Christians and Muslims in the streets to say “enough with violence against Christians and to ask for protection for minorities”. It happened in Baghdad and Mosul yesterday. In the Iraqi capital, states to SIR mgr. Shlemon Warduni, who took part in the protest, “we went into the streets to say stop to the attacks. We want peace and security, no more violence. We are Iraqi citizens by full right and as such we want to assert out rights, first and foremost the right to life. Enough with the massacres of Christians. We want to be protected”. Organised by the Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights, the protest took place in the city centre, in Paradise Square, not far from the Falestin and Sheraton hotels, and gathered over 500 people, including Christians, Yazides, Sabeians and Muslims. Speeches were given to recall the problems of Christians by Louis Marqus, member of the Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights, the Syro-Catholic corepiscopus, father Pius Qasha, who read a message from his patriarch, Mar Ignatius Yousef III Younan, and the Chaldean vicar, mgr. Warduni. Other people included the former minister of Migration and Evacuees, Pascale I. Warda and Abdallah Al Naufali, head of the governmental department for non-Muslim minorities. “We made our demands – adds Warduni –, which we announced at the end of the protest. Such requests include immediate action to be taken by the central and local governments to protect Christians and stop the bloodshed; to consign to justice the perpetrators and instigators of the crimes against the Christians of Mosul; to publish the results of the enquiries conducted by the Iraqi police into the attacks against the Christians of Mosul that occurred in the last few days and in 2008. Should it be impossible to stop violence in Mosul, we ask the international community to protect them and put an end to their tragedy”.
Christians in the streets in Mosul as well, where yesterday people marched in several local Christians villages and cities. No Mass was officiated in the city churches in the morning. “The Christian community of Mosul – goes on mgr. Warduni to SIR – saw the Chaldean patriarch, card. Mar Emmanuel III Delly, visit the families and speak with the Mayor, the head of the police and some local chiefs. The latter insisted that, if the Government does not protect Christians, they will do it themselves. Many of them were actually educated in Christian schools”. Yesterday’s protests came just one week before the election that will be held on Sunday 7th March. “We hope everything will be fine – concludes the Chaldean vicar –, that the Iraqis may choose the best and most suitable people to rebuild Iraq as it deserves”.

© SIR - 1 march 2010