Iraqi Christians: Exodus, Ethnic Cleansing & Identity
Annihilation
By: Elias Bejjani
April 07/08
In Bagdad on Saturday (5 April 2008), another innocent Iraqi clergyman fell
victim to the on-going persecution and ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq.
Iraqi security sources announced that a group of unknown armed men gunned down
Father Youssef Adel Aboudi, a Christian priest with Saint Peter's Aramaic Syriac
Orthodox Church. He was murdered while on his way to the church which is located
in the centre of Baghdad.
It is worth mentioning that last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean
Catholic archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in
the northern suburb of the city, two weeks after he was kidnapped. During
Rahho's kidnapping by terrorists, three of his escorting deacons were murdered
in cold blood. It is of great concern that Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean
rite the largest community, which were said to number as many as 800,000 before
the American Liberation of Iraq nearly five years ago, is believed to have
dropped to half that figure.
The Muslim fundamentalists in an apparent and avert venomous scheme
masterminded, financed, orchestrated and executed by the Axis of evil countries
and their armed terrorist tools (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah), as well as by Al Qaeda
global armed militias, are all adamant to force the exodus or eradication of the
Iraqi Christians.
What is going on in Iraq is an organized and systematic ethnic cleaning,
targeting its historic Christian communities while the whole world is silent and
indifferent.
We repeat our urgent call that was made last month after the heinous murder of
Archbishop Rahho and his deacons. We again call on all the free world countries,
in particular the United States, moderate Arab countries, the European Union,
Canada, Australia, and Russia, to end their shameful silence and come to the
rescue of the Middle East Christian communities, especially the Iraqi Christian
communities, before it is too late.
The United States and the rest of the world should know that elimination of
Middle East Christian communities will put terrorist and fundamentalist
criminals, with their savage anti-humanity plots and their sharpened swords of
hatred, in complete control in those countries. If the West remains silent and
indifferent while the Christians in Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and other middle
East and Muslim countries are being eradicated from their own historic lands,
the near future will bring many more days like September 11, 2001 in many
Western countries.
The civilized communities of the world should understand that by defending and
protecting the Christian communities of the Middle East, they will be defending
and protecting their own national security. They should not sit idle, watching
from a distance under the false belief that they are safe, while the education
of death, suicide, hatred, intolerance and fanaticism is destroying the Middle
East, and spreading. This kind of education, spearheaded by Syria, Iran,
Hezbollah, Al Qaeda and the other terrorist and fundamentalist groups, must be
totally uprooted, while its sponsors, protectors, advocates, proponents and
financiers are brought to justice and put on trial on charges of premeditated
murder against civilization and humanity.
As far as Iraq is concerned, it has become more than necessary for the Iraqi
government, the United States, Britain, moderate Arab neighbors and the United
Nations to take full and immediate action to end the horrible suffering of
Iraqi Christians. Their safety and welfare is not a favor from anybody, but
rather a holy duty and a national obligation that the whole world is ought to
fulfill.
While we remind the world that the peace loving Lebanese people and their
troubled country, Lebanon, are still the victims of this Iranian and Syrian
satanic culture of death, fundamentalism and terrorism, we pray that Almighty
God will grant the Iraqi Christian communities all the needed faith, hope and
perseverance to enable them to endure with love and forgiveness this on-going
nightmare that has been mercilessly targeting their peaceful people.
The Lebanese Canadian Coordinating Council, (LCCC) offers the Iraqi Christian
Churches, communities, and father Aboud's family and friends its warmest heartily
felt condolences. We ask Almighty God to grant them all patience, solace, and
courage to endure this great loss with a forgiving spirit and solid faith.
We pray that the Father Aboudi's soul is now resting peacefully in heaven
alongside all the other Saints and Angels.
Elias Bejjani
Chairman for the Canadian Lebanese Coordinating Council (LCCC)
Human Rights activist, journalist & political commentator.
Spokesman for the Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation (CLHRF)
E.Mail
phoenicia@hotmail.com
LCCC Web Site
http://www.10452lccc.com
CLHRF Website http://www.clhrf.com