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Iraqi Christians jittery after the murder of two Christians

Tension has continued to rise among Christians in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq over the recent murder of two Christian sisters, reports Success Kanayo Uchime, special to ASSIST News Service.

In a statement by Release International (RI), gunmen shot one of the women outside her home in Al Qahira district, before storming the house, killing her sister and wounding their mother.

“The assailants planted a bomb in the entrance to the house before leaving and the device exploded when police arrived at the scene, injuring several officers,” the report said.

According to the report, thousands of Christians fled Mosul after a spate of killings and attacks on their community in September and October 2008 and that some were starting to return home as security seemed to be improving.

But the recent killing by some Muslim fundamentalists has created serious tension in the city thereby worsening any hope of peace returning in the region and Christians across Iraq are angry about a new electoral law which gives them only three seats out of a total of 440 available on provincial councils.

The report has it that the legislation, signed by President Jalal Talabani earlier this month, fell a long way short of earlier promises that 13 seats would be reserved for the Christian community.

To make the matter worse, the government said it will use the new legislation only to renew provincial councils’ in January’s elections and that thereafter it will conduct a census to review quotas.

In his reaction the auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad, Shlemon Warduni, expressed dismay over the issue stating that; “It is meaningless to deny representation today whilst pledging equality for later.”

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TAGS: Iraq Mosul murder of Christians Release International Christian community persecution

[11/29/2008]

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