Aramean blood continues to flow in Iraq…

Jacob of Sarug

3-3-2010: Exodus of the Arameans of Mosul continues undiminished: According to UN report already 720 Aramean families (4320 people) have left Mosul

1-3-2010: Peaceful demonstration on Sunday 28^th of February 2010 by the Aramean Orthodox and Catholics in Baghdeda (Qaraqosh), northern Iraq

27-2-2010: Council of Churches in Iraq appeals to the government to protect the Aramean people in Mosul, Iraq

26-2-2010: The Arameans of Mosul: A new Exodus and Ethnic cleansing is going on

18-2-2010: The Arameans of Iraq again victim of killings and bloodbaths:

24-12-2009: A Christmas “message” for the Arameans of Mosul: Four Aramean Churches attacked and one Aramean killed

26-10-2009: Exactly one month and one day after the dramatic appeal of Iraqi President to the United Nations, two car bombs were detonated in the neighborhood of the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq

1-9-2009: Arameans of Iraq: The East- Aramean Chaldean bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk sounds the alarm bell

29-8-2009: Totally unfounded or has it a grain of truth in it? Greater- Israel and the ethnic cleansing of the Arameans of Mosul and surroundings in Iraq

14-7-2009: The Special UN envoy to Iraq, Mr. Ad Melkert, wants extra protection for the Aramean Christians in Iraq

13-7-2009: Seven Indigenous Aramean Churches in Baghdad (Iraq) attacked by car bombs

4-5-2009: Aramean blood continues to flow in Iraq…

15-11-2008: Iraq: The bloodshed of Aramean people and bombardment of churches continues undiminished

27-10-2008: Attempt of ethnic cleansing Mosul: The Aramean Srebrinica. Who is responsible and why?

14-10-2008: Aramean indigenous nation of Iraq: Removal of article 50, exclusion, killings, persecutions, displacements and ethnic cleansing in Mosul erea

2-9-2008: Again two Arameans killed in Iraq

Killing of Priest Yusuf Adel Abudi

4-5-2008: Again a Aramean spiritual leader is killed in Iraq. This time: The West- Aramean Syrian orthodox priest Yusuf Adel Abudi in Bagdad

11-4-2008: Through all the misery: Miracles happens in Iraq

6-4-2008: Funeral of the West- Aramean Syrian Orthodox Priest Yusuf Adel Abudi

Killing of Mgr. Faraj Raho

1-3-2008: East- Aramean Chaldean bishop of Mosul, Mgr. Paulus Faraj Raho was abducted on 29-2-2008 in Mosul.

13-3-2008: The East- Aramean Chaldean bishop Paulus Faraj Raho killed in Mosul

14-3-2008: Friday 14-3-2008: Funeral of Mgr. Faraj Raho in St. Addai Church in Karemlesh

16-3-2008: Mgr. Paulus Faraj Raho: A Great Spiritual Leader and a Worthy Sheppard in Charge of Jesus Christ

23-2-2008: Aramean centre for art and culture has been opened in Ankawa, northern Iraq

7-1-2008: Aramean Churches and institutions in Iraq under Attack

22-8-2007: AINA: The international lie- and hate machine and the cause of killing, persecution and decline of the Arameans of Iraq

Killing of Priest Ragied Aziz Gannie

3-6-2007: East- Aramean Chaldean priest Ragied Aziz Gannie brutally murdered in Mosul along with three deacons by Muslim extremists

25-5-2007: Terror against Arameans (including "Assyrians" and Chaldeans) of Iraq. Ethnic cleansing of the Indigenous people of Iraq

Killing of Isoh Majeed Hadaya

22-11-2006: The West- Aramean Isoh Majeed Hadaya killed by terrorists in Iraq

Killing of Priest Paulus Iskandar

12-10-2006: Aramean priest Iskandar beheaded in Mosul (Iraq)

Aramean people: Aramean people (not to be confused with ‘Armenians’) speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Abraham, Moses and Jesus. They are the indigenous people of what was called in ancient times Aram- Nahrin, in our days it is called ‘Mesopotamia’.

Some Arameans today identify themselves with “Assyrians”, because of the spiritual colonial hate generating activities of the Western missionaries and diplomats in the Middle-East in 16th and 19th centuries. Other Arameans became known as “Chaldeans”. However all of them are Arameans.In Turkey, the Arameans are called: Süryani. In Arabic they are called Al- Suryan.

Aramean blood continues to flow in Iraq…

Dutch Version

The Aramean blood continues to flow in Iraq undiminished. The Arameans of Iraq are in a very precarious situation. In contrast to others they are not allowed to bear weapons, do not have their militia to protect them adequately against malevolence and hateful forces in Iraq who apparently want to ethnic cleanse the country of its original inhabitants.

The Aramean people of Irak, also made known in some media as “Assyrians” or “Chaldeans” are present since thousands of years in this part of the world, long before the advent of Islam. In spite of wars, persecutions, pogroms and bloodbaths of the past centuries, they were able to survive under very difficult circumstances. With the fall of regime of Saddam Hussein, the situation of the Arameans of Iraq started to deteriorate. The fanatical and hateful black forces of intolerance, until then kept under control by Saddam Hussein, attained freedom to unleash their hatred against the defenseless and peacful minded Aramean indigenous people of Aram-Nahrin. This resulted in the attacks on the churches and the killings of the spiritual and lay leaders. We enumerate few examples:

	West- Aramean Syrian Orthodox priest Paulus Iskandar killed in Mosul on 12-10-2006 by terrorists,
	The West- Aramean Isoh Majeed Hadaya killed by terrorists in Iraq 22-11-2006
	East- Aramean Chaldean priest Ragied Aziz Gannie brutally murdered in Mosul along with three deacons by Muslim extremists on 3-6-2007.
	East- Aramean Chaldean bishop of Mosul, Mgr. Paulus Faraj Raho was abducted on 29-2-2008 in Mosul. His body was found on 13-3-2008 in Mosul and on 14-3-2008 he was buried in St. Addai Church in Karemlesh.
	West- Aramean Syrian Orthodox priest Yusuf Adel Abud was killed on 5-4-2008 by terrorists in Baghdad and was buried on 6-4-2008 in the St. Paul and St. Cathedral in Baghdad.

These brutal killings resulted in that hundreds of thousands Arameans left Iraq for Syria, Jordan and the West.

Another point is that because the Arameans in general are skillful and hardworking people, their economic situation is much better than others. For this reason they are being targeted by ordinary criminals, thieves, Islamic terrorists, political powers and other interested groups who consider the defenseless Arameans as an easy prey.

The last few months the security improved considerably in Iraq. Unfortunately this hope was shot to pieces in March and April this year by suicide bombers and killings of Arameans. On 23^rd of April 2003 48 people were killed in Baquba (province Diyala, Iraq) by a suicide attack on a restaurant and another suicide bomber terrorist killed 38 people in Baghdad where police were distributing aid to people of homeless families. On 24^th of April 2009 a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Baghdad killing 60 people.

Among the Arameans of Iraq, recently 8 people have been killed by the fanatics whose desire seems to ethnically clean Iraq of its original inhabitants. Between 31^st of March and 4^th of April fife Aramean Christians have been killed in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk. On 31^st of March the 71 year aged Sabah Aziz Solaiman was killed in Kirkuk. On 1^st of april 2009 Mr. Nimroud Khodir Moshi was killed in Baghdad in front of his restaurant. On 2^nd of April 2009 two sisters of 47 and 60 years of age were killed in Dora district in Baghdad. And in Mosul Mr. Abdul Aziz Elias was killed in front of his shop.

On 27^th of April 2009 3 Arameans were killed in Kirkuk. The terrorists attacked two houses and killed Mr. Yussef Saba. With the second attack they killed two Aramean women, Munna Dauod and Susan Latif. As always the perpetrators are unknown. They could be ordinary thieves, criminals, Islamic terrorists or other forces who are targeting the Aramean people of Iraq, a easy prey for the terrorists.

Arameans themselves partly to be blamed……due to colonialism…

In various analyses so far we have explained in detail that the terrible situation of the Arameans not only in Iraq but in the entire region of the Middle-East is merely being caused by themselves. They are to be blamed for their problems, because of divisions and hatred caused by the colonial powers. They seem not to be able to get rid of this colonial "heritage" which utterly have damaged the nation. Please feel free to read the following analyses:

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Turks_Kurds_Aramean_monastery_St_Gabriel_28_2_2009.htm#6

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Mosul_Aramean_Srebrinica_27_10_2008.htm

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Miracles_In_Iraq_11_4_2008.htm

The Arameans in Iraq are utterly divided and nourish a horrible hatred towards one another. This mutual hatred and contempt, cause by the spiritual colonial activities in the 16th and 19th centuries, is even so huge that the various Aramean denominations have to live separated from each other. In a article published in the Dutch Christian Protestant Newspaper “Reformatorische Dagblad” of 20-3-2008 we read, “The villages are not inhabited by mixed groups. That is to say: Chaldeans are living with Chdaleans, Syrian Orthodox with Syrian Orthodox and Assyrians with Assyrians. ,, To force everybody to live together would not work”, says a villager who wish to remain anonym. ,, The churches are quarreling here for 1700 years with each other. That century’s old conflict will not be solved very soon. For the sake of peace it is better that all the religious groups live apart”.

This dear reader is the core of the problem. A problem, a indefinable hatred acquired and injected in their spirit and hearts by the colonial powers England and France. This mutual hatred and destruction were taught to the Arameans in camps which the missionaries of the Catholic Church (along with France) and Anglican church (together with Great Britain) had set up in Turkey, Iraq and Iran whereby the Aramean children completely were uprooted from their identity. A horrible venom, in the name of Jesus of the West- who has nothing to do with Jesus Christ of the Bible, was injected in their hearts and conscience with terrible consequences. And it is this hatred which prevents the general social, cultural and political advancement of the Aramean indigenous nation. As if this is not worse enough, today this division and hatred is being continued and promoted with all happiness by the perpetrators of yesteryear.

In a article published in the Christian Protestant newspaper “Nederlands Dagblad” of 5-12-2008, professor Herman Teule is being quoted on the situation of the Aramean Christians of Iraq. We read amongst others,, Prof. Dr. Herman Teule, a Iraq specialist and director of the Institute for the Eastern Christendom, adds some important nuances to the discussion in The Hague. ‘The’ Christians in Iraq do not exist he says. ,,They are strongly divided. Politically as well as ecclesiastically there is rivalry among them. This weakens the already insecure position of the Christians”.

This is indeed a very accurate observation by Prof. Herman Teule. However, why does he as professor at the Catholic University remains so silent about the perpetrators of this “hatred” and “division”? Who caused this division which accelerated the Aramean down fall in the Middle-East? Why not talking about these unholy activities carried out in the past in the name of “Jesus”? Why talking about their difficult situation in Iraq caused by the fanatical Islamic terrorists, but remaining silent about the unholy activities of the Western colonial powers who factually have exterminated our nation?

The future of the Aramean nation not only in Iraq but actually in the entire middle-east is definitely not bright, to say the least. They indeed are divided and in many cases nourish a deep contempt against one another. To thwart the coming tsunami, it is of utmost importance that all the Aramean denominations unite under their real and the true origin, namely the Aramean name and flag.

On 27^th of October 2008 the Patriarch of the East- Aramean Chaldean Church of Babylon took a courageous step to the unification of the Aramean nation by recognizing his Aramean origin saying,, …but I would like to state that we, the Chaldean, Assyrian and Syrian people are one people known as Aramean people”

http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Patriarch_Emmanuel_Delly_Aramean_28_10_2008.htm

Others unfortunately remain silent and did not follow his example yet!

Source: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=15097&geo=23&size=A

04/27/2009 17:21
IRAQ

Kirkuk: commando brigade attacks two Christian families, three killed

Today Louis Sako, the archbishop of Kirkuk, celebrated the funeral for the victims. The ceremony was attended by "the highest local authorities, and many Muslims," who demonstrated their "repugnance" for the new episodes of violence. Sources for AsiaNews speak of an "execution" with a "confessional" backdrop.

Kirkuk (AsiaNews) - Iraqi Christians are again in the sights of the Islamic fundamentalists. At 7:30 yesterday evening in Kirkuk, an armed commando brigade stormed two Christian homes, killing three people in cold blood. Yussef Saba, an employee of the Northern Oil Company, was killed in the first attack; the brigade also wounded two relatives of the victim, Bassel and Samer, who do not seem to have been seriously injured. Seven minutes later, the group broke into a second house, killing two women: Munna Dauod and Susan Latif.

The funeral for the victims was held today in the cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Kirkuk, and was celebrated by Louis Sako, the archbishop of the diocese. The prelate emphasizes that "the entire community of Kirkuk" participated in the funeral: "the authorities were present"at the ceremony, in addition to ordinary citizens, as well as "many representatives of the Muslim community," who demonstrated "their repugnance" for the new violence. The prelate condemns the terrorist attacks, which are aimed solely at "creating confusion" in the city, and "fostering a climate of fear" among Christians.

Adnan Abdullah, an Iraqi police official, explains that the attacks "took place a short distance from each other." Solidarity with the Christian community is being expressed by Iraqi vice president Adel Abdul Mahdi, a Shiite Muslim, who calls upon Christians "not to leave the country," and asks the international community for "help and protection" against the extremists.

"Investigators are maintaining strict confidentiality on the proceedings," says an anonymous source for AsiaNews, and nothing has emerged "about the motives behind the attack." "The families did not have any special problems," the source continues, "and the way in which they were attacked looks like an execution. Nothing was stolen from the homes." According to the source, the Iraqi Christian community is "again in the crosshairs of the Islamic fundamentalists," who are planning and carrying out "premeditated attacks."

From Kirkuk, they explain that the families were already the victims of an attack, on the evening of Sunday, April 19. Exactly one week before yesterday's deadly raid. "It is a murder with a confessional backdrop," the source concludes, "in order to send a warning to the Christian community in Iraq."

Source: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=14922&geo=23&size=A

» 04/06/2009 15:16
IRAQ
Five Christians killed as Kirkuk archbishop questions US withdrawal
Monsignor Sako warns that US troop pullout is likely to plunge the country in a “civil war.” Between 31 March and 4 April five Christians are murdered in Kirkuk, Baghdad and Mosul. The prelate calls on the faithful to pray during Holy Week so “that the blood of our martyrs may restore peace.”

Kirkuk (AsiaNews) – The US troop pullout is creating a “vacuum’ that could end up in “civil war” and “Iraq’s division”, said Mgr Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, as he confirmed the death of five Iraqi Christians killed in late March and early April.

Iraq’s “ethnic and religious groups have not become truly reconciled and the security situation remains fragile,” the archbishop said. “The Army and local police are not able to maintain law and order in the country,” he added. For this reason, the departure of US troops could “lead to further violence,” a view made the more cogent by the recent spate of killings in the Christian community

Sabah Aziz Solaiman, 71, was killed during a robbery on the morning of 31 March in Kirkuk. He was murdered in his own home in cold blood after bandits had broken in and taken everything of value on which they could lay their hands. His wife was spared the same fate because she had just gone to work.

On 1 April Nimroud Khodir Moshi was gunned down in front of his restaurant in Baghdad’s neighbourhood of Mashtal. His murderers then fled the scene without leaving a trace.

The next day two sisters, 47 and 60 years of age respectively, were killed in the al-Dora neighbourhood, also in the capital.

Finally, the latest deadly incident took place in al-Madida in Mosul, when Abdul Aziz Elias Aziz, an electrical generator repairman, was shot to death in front of his workshop.

For the archbishop of Kirkuk these tragic events are cause for concern. Such violence could drive even more Christians into exile and fuel the “never-ending” exodus that is threatening the 2,000-year old community. Moreover, as many Christians flee, those who do remain find themselves in greater danger.

“As Holy Week begins, let us pray for peace and stability in Iraq,” said Bishop Sako. “Let us pray that the blood of our martyrs may restore peace. The Crucified and Risen Christ calls upon us to persevere and maintain our presence and witness.”

Church sources in Mosul recently warned AsiaNews that Christians are increasingly in danger of attacks.

“The community is being targeted by organised crime groups,” a Chaldean Catholic bishop said. “They are going after Christians because of their commercial activities, attracted by the money and wealth the latter have built up in a lifetime of toil and sweat.”

In the past “these thugs were covered and protected by al-Qaeda.”

Now that the “ideological and confessional” aspect has faded away, “ordinary criminals and organised crime are rearing their head, drawn by money, ready to kill in cold blood.”

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