UK Catholic Bishops: Government should do more to help Christian Iraqi refugees
The most recent atrocity committed against Christians in Iraq is that of An Iraqi Christian and his 6-year-old daughter, who were killed in a bombing in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday, a day after two Christian men were killed in their homes by intruders.
I have recently read of the French, Italian, Turkish and Kurdish offers of refuge and safety for Iraqi Christians, but what about the US and UK?
William Dalrymple over at the Guardian lays out the disturbing and troubling details surrounding the plight of Christians in Iraq since we first sent troops there.
Lisa Grass interestingly notes the Vatican position on the war in Iraq:
It should be noted that the position of the Vatican was that we should not have gone to war in Iraq under the circumstances. The reason for that is that we weren’t attacked by Iraq. The decision by the Bush White House was made primarily to prevent attack, and that doesn’t fit under the Catholic “just war” view. Once the war began, the position of the Vatican was that we should not leave until the nation is stable. After all, if you’re going to make a mess, you need to clean it up. In regard to the Christian population in Iraq, it does appear that a mess was made that has worsened exponentially. Christians were worshipping in peace under Saddam Hussein, and he even had a Christian foreign minister. It’s become virtually impossible for Christians to worship freely in Iraq now. It’s important that we look at things objectively here. Bush was wrong to go in. Obama was wrong to pull out so quickly. In regard to the Christian population, it seems the forces of democracy did far more harm than good.
In view of all of this, I wholeheartedly support this statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales:
The Bishops of England and Wales express their deep sadness at the attacks on Christians and other Iraqis that have taken place over the last few weeks, in particular, the massacre at Our Lady of Salvation Cathedral in Baghdad. Our prayers and solidarity are with all those who died or suffered. We also think of those Iraqis who now live in the United Kingdom and who have lost loved ones or are separated from their families.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, president of the Bishops’ Conference, will be the main celebrant at a Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Friday 26 November at 7pm for all those who have been killed during those recent atrocities.
The Bishops’ Conference urges Her Majesty’s Government to take what measures it can to assist the Iraqi authorities in improving security for all citizens. The Bishops also ask Her Majesty’s Government to review its treatment of asylum seekers to ensure that those who have suffered persecution are given the protection that they deserve and to increase its assistance to those Iraqis who have fled to neighbouring states.
Source: Catholic Hearld
The President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has also urged the US government to “redouble its efforts to assist Iraqis” in providing safety for its citizens, especially religious minorities.
We should be proactively rescuing these brutalised Christians and bringing them to safe haven here in the UK, along with the other nations who – to our shame – have already begun this process.
Tags: Christian Persecution, Politics
November 20th, 2010 at 11:54 am
“It’s important that we look at things objectively here.”
Islam is indulging in exactly what it says on the tin ethnic cleansing of non-muslims when and where for what ever reason or set of circumstance it has the political opportunity to do as it wills.
WAKE-UP TO JIHAD UK.