UPDATED ON:
Monday, October 13, 2008
09:38 Mecca time, 06:38 GMT
News Middle East
Christians flee northern Iraq city

Hundreds of Christians have left their homes in Mosul, according to the governor [AFP]

Attacks in the Iraqi city of Mosul have forced hundreds of Christian families from their homes in just the past week, the governor of the northern Ninawa province says.

Duraid Mohammed Kashmoula said on Saturday that most have taken shelter over the past 24 hours in schools, churches, monasteries and the homes of relatives in the northern and eastern fringes of Ninawa.

The flight came as Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako said Iraq's Christians were facing a campaign of "liquidation" and called on the US military to do more to protect them.

A wave of attacks religiously targeted killings have left at least 11 Christians dead since September 28.

Major displacement

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press news agency, Kashmoula described the last seven days as a period of "major displacement".

He said provincial security officials were meeting with Christian leaders to protect the community "from the terrorists, the killers".

The violence in Mosul is occurring despite US-Iraqi operations launched over the summer aimed at routing al-Qaeda in Iraq and other fighters from remaining strongholds north of the capital.

A convoy carrying an official from Iraq's largest Sunni political party was targeted on Saturday while travelling through Mosul, but no one was hurt, police said.

Mosul killings

A civilian and an armed man were killed in random gunfire in a Mosul market, a policeman said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Iraqi police in the city located 360km northwest of Baghdad have reported finding the bullet-riddled bodies of seven Christians in separate attacks so far this month, the latest a day labourer found on Wednesday.

The Christian community has been estimated at three per cent of Iraq's 26 million people, or about 800,000 Christians, and has a significant presence in the northern Ninawa.

 Source: Agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 4
 
sam mindanao
Qatar
11/10/2008
Christians flee northern Iraq city
Iraq during SADDAM a Christian as its Foreign Minister. Now with the DEMOCRACY from the US INVADER - Christians are claimed to be singled out. I sense a replay of DARFUR situation, claims of Christian being persecuted led to power sharing in SUDANESE Govt.along with the sharing of the OIL revenue with Foreign interests in DARFUR. Is this is an alternative to the spin of Weapon of Mass Destruction which SADDAM were accused of. Shame you OIL COMPANIES, leave religion alone.

Jayson
Philippines
12/10/2008
The goverment of Iraq should do more to PROTECT their Christian brothers and sisters and other minorities who are facing daily persecution / intimidation from militants in the country.

Mary
Afghanistan
13/10/2008
Christians flee northern Iraq city
Moslems all over the world stress how tolerent Islam is, yet Christian communities in all Moslem countries are attacked, and live under all forms of restrictions, intolerence and hate.

Joe Allen
United States
12/10/2008
Fundimentalist Abuse
Christians in the Arab world represent the essence of Christianity, which is respected througout the Muslim World. Outside Christian Fundimentalists in the Americas & Europe represent the worst of Christianity. The Same in Iraq, the Fundimentlist Muslims from the outside represent the worst of Islam. Both are evil and the work of the Shitan or Devil.

 
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