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Assyrian organizations condemn church massacre in Iraq

Assyrian organizations worldwide have condemned the attack on Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic church on Sunday, which killed 58 parishioners and wounded 75, reports Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service.

According to a story by the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), the Assyria Council of Europe said in a statement that the church in Central Baghdad was attacked by Islamic militants believed not to be from Iraq.

Iraqi forces stormed the church and a gunfight ensued with the militants, who raided the church and took its parishioners hostage. Reports suggest at least 58 people are believed to be dead, including a priest, with 75 people more wounded.

Worshipers were attending Sunday mass when gunmen wearing suicide vests detonated bombs outside and then entered Our Lady of Salvation church and started killing people. Once the attention of the Iraqi security forces was gained, they demanded the release of imprisoned Al Qaeda militants.

According to the statement, survivors spoke of religious taunts and random killings. The militants started shooting hostages, saying, “We will go to paradise when we kill you, and you will go to hell.”

Apparently Iraqi commandos along with American helicopters arrived on the scene shortly after. The Assyria Council said questions must be raised about the methods used during the rescue as many lives were lost in the process.

AINA reported the Assyria Council of Europe said, “Violence towards the Assyrian Christian community is a persistent and endemic problem in Iraq. The Assyrians have endured a terrible time since and before Saddam Hussein's removal. Current security is highly inadequate, as seen here with a large number of Assyrians being murdered by apparent foreign nationals with criminal intentions.”

The Council added in a statement, “Assyrian Christians are once again the victim of a horrendous attack on their culture, their religion, and most importantly, their position within their homeland. This will prompt even more Assyrians to leave in search of safety. It is vital that Assyrian Christians are afforded with the same rights as other ethnic groups in Iraq.”

AINA reported that in a statement, the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) also condemned the attack.

The group said such attacks are targeted against the Assyrian people in an attempt to force them to flee their homeland.

The AUA said it “extends its deepest sympathy to the families who have lost their loved ones in this attack, and wishes a speedy recovery to all those who were injured.”

The statement continued, “We call upon the Iraqi government to take swift and definitive action to stop the vicious attacks against our people, instituting immediate measures to address the humanitarian crisis threatening our future in our homeland.”

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TAGS: Iraq Assyrian organizations church massacre Islamic militants Al Qaeda militants persecution anti-Christian violence

[11/08/2010]

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