 23, 05

Praying in Jesus' Own Language Jan. 23, 06

Renowned Assyrian Scholar Erica Reiner Jan. 22, 06

How does Iran effect Assyrians in Turlock California? Jan. 21, 06

The Seyfo Seminar at the House of Commons Jan. 21, 06

ADO: An Apolitical Petty Bourgeois Organisation or a Mature Political Leadership? Jan. 21, 06

Ammo Baba: tied, eye-folded, beaten, and then robbed Jan. 20, 06

The Final Iraq's Election's Results! Jan. 20, 06

Tomb raiders Jan. 18, 06

The Assyrian Republican mayor , Man on the move  Jan. 18, 06

Donations For Allan Enwiyah Jan. 18, 06

Exhibition by the Assyrian artist Hannibal Alkhas Jan. 17, 06

Politics & Policies: Deconstructing Iraq Jan. 16, 06

Poly Sci Course on Assyrians Offered at UC, Berkeley Jan. 15, 06

Kurds focus on corruption in Kurdistan administration  Jan. 13, 06

Ecumenism and the Eucharist Jan. 13, 06

An Assyrian Coach of the Canadian Beaver Bruins hockey team Jan.12, 06

Turkey's massacre of the Assyrians and the Armenians Jan. 11, 06

New Iraqi Constitution May Limit Women's Freedoms Jan. 10, 06

The Boomerang Effect in Iraq: If 'Kurdistan', Why Not Assyria? Jan. 10, 06

Bishop's Report From the Assyrians of Iraq Jan. 9, 06

woman journalist abducted in Iraq, interpreter, killed jan. 9, 06

PanGlobal TV adds AssyriaSat to channel lineup Jan. 9, 06

Bishop Worrys About the future of the Christians in Iraq Jan. 7, 06

Major Terror Plot Against US Ignored By US Media Jan. 6, 06 Jan. 6, 06

U.S. troops deliver gifts to Iraq - school supplies Jan. 5, 06

Iraq Election Despair Spreads To Expatriates Jan. 5, 06

Assyriologist, Erica Reiner Dead at 81- 1924-2005 Jan. 4, 06

The Last Assyrians Jan. 3, 06

Egypt Appoints First Christian Governor in Three Decades Jan, 3, 06

If Only Rocks Could Talk!  Jan . 2, 06

Car bombs, fuel riots usher in New Year in Iraq Jan. 1, 06

Errors in Biblical Dating According to Ancient Assyrian records January 1, 06

 

 

December

 Archives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

web counters