UPDATED ON:
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
21:09 Mecca time, 18:09 GMT
 
News Middle East
Iraqi Christians' murders condemned
Iraq's minority Christian population numbers about 800,000 people [AFP]

Muslim scholars have spoken out against a spate of attacks against Christians in northern Iraq, after more than 12 members of the community were killed in recent weeks.

The condemnation from the Organistation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) came on Tuesday, as Iraq's government pledged to send officials to the ethnically mixed city of Mosul to investigate the attacks.

Over a thousand Christians are said to have fled their homes in Mosul in recent days.

Ekmeleddin Ihasanoglul, who heads the OIC, said the violence in Mosul was "unprecedented in the history of Iraq" and called upon the Iraqi authorities to "prosecute the culprits who are behind these acts".

Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, said a cabinet-level delegation would soon be sent to Mosul.

"The cabinet stressed the need to move quickly to support the security effort with intensive military operations to restore security and order in Mosul and to reassure citizens," he said in a statement.

Government response

Prompted by the violence, the Iraqi government has already sent more than 1,000 police personnel to Mosul.

Major-General Ali Ghaidan, commander of Iraqi ground forces, said the fruits of the recent crackdown would soon be visible, attributing the exodus to "media exaggeration that gave rise to fear and horror among these families ... even if no threat was received".

Yunadim Kanna, an Iraqi Christian legislator, said more than 1,500 families had left following recent killings of Christians, but that the situation had calmed in recent days.

"We expect these areas to be controlled, and the families to return to their homes in coming days," he said.

Kanna met Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, a Shia Muslim, along with Christian officials on Monday.

The targeted violence in Mosul has brought renewed attention to the plight of Iraq's Christians, who number in about 800,000 people.

Clergy targeted

Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, members of the Christian clergy have been targeted and a number of churches bombed.

The Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul was kidnapped in February and his body was found two weeks later.

Although the Iraqi authorities have yet to publicly announce who they believe is behind the campaign of violence, many believe it is the work of al-Qaeda.

But some Christians have placed the blame on other elements in the city - home to Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen - saying there is a systematic campaign to oust them from the city.

Kanna, like other Christians, said he hinted that there might be government involvement.

"I don't want to accuse anyone, but I am saying that [those carrying out attacks] are wearing police uniforms," he said.

The US has also spoken out against the attacks, with a statement from the embassy saying the killings are the work of "terrorists".

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 6
 
Norberto
Argentina
14/10/2008
Christianity is a victim of the serpent as well
Christianity is a victim of the serpent as well. Marxism, after Carlos Mordecai, and the Zionist Capitalism are the enemies of both Islam and Christianity. These sort of attacks only help the masters in the art of lying.

sam mindanao
Qatar
15/10/2008
Iraqi Christians murders condemned
Can't OIC think of better thing to do. Mr.Ekmeleddin Ihasanoglul - head of OIC would be better off sending back Philippines Expats working in Muslim Countries in retaliation for the killing of Muslims in Mindanao. Can't he realize that the present Iraqi situation is a strategy to gain support from Western Nations to further commit their Troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. During Saddam Hussein Presidency, he appointed a Christian as his Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Aviva Rio
United Kingdom
17/10/2008
I agree that it's terrible..it reminds me of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Jews who, over the past 60 years, were inexplicably killed, tortured, or forced to leave the country - after over two thousand years of living there - without public awareness raised or condemning of this disaster.

Muhamed Abdullah
Ireland
14/10/2008
Terrible
While this is a terrible thing I find it strange how the killing of 12 Christians can get so much publicity while hundreds of Muslims die each day in Iraq.

George Narso
United States
18/10/2008
Iraqi Christians
Murdering Iraqi Christians at the hands of Muslims is not new, it has been going on since the rise of islam (750A.D.). The history continues to repeat itself. The shite goverment in iraq is following the systamatic errision of Christianity like in Iran and lebonan. Muslims thus far have never been able to contribute to global society anything else but murder, murder and more murder, as the teaching of "Koran" dictates to do, no wounder the civilized world reject islam as nothing less filth.

Sadalla
United States
17/10/2008
Christian Killings
Not only as a Moslem but as a human being, I strongly condemn the targeting and killings of Christians in Musel Iraq. Now the Americans blame Al-Qaeida, Just ask the question: did any of this sort happen before the invasion of Iraq by the the new NEO-COns? Thosw responsible should be any Arab who supported the invasion, aided the invaders, and facilitated their stay. Add to them the Iraqi traitors who helped the invaders. I feel for Iraq and all peoples of Iraq. May God save what is left of Iraq

 
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