Christians Protest Killings in Iraq - March 3, 2010

This past Sunday, February 28, Christians in Iraq took to the streets to protest the killings and kidnappings of believers, something that has been on the increase recently.  Iraqi elections are scheduled for this coming Sunday and it is felt that the killings are designed to frighten Christians away from the polls.

Christians in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are bearing the brunt of the persecution – at least 10 have been murdered in the past two weeks.  Those murdered include shop keepers, a student, and an entire family of five.  The community is living in fear and as many as two-thirds of Iraqi Christians have fled the city, many finding their way to the more welcoming Kurdish area of the country.

Iraq’s Christian community is one of the oldest in the world.  Mosul is built on the ancient city of Ninevah, the burial place of Jonah the prophet, and traces its Christian roots to the days of the apostles.  Since war broke out in Iraq in 2003, church bombings, kidnappings and murders have increased significantly, leading to an exodus of Christians.  According to a United Nations report, in the last week of February alone, more than 680 Christian families totally over 4000 people, have fled Mosul.

To try to bring attention to the plight of Christians in Mosul, peaceful demonstrations were held across Iraq this past weekend. According to the BBC, the largest such gathering was held in Hamdaniyah, about 45 kilometres east of Mosul.  A rally was also held in Baghdad, where marchers held signs reading “Stop the Killings of Christians.”  Rallies were led by local clergy and demonstrators carried olive branches and Iraqi flags.  Standing in solidarity with their brothers and sisters back home, Iraqi Christians in Paris held a march on Monday. 

This isn’t the first time that Iraqi Christians have faced persecution and murder.  In 2008 there was another series of killings in Mosul, which saw six Christians killed in less than a week. The 2008 string of murders caused more than 15,000 Christians to flee Mosul over a period of two weeks.

Check back tomorrow for further news about Christians around the world.

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