2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul
Encyclopedia
2008 attacks on Christians in Mosul was a series of attacks which targeted the Christians Mosul
, Iraq
. The Christians of Mosul which were already targeted during the Iraq War left the city en masse heading to Assyrian Christian villages in Nineveh Plains
and Iraqi Kurdistan
.
Both Sunni extremists, and Kurdish peshmerga
were blamed for the attacks.
. A number of Christians was killed in Baghdad
and Mosul
, and in 1 Augusts 2004 a series of explosions
targeted Churches in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk
leaving 15 dead and 71 injured.
On 13 March 2008, the body of the Chaldean Archbishop of the city, Paulos Faraj Rahho
, was found buried in a shallow grave near Mosul. Rahho was the highest ranking Christian cleric to be killed in Iraq.
.
The Iraqi government pledged to 900,000 Dollar to help the refugees.
Iraq's Kurdistan region includes three provinces: Arbil, Sulaimaniyah and Duhok. The Iraqi constitution demands that the final borders of the kurdish region be determined by plebiscite, the date of which had been postponed several times. The disputed areas include Kirkuk province and other areas in Diyala, Salah al-Din and Ninewa, including Sinjar district, but not the city of Mosul which has a majority of Sunni Arabs. arguing that Kurds form the majority in these areas. But the US military, responsible for all security operations in the region denied the allegations of Kurdish responsibility.
Younadem Kana, a member of Iraq’s parliament and head of the Assyrian Democratic Movement
, said media reports, including the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, “published lies under my name” accusing the Kurds of allowing violence to displace more Mosul Christians. “My statements were changed and fabrications were published under my name,” said Kana, who also heads the Assyrian Democratic Movement. He said the accusation against Kurds, first publicized at a press conference Oct. 25 by Sunni parliamentarian Osama al-Nujaifi, were “baseless.”
Accusations against Kurdish groups were made by a new Arab party bloc called al Hadba, led by a former business associate of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
, named Osama Al Naijafi and his brother, a parliamentarian currently with the Iraqi list and another former General in the Iraqi army, responsible for the conduct of the invasion in Kuwait.
and Christian villages in Iraqi Kurdistan
for safety. Rumors circulated that Kurds had killed the Christians to draw them into the Kurdish region and side with them when it came time to decide whether the disputed areas would land with the semi-autonomous Kurdish north or with Nineveh province.
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The Christians of Mosul which were already targeted during the Iraq War left the city en masse heading to Assyrian Christian villages in Nineveh Plains
Nineveh plains
Nineveh plains is a region in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq to the north and west of the city Mosul. The area generally consists of three districts; Tel Keppe, Al-Hamdaniya, and Al-Shikhan...
and Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
.
Both Sunni extremists, and Kurdish peshmerga
Peshmerga
Peshmerga or Peshmerge is the term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. Literally meaning "those who face death" the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan have been in existence since the advent of the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s, following the collapse of the Ottoman...
were blamed for the attacks.
Situation of Christians during the Iraq War
Religious minorities in general and Christians in particular were badly affected by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism after the invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. A number of Christians was killed in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, and in 1 Augusts 2004 a series of explosions
2004 Iraq churches attacks
-External links:****...
targeted Churches in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
leaving 15 dead and 71 injured.
On 13 March 2008, the body of the Chaldean Archbishop of the city, Paulos Faraj Rahho
Paulos Faraj Rahho
Archbishop Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho was the Chaldean Catholic Archeparch of Mosul, in the northern part of Iraq.Also known as Paul Faraj Rahho and Paulos Faradsch Raho he was born into an ethnic Assyrian family, he lived almost his entire life in Mosul, Iraq, which has a long established community...
, was found buried in a shallow grave near Mosul. Rahho was the highest ranking Christian cleric to be killed in Iraq.
October attacks
The first series of attacked started in October when Christians families were given choice of death or converting to Islam. By the end of October around 14 Christians were killed, and more than 13,000 forced to flee to Nineveh PlainsNineveh plains
Nineveh plains is a region in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq to the north and west of the city Mosul. The area generally consists of three districts; Tel Keppe, Al-Hamdaniya, and Al-Shikhan...
.
The Iraqi government pledged to 900,000 Dollar to help the refugees.
November attacks
Seven bodies belonging to Christians were found in the streets of Mosul early on November. A house belonging to Syriac Catholic sisters was attacked and two nuns were killed and a third severely injured. around 500 families was forced to flee the city as a result, where they found refuge in Churches and relatives in nearby villages.Accusation of Kurdish involvement
The Kurdish region is generally considered much safer for Christians and other religious minorities than the Arab parts of Iraq, but now the Peshmerga have been blamed for forcing Christians out of their homes by threatening them with death or by killing them. "We heard the people from another Christian neighborhood describing how these armed men stormed the houses and shouted at people to get out," she says. "They were speaking in a kind of pidgin Arabic, not like a Mosul accent at all, but like Kurds, trying to speak Arabic."Iraq's Kurdistan region includes three provinces: Arbil, Sulaimaniyah and Duhok. The Iraqi constitution demands that the final borders of the kurdish region be determined by plebiscite, the date of which had been postponed several times. The disputed areas include Kirkuk province and other areas in Diyala, Salah al-Din and Ninewa, including Sinjar district, but not the city of Mosul which has a majority of Sunni Arabs. arguing that Kurds form the majority in these areas. But the US military, responsible for all security operations in the region denied the allegations of Kurdish responsibility.
Younadem Kana, a member of Iraq’s parliament and head of the Assyrian Democratic Movement
Assyrian Democratic Movement
The Assyrian Democratic Movement also known as Zowaa is an ethnic Assyrian political party in Iraq, and is currently the only Assyrian-based political party to be voting in the Iraqi parliament....
, said media reports, including the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, “published lies under my name” accusing the Kurds of allowing violence to displace more Mosul Christians. “My statements were changed and fabrications were published under my name,” said Kana, who also heads the Assyrian Democratic Movement. He said the accusation against Kurds, first publicized at a press conference Oct. 25 by Sunni parliamentarian Osama al-Nujaifi, were “baseless.”
Accusations against Kurdish groups were made by a new Arab party bloc called al Hadba, led by a former business associate of the former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, named Osama Al Naijafi and his brother, a parliamentarian currently with the Iraqi list and another former General in the Iraqi army, responsible for the conduct of the invasion in Kuwait.
2009 attacks
On January 2009 15 Christians were killed in Mosul, other Christians fled to the Nineveh PlainsNineveh plains
Nineveh plains is a region in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq to the north and west of the city Mosul. The area generally consists of three districts; Tel Keppe, Al-Hamdaniya, and Al-Shikhan...
and Christian villages in Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
for safety. Rumors circulated that Kurds had killed the Christians to draw them into the Kurdish region and side with them when it came time to decide whether the disputed areas would land with the semi-autonomous Kurdish north or with Nineveh province.
See also
- Paulos Faraj RahhoPaulos Faraj RahhoArchbishop Mar Paulos Faraj Rahho was the Chaldean Catholic Archeparch of Mosul, in the northern part of Iraq.Also known as Paul Faraj Rahho and Paulos Faradsch Raho he was born into an ethnic Assyrian family, he lived almost his entire life in Mosul, Iraq, which has a long established community...
- 2010 Baghdad church attack2010 Baghdad church attackThe 2010 Baghdad church attack was an attack on the Our Lady of Salvation Syriac Catholic cathedralof Baghdad, Iraq, that took place during Sunday evening Mass on October 31, 2010. The attack left at least 58 people dead, after more than 100 had been taken hostage...
- 2004 Iraq churches attacks2004 Iraq churches attacks-External links:****...