July 21, 2014
By RUDAW
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (click here) – For around 100 Christian refugees forced into making an Assyrian church in Tel Kaif their home, there was no question of staying behind in Mosul after an ultimatum by the city’s new Islamic State (IS) rulers.
"They stormed into our home in the middle of the night and ordered us to leave with only our clothes,” said one homeless Christian at the Mashriq Assyrian Church in Tel Kaif, where many from the faith have fled since the fall of Mosul last month.
“They said, ‘if you convert to Islam you can stay in your home, otherwise get out of here,’” recounted an elderly Christian man, one of the 105 people being cared for by church priests who said they are expecting more refugees to arrive.
“They took everything: the television, computer, money, gold. I had a chicken I wanted to take for food, but even that they did not let me take,” the elder toldRudaw in a weak, trembling voice.
All of the Christians -- who include Chaldeans and Assyrians or Kurds and Arabs – told similar tales of first being ordered to either convert to Islam or pay a special tax, and then being warned to convert or die....
The Christians have embraced areas of the world not necessarily popular, but, in need of attention to leaders opposed to violence.
Pope Francis has already attempted to bring about understanding between Israel and Palestine. It should be no surprise to violent areas of the world they are disenfranchised by a majority of people.
July 21, 2014
The Christians have embraced areas of the world not necessarily popular, but, in need of attention to leaders opposed to violence.
Pope Francis has already attempted to bring about understanding between Israel and Palestine. It should be no surprise to violent areas of the world they are disenfranchised by a majority of people.
July 21, 2014
Days (click here) before the recent Israel/Hamas conflict erupted, the Presbyterian Church USA withdrew $21 million worth in investments from Israel because, as spokesman Heath Rada put it, the Israeli government’s actions “harm the Palestinian people.”
Soon after, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and was asked if he was “troubled” by the Presbyterian Church’s move. Netanyahu responded:
It should trouble all people of conscience and morality because it’s so disgraceful....
Peace loving people are tired of taking it on the chin. The violence is horrible. Children suffer. This has to stop. War within the Middle East only makes it worse and inhibits forward movement of people to a status of comfort with optimism of the future. War removes the promise of the future.
It should trouble all people of conscience and morality because it’s so disgraceful....
Peace loving people are tired of taking it on the chin. The violence is horrible. Children suffer. This has to stop. War within the Middle East only makes it worse and inhibits forward movement of people to a status of comfort with optimism of the future. War removes the promise of the future.
