Latest News - Events ...                    Last updated: 16 August 2010

Mor Gabriel Monastery lost the Forestry case

24 June 2009 Mor Gabriel Monastery lost one of the cases over the land disputes with the Turkish state. The court made the decision on favour of the Ministry of the Forest.

On the other hand the Saint (Mor) Gabriel representatives stressed that they will prepare an objection against this decision and they declared that they will bring this decision to Ankara. Last month the Monastery had won one of the cases (land boundary case). The dispute with the Treasury has been also won by the Mor Gabriel Monastery.

Similarly to the other trials the interest was very high. Personalities from different places were present to the court in Midyat. Among the attendees, Tuma Celik from ESU, Yilmaz Kerimo member of the Swedish Parliament, deputy Anne Ludvingson, Evin Cetin from Social Democrats of Sweden and Sema Kilicer representative of the European Union were present at the court.

Mor Gabriel Monastery stated that they will prepare an objection to this decision and they will bring this to Ankara, and one of the lawyers of the Monastery said if there will be a need they will bring this battle also to the European Court.

ESU grants too much importance to these cases against the Monastery, which it follows very closely.

Hopefully national and international media have also pursued these trials from the first days.

Read also Turkish Newspaper in English here

European Syriac Union

Mor Gabriel Monastery won the land case

22 May 2009 Mor Gabriel Monastery, one of the most important Syriac Monastery in the world, won one of the land dispute cases last Friday. The local Turkish court ruled his decision on favour of the Mor Gabriel Monastery.

According to the news agencies, the dispute over the boundaries of Mor Gabriel, a fifth-century Syriac Orthodox monastery in eastern Turkey, had raised concerns over freedom of religion and human rights for non-Muslim minorities in Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country and European Union aspirant.

During the case processes of the monastery, Syriacs all over the world point out their support to the monastery with the statements and visits to the monastery and with the great street demonstrations. On the other hand, the European Union and United States representatives also follow up the land cases closely.

Mr. Fikri Aygur, Vice-President of the European Syriac Union (ESU) said that, this is very important result for us and for the Syriacs in the world. From now on the Monastery finished the problems with the villagers because the frontiers are known. Aygur also declared that, other land dispute cases are ongoing in the local court and they pursuit all developments very closely. The decision of court is more political than legal dixit ESU. Lastly, Aygur noted that court decision will be a test for the Turkish state by respecting and giving the total rights to the non-Muslim communities in the Turkey.

On the other hand, other land dispute cases are postponed. The case of Treasury is on 17th June and the Forest Ministry case is on 24th June.

European Syriac Union

22 Mai 2009 (Le Figaro) Le gouvernement islamiste turc multiplie les tracasseries contre la minorité chrétienne du Tur Abdin. Au cœur de cette lutte, les terres millénaires du monastère Mor Gabriel.

Les chrétiens syriaques de Turquie font l'objet de tracasseries à répétition. Sans doute pour les pousser à l'exil. Symbole de ces difficultés incessantes : le monastère Mor Gabriel, surnommé aussi la deuxième Jérusalem, installé à 140 kilomètres de Diyarbakir, à 10 kilomètres de Midyat et 30 kilomètres de la frontière syrienne, est de plus en plus menacé malgré ses 1 600 ans.

... L'an passé, en effet, sous le prétexte d'une remise à jour du cadastre, l'Etat a tenté de récupérer 250 hectares appartenant au monastère après les avoir requalifiés en forêt. Vaine tentative, il est vrai, mais se profile une série de procès. Un malheur n'arrivant jamais seul, deux villages voisins, Eglence et Yanvantep, se réveillent soudain. Ils réclament des terres du monastère censées leur appartenir, pour faire paître leurs troupeaux.

L'Etat turc tient un double langage...  Lire la suite ...   Photos

20 May 2009 (Associated Press) BAGHDAD — Iraq has lost more than half the Christians who once called it home, mostly since the war began, and few who fled have plans to return, The Associated Press has learned.

Pope Benedict XVI called attention to their plight during a Mideast visit this week, urging the international community to ensure the survival of “the ancient Christian community of that noble land.”

The number of Arab Christians has plummeted across the Mideast in recent years as increasing numbers seek to move to the West, saying they feel increasingly unwelcome in the Middle East and want a better life abroad.

But the exodus has been particularly stark in Iraq — where sectarian violence since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion has often targeted Christians.

The AP found that hundreds of thousands of Christians have fled.  Read More ...

10 May 2009 (Telegraph.co.uk) Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass with tens of thousands of worshippers from the dwindling Christian churches of the Middle East today, urging them to maintain their presence in region.

During the mass in a sports stadium in the Jordanian capital Amman, the Pope made a special point of meeting representatives of the Iraqi Christian community, much of which has fled into exile since the 2003 invasion.

He also spoke of the challenges faced by the Christian church in the region.  Read More ...

9 May 2009 (Le Point) «N ous sommes tous des chrétiens d’Orient », s’exclamait Régis Debray lors d’un colloque à Paris. Assassinats de chrétiens en Irak, incendies d’églises à Gaza, vexations contre les coptes en Egypte, liberté de culte encadrée en Turquie, restriction de mouvements en Israël... Les communautés chrétiennes, filles du Moyen-Orient depuis deux mille ans, se sentent de plus en plus mal sur leurs terres natales, hier fief du pluralisme religieux.
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« Nous voulons que les chrétiens restent dans le monde arabe », écrivait en 2002 le prince Talal, membre de la famille saoudienne, dans une tribune publiée par le quotidien An Nahar de Beyrouth. Un point de vue éclairé très minoritaire : en Arabie, seule la religion musulmane est autorisée... Lire plus ...

9 May 2009 Pope Benedict has urged the world to make efforts to protect Iraq's Christian minority.

In a speech Saturday to Muslim leaders in Jordan, the pontiff called on the international community and local political and religious leaders to try to ensure Iraqi Christians a "right to peaceful coexistence" with other Iraqis.  Read More ...

8 May 2009 CHRISTIAN families living in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk have been urged to remain there, despite the murder of three members of the minority community last week.

Security sources said that gunmen broke into a home in a southern district of the city and shot dead two Christian women. In a separate attack in the same area, one man was killed and two were wounded in a shooting in their home.

Last autumn, in a spate of attacks on Christians living in the northern city of Mosul, 15 Christians were killed. Their deaths prompted dozens of families to leave the city. Only when police and army reinforce­ments were deployed did the exodus gradually stop. Read More ...

8 May 2009 The American led invasion of Iraq was meant to usher in democracy, liberty, freedom, and a revitalized Iraq. Sadly, from the outset other forces would be unleashed and this applies to radical Islam, terrorism, Sunni-Shia clashes, the persecution of Christians, and other negative forces. At the same time, an ancient religion was about to face a new wave of hatred and ethnic cleansing. This community, the Mandaeans, now faces virtual annihilation and now only a few thousand remain in modern day Iraq. So will this small community be forced to go into complete exile?

It is clearly apparent that all minorities, be they Assyrian Christians, Mandaeans, Shabaks, Yazidis, or others, face enormous persecution and the central government is either too weak or complacent. Also, the leaders of America must be blamed for entering Iraq and then leaving the minorities to face persecution, torture, death, and ethnic cleansing.  Read More ...

6 May 2009 WASHINGTON – Fear keeps Iraqi Christians quiet about the extent of persecution the tiny minority group endures, said an Iraqi Catholic archbishop Tuesday at a private meeting with religious freedom experts and journalists.

These Christians do not fear only for their own safety, but they are afraid of retribution against fellow believers in Iraq if they speak out, explained the Most Rev. Jean Benjamin Sleiman, the head of the Latin mass church in Iraq, at a Hudson Institute hosted luncheon. This mindset has kept even Iraqi Christians in the United States and other western nations relatively quiet about the severe Christian persecution in their homeland.

It is as if Iraqi Christians speak two different languages, the archbishop told the small group of Americans gathered for the invitation-only event. To the pope they say they are being persecuted, he said, but to the public they say they are living well with occasional problems.  Read More ...

5 May 2009 Depuis la visite faite en févier 2008 aux communautés chrétiennes du nord de l'Irak par la délégation pilotée par Pax Christi France, dans le cadre de l'opération « Pâques avec les chrétiens d'Irak », le destin de ces communautés nous est, vous le savez, particulièrement cher. Ayant rappelé il y a peu de temps la mémoire de Monseigneur Farraj Rahho, archevêque de Mossoul, à l'occasion du premier anniversaire de sa mort, nous nous réjouissons de relever tous les signes manifestant la renaissance de votre pays et l'accroissement de ses raisons d'espérer en un avenir meilleur.

Nous avons appris avec une douleur d'autant plus grande les récents assassinats de chrétiens à Mossoul. Ils démontrent que la sécurité demeure précaire et que l'harmonie sociale est loin d'être assurée.

Une fois encore les chrétiens sont des cibles privilégiées de ceux qui entretiennent l'instabilité et la crainte dans la population.  Lire la lettre ...

1 May 2009 While Christianity was born in the Levant, today its history is largely thought of in terms the two great centers, both in Europe, around which the ecclesiastical politics within the Roman Empire coalesced—Rome and Constantinople. What gets forgotten is that there were other great centers beyond the frontiers of the oikoumene and that much of what is now referred to as “the Islamic world” was once Christian.

To illustrate his point, Jenkins focuses on the figure of Timothy I (727-823) who, in 780, was enthroned as patriarch, or catholicos, of the Church of the East, then based in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Seleucia, less than two dozen miles southeast of modern Baghdad. According to Jenkins, “in terms of his prestige, and the geographical extent of his authority, Timothy was arguably the most significant Christian spiritual leader of his day, much more influential than the Western pope, in Rome, and on par with the Orthodox patriarch in Constantinople,” since “perhaps a quarter of the world’s Christians looked to Timothy as both spiritual and political head.”  Read More ...

30 April 2009 Three Iraqi Christians were murdered last Sunday and two others were injured in two separate incidents in the city of Kirkuk. These attacks take place in a context of intense hostility to Christians from militant Islamists.

The following has been posted on various websites: “The General Secretariat of the Adherent of Islam Brigade has decided to address the final warning to ... the infidel Christian Crusaders ... and order you to leave immediately, in masses and permanently from the Muslim countries. There is no place for you infidel Christians among the Muslim believers in Iraq from now on. Otherwise, our swords will be legalized over your neck.”

"The main objective of these crimes is to create chaos and promote strife and divisions among the people of Kirkuk. I call on Christians not to be jarred by these crimes and to stay in Kirkuk. We are sons of this city," he said. According to U.S. military officials, gunmen entered a home in southern Kirkuk, killing two women. Gunmen attacked three men in a home in the same area the same night. One was killed.
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The manner of the killings suggests premeditated execution, intended to send a warning to Iraqi Christians and foster a climate of fear. They recall the violence of last October in Mosul, when thousands of Christians fled from their homes in the northern city of Mosul. Fearing a similar exodus from Kirkuk, church and government leaders have called on the Christian community to stand firm and not be intimidated. The vice-president of Iraq has called upon Christians not to leave the country and has requested the international community to give help and protection against the militants. Read More ...

Parliamentary question: Mor Gabriel monastery
recognition of the Aramaeans as a religious minority in Turkey

27 April 2009 The Mor Gabriel monastery in Midyat, Mardin province, which was built in AD 397, is the spiritual centre for Syriac Orthodox Christians, the Aramaeans, in Turkey. Around 70 monks and nuns live in the monastery. It is visited by thousands of Aramaeans every year.

Since 2008, this over 1 600‑year‑old monastery has been the subject of a flood of court cases, in which the monastery stands accused of, among other things, ‘unlawful settlement’. Certain of these proceedings have been brought by neighbouring villages represented by leading AKP politicians. If these proceedings are successful, there is a danger that the Aramaean monks and nuns will be forced out of the Mor Gabriel monastery, bringing to an end a 1 600‑year‑old non‑Muslim tradition in south‑eastern Turkey.

The Aramaean faith community is not recognised as a religious minority in Turkey. Communities not recognised as religious minorities in Turkey do not enjoy minority rights and are not allowed to train young people or to teach, and thereby pass on to the next generation, their faith or their language. Since 6 October 1997, the teaching of Aramaic, the language of Jesus used in the Syriac Orthodox Church, has been officially prohibited in the Republic of Turkey.

Read the full Parliamentary question here ...

27 April 2009 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Christians in Kirkuk were urged to stand firm by the city's Chaldean archbishop Monday after three members of the religious minority were gunned down in their homes.

Louis Sako told mourners at a cathedral in the ethnically mixed city that the attacks Sunday killing three Christians and wounding two others were outrageous.

"The main objective of these crimes is to create chaos and promote strife and divisions among the people of Kirkuk. I call on Christians not to be jarred by these crimes and to stay in Kirkuk. We are sons of this city," he said. According to U.S. military officials, gunmen entered a home in southern Kirkuk, killing two women. Gunmen attacked three men in a home in the same area the same night. One was killed.. Read More ...

ESU Newsletter 16 is released ... Issue 16

Go here to see all the previous ones.

19 April 2009 (Today's Zaman) A long-standing land dispute between the Syriacs of Midyat, a district in the southeastern province of Mardin, and the local village heads has finally turned into a legal battle attracting international attention.

The disagreement has been closely monitored by the European Union for some time, and US President Barack Obama also got involved in the dispute after he received a letter from the German Syriac diaspora on the matter and assigned one of his aides to follow the developments, effectively making the small district's land dispute a matter of international concern. Read More ...

17 April 2009 (The Christian Post) The vice president of Iraq, Adel Abdul Mahdi, urged the country’s Christian population to resist fleeing Iraq and called on the international community to help protect the dwindling minority group from extremists.

The vice president of Iraq, Adel Abdul Mahdi, urged the country’s Christian population to resist fleeing Iraq and called on the international community to help protect the dwindling minority group from extremists.

"The position of Iraqi Christians is vulnerable and Iraq must not be left alone to face this. It's a collective task," said Abdul Mahdi, a Shiite Muslim, at a conference hosted by the French Institute of International Relations in Paris on Wednesday, according to Agence France-Presse.

"Christians are an integral part of Iraq,” he said. “We need to help Iraq and help Christians remain in Iraq.”

Iraq’s Christian population has mostly fled to neighboring countries such as Syria and Jordan, but has also been granted refuge in Western countries including France, Germany, and the United States.

Members of the tiny Christian population are forced to leave their homeland because of daily physical threats to their life. More than 200 Christians have been killed, dozens of churches bombed, and countless believers have been kidnapped for ransom money since 2003. Read More ...

9 April 2009 (Wall Street Journal) Today is Holy Thursday for Christians and the start of Passover for Jews. This week was an opportune time for President Barack Obama to visit Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which has been both a Byzantine church and Islamic mosque. In Turkey he spoke of seeking engagement with Islam based on "mutual respect."
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"I know that the trust that binds the United States and Turkey has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. So let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam. . . .
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Coptic Christians in Egypt have been singled out for discrimination and persecution. Muslim rioters often burn or vandalize their churches and shops.

In Turkey, the Syriac Orthodox Church (its 3,000 members speak Aramaic, the language of Christ) is battling with Turkish authorities over the lands around the Mor Gabriel monastery, built in 397.

Read More ...

31 March 2009 (EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee) - We would also welcome developments in other areas of the political criteria, such as religious freedoms. For instance, the re-opening of the Halki seminar would be widely perceived as an important step towards greater tolerance vis-à-vis other religious communities. The Commission also follows closely the ongoing case as to the Mor Gabriel monastry.

Tolerance in general cannot be instructed from above, but authorities can lead by example. A development towards more tolerance in the society would be helpful also to other minorities, whatever their nature. Read More ...

Full speech of Mr. Olli Rehn EU Commissionner for Enlargement (PDF format)

27 March 2009 (Telegraph.co.uk) - The Christians of Iraq are some of the oldest and long standing Christians in the world. Here among these wonderful people is still spoken the language of our Lord. Ninety-eight per cent of my people at St George's, Baghdad originate from "Niniwah" (Nineveh) and are the result of the most miserable evangelist ever, who arrived by submarine transportation 2,700 years ago - Jonah. Another miserable person turned up 700 years later called doubting Thomas. He was on his way to India. He told the people that their Messiah had come. They believed him and, to this day, the Christians in Iraq revere Jonah and Mar Thoma.

... we are still in the most dangerous place for Christians in the world. Security has slightly improved and some people have returned to places like Dora, but Christians in Iraq are still surrounded by great danger. Read More ...

27 March 2009 - Christians in Iraq are being assisted by a ministry that raises awareness of the persecuted church worldwide. Open Doors USA has set up pharmacies and other medical projects throughout Iraq. The pharmacies not only help Iraqi Christians find affordable medicine, but they also provide jobs for refugees in northern Iraq.

... "It is the call of Open Doors to all Christians around the world to remember the plight of those who have been squeezed almost out of existence by ... Read More ...

26 March 2009 -Christian Web News - Two Christians in Turkey will face trial in the coming months for “insulting Turkishness.” Although this sounds absurd, the allegations are serious. Nevertheless, the defense remains hopeful.

A Turkish court received permission Feb. 24 from the Ministry of Justice to try Christians Turan Topal and Hakan Tastan under the revised Article 301 law that has sparked outrage among free speech proponents. The court had sent the case to the Ministry of Justice after the government put into effect a series of changes to the law back in May of 2008. Read More ...

25 March 2009 - Produced by the Chaldean Church in Beirut, Lebanon. USA distribution by: Religious Freedom Coalition www.rfcnet.org The following interview with canon andrew white concerns the same topic.

If you are a Christian, and your son or daughter was killed because of your faith, what would you do? If your Muslim neighbor came to you and said, "Your daughters must convert to Islam and marry our sons, or we will kill your entire family," how would you respond? "Convert or die" is the message of choice for Islamic jihadists in Baghdad and Iraq who are working overtime to rid Iraq of "infidel" Christians. See the Video here

19 Mars 2009 (Le Point) - Maronites, coptes, melkites, syriaques, arméniens, assyriens, chaldéens, grecs-orthodoxes, éthiopiens-catholiques, outre des catholiques et des protestants... Comment peut-on être un chrétien d'Orient ! se dit l'Occidental déchristianisé, assis sur sa Sécurité sociale et persuadé que le monde se limite à la béatitude démocratique. ...

En vain attend-on l'indignation des pleureuses d'Europe ou des Etats-Unis.Toute paix, même la pseudo-paix des braves, suppose un vaincu, lequel ne saurait être les juifs, ni les musulmans, ni même les Kurdes, qui ont retrouvé leur territoire. Est-il illégitime de penser, hors toute théorie du complot mais selon le mécanisme de la victime émissaire cher à René Girard, que ce seront les chrétiens, dans leur ensemble, qui seront sacrifiés sur l'autel de la paix au Proche-Orient ? Lire la suite ...

17 March 2009 - Nearly six years since the beginning of the war in Iraq, Iraqi’s are increasingly saying that their country is becoming a safe place to live, according to a recent survey. For Christians, however, the daily threat of violent attacks means these are still uncertain times.

... Christians are still the victims of violence. Canon Andrew White of St George’s Anglican Church in Baghdad told CBN news that 83 congregants of his church were killed last year, and another five this year. Read More ...

European Parliament resolution of 12 March 2009 on Turkey's progress report 2008

12 March 2009 European Parliament Strasbourg - European Parliament in its resolution of 12th March 2009, section "Human rights and respect for, and protection of, minorities" stress Turkey about full respect for freedom of religion and regret the planned expropriation of the Syriac Orthodox Monastery of St Gabriel in Tur Abdin and the court procedures against representatives of the monastery

Read the Full Resolution - Lire la Résolution complète

Nous ne pouvons plus passer sous silence le drame que vivent les Chrétiens d’Orient et plus particulièrement ceux de l’Irak.
La situation des chrétiens Chaldéen-Syriaque-Assyriens ne cesse de se dégrader ...
Les attaques du 11 septembre 2001 et ce qui en a découlé n’ont fait qu’empirer leur situation.
Si rien n’est fait pour les aider, le monde assistera à un nettoyage ethnico-religieux en Irak avec des conséquences pour tout le Proche et Moyen-Orient. ...

Conférence - Débat : Les Assyro-Chaldéen-Syriaques dans le Fédéralisme Irakien

Jeudi 2 avril 2009 - de 14h à 18h
Sénat - Palais du Luxembourg
15 rue Vaugirard - Paris 6ème

Communiqué de Presse

Programme de la Conférence

7 March 2009 KARTMIN, TURKEY (Wall Street Journal) - Christians have lived in these parts since the dawn of their faith. But they have had a rough couple of millennia, preyed on by Persian, Arab, Mongol, Kurdish and Turkish armies. Each group tramped through the rocky highlands that now comprise Turkey's southeastern border with Iraq and Syria.

The current menace is less bellicose but is deemed a threat nonetheless. A group of state land surveyors and Muslim villagers are intent on shrinking the boundaries of an ancient monastery by more than half. The monastery, called Mor Gabriel, is revered by the Syriac Orthodox Church. Read More ...

5 Mars 2009 MIDYAT, Turquie (Le Figaro) - Depuis plus de 1 600 ans, les chants en araméen, la langue du Christ, montent du monastère syriaque Mor Gabriel et enveloppent les collines couleur de miel, en bordure de la frontière turco-syrienne. Au fil des siècles, les cantiques ont perdu en intensité : la communauté ne compte plus que trois moines, treize nonnes et un métropolite.

Ces descendants des premiers chrétiens restent accrochés à la région du Tur Abdin, «la montagne des serviteurs de Dieu». Mais, depuis l'an dernier, le monastère est engagé dans une bataille judiciaire avec l'État turc et trois villages environnants. Pour les petites minorités chrétiennes de Turquie, le procès, qui doit s'ouvrir mercredi, constitue une nouvelle remise en cause de leur présence. Lire plus ...

Colloque organisé par les Députés Fédéraux Clotilde Nyssens, Georges Dallemagne et Christian Brotcorne en collaboration avec Solidarité-Orient/Werk voor het Oosten

La presse se fait l’écho discret depuis plusieurs mois des violences subies par les communautés chrétiennes établies dans les pays du Proche et du Moyen-Orient. En Inde mais aussi en Turquie, en Egypte ou encore en Irak, les communautés chrétiennes sont l’objet de discriminations sociales et de persécutions meurtrières. La culture chrétienne existe pourtant dans ces pays depuis des siècles. Outre la dénonciation de ces injustices nous voudrions mettre en évidence à l’instar de Régis Debray que le pluralisme de fait est une chance énorme pour la promotion des valeurs universelles de dignité et de liberté humaines et, partant, pour le maintien de la paix dans les pays du Proche et du Moyen Orient. Ce colloque sera l’occasion de donner la parole à des témoins et à des spécialistes de la question afin de rendre visible la problématique en Belgique où vivent aussi de nombreuses communautés arabo-chrétiennes.

Vendredi 20 mars 2009
 de 9h30 à 13h
Maison des Parlementaires - Salle des Congrès
Rue de Louvain 21 - 1000 Bruxelles

Expropriation of the lands of the Mor Gabriel Monastery in Tur Abdin, Turkey

13 February 2009 Written question no 563 to the Committee of Ministers presented by Mr Omtzigt and others to the Council of Europe.  Read More ...

Turkey: Respect Property Rights of Religious Minorities

11 February 2009 - USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan Federal commission, today urged the U.S. government to raise the importance of respecting property rights of members of diverse religious minorities with the Turkish government, particularly with reference to the Mor Gabriel Monastery.

For decades, Turkey's government has attempted to confiscate lands belonging to Greek Orthodox churches. In a current instance, on February 11 a case involving the attempted seizure by Turkish authorities of land on which sits the 1,600 year-old Mor Gabriel Syriac Orthodox monastery will be heard by a local Turkish court. At this hearing, the court will determine if the 270 hectares of land belong to the government or the monastery. Read More ...

Mor Gabriel Monastery Under Siege in Turkey
Arameans are preparing for a huge demonstration to take place in Berlin on Sunday, Jan. 25

24 January 2009 Berlin, Germany (DW World) - "Save the monastery of Mor Gabriel, save Christendom in Turkey"-- that is the slogan of a huge demonstration planned for Sunday in Berlin. Its aim is to help safeguard the existence of Mor Gabriel -- also known as the Monastery of St. Gabriel -- which is the spiritual center of Syriac-Orthodox Christians in Turkey. Founded in 397, it is the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world. It is located on the Tur Abdin plateau in Southeastern Turkey, the motherland of the Syriac people. Read More ...

21 January 2009 MIDYAT, Turkey (Reuters) - In a remote village near the Turkish-Syrian border, a land dispute with neighboring villages is threatening the future of one of the world's oldest functioning Christian monasteries.

Critics say the dispute, which has become a rallying cry for Christian church groups across Europe, is a new chapter in the long history of religious persecution of the small Christian community by the Turkish state. Read More ...

29 Novembre 2008 Réuni à Bkerké sous la présidence du patriarche maronite, le cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, le Conseil des évêques catholiques d’Orient a achevé hier ses travaux. Dans son communiqué, il a notamment appelé les Libanais à l’unité et les chrétiens d’Irak à ne pas perdre espoir.
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Concernant l’Irak, il a souligné que chrétiens et musulmans dans ce pays vivent la même tragédie et sont victimes du chaos au plan de la sécurité. « Nous nous sommes cependant arrêtés sur le drame que les chrétiens sont en train de vivre parce qu’ils sont massacrés et poussés à l’exode par des groupes fondamentalistes, au milieu d’un mutisme absolu », a affirmé le patriarche ... Lire la suite ...

29 Novembre 2008 Les ONG au Liban réclament une aide urgente pour subvenir aux besoins immédiats de centaines de familles chrétiennes ayant fui les violences en Irak.

«Depuis le mois de juin, cinq familles par semaine environ arrivent ici , indique Isabelle Saadé Féghali, de l’ organisation Caritas. Le problème est très grave et il n’y a jamais assez d’ aides.» Le nombre de réfugiés irakiens au Liban est monté en flèche depuis le mois d’ octobre, lorsque plus de 2.000 familles chrétiennes ont fui la ville de Mossoul dans le nord de l’ Irak, après une vague d’ assassinats visant leur communauté. Entre 40.000 et 50.000 réfugiés irakiens chrétiens et musulmans, selon les ONG, sont actuellement présents au Liban, considéré comme un pays de transit pour la plupart en attendant de s’ installer ailleurs, notamment aux Etats-Unis. Télégramme.com

27 Novembre 2008 « Si les gouvernements occidentaux ne réagissent pas à cette crise, les conséquences seront catastrophiques ». François Yakan, vicaire patriarcal de l'Eglise chaldéenne (*) de Turquie ne mâche pas ses mots. Sans relâche, il tire la sonnette d'alarme auprès de la communauté internationale. Il se rend régulièrement à l'étranger, rencontrant hommes politiques et responsables d'églises avec ce même message : « Les gens ne sont pas au courant de la détresse des chrétiens irakiens. Ils n'ont ni gouvernement, ni armée, ni pouvoir. Nous assistons à la fin du christianisme en Irak, pourquoi ne s'en rendent-ils pas compte? »
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« Nous avons trouvé une famille qui vivait dans la rue, un père, une mère et deux enfants » déplore François Yakan « cela faisait six mois qu'ils étaient à Istanbul et ils ne pouvaient même pas se permettre de payer un loyer. » Lire la suite ...

24 November 2008 BAGHDAD, Iraq and WASHINGTON, Nov 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CSI Appeals to Obama and al-Maliki to Save Iraq's Unarmed Minorities

Today, Dr. John Eibner, Executive Director of Christian Solidarity International -- USA, urged US President-elect Barack Obama and the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki to prevent the extinction of Iraq's persecuted Christian community and other powerless minorities, such as the Yezidis, Shabaks and Mandeans. Read More ...

23 November 2008 MOSUL, Iraq — A month after thousands of Christians fled this northern Iraqi city in terror, many of the refugees have returned home, but some fear a new wave of sectarian violence, church leaders say.
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A small but ancient community, Iraq's Christians appear powerless against greater forces, and the community in Mosul is divided between those who believe they still have a place in Iraq and those who fear their days here may be numbered. Read More ...

22 November 2008 Representatives of two European church groupings, in a meeting with a senior representative of the French presidency of the European Union, expressed concern about the rights of minorities around the world, especially where Christian minorities are persecuted, and discussed “the dramatic situation of Iraqi Christians whose extinction would signify a major injustice”.
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“Extinction” of Christians in Iraq would mean a major injustice, the church groupings’ statement said. “It would mean that the dialogue between cultures is not anymore possible and that ethnic and religious communitarism prevails over the universality of human rights.” Read More ...

21 November 2008 (DW-World.de) - Germany's state interior ministers have given their backing to German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble's plans to accept up to 2,500 Iraqi Christian refugees in the framework of a European Union agreement.

This comes on the same day as the UN's Special Commissioner for Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, expressed his concern about the situation of Iraqi Christians in Iraq in talks with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. De Mistura said a further exodus had to be stopped and called upon Germany and other EU countries to urge Baghdad to give more protection to the minority grouping. Read More ...

20 November 2008 BAGHDAD (AFP) — Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini urged the Iraqi government to protect minorities, namely Christians who have suffered a wave of killings, during a surprise visit to Baghdad on Thursday.
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More than 2,000 Christian families fled Mosul in October after a wave of killings in Iraq's third largest city ... Read More ...

ESU and Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Council delegation meet European representatives

11 November 2008 - A delegation composed by ESU members (Mr. Fikri Aygur & Mr. Suleyman Gultekin) and the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Council of Iraq members (Mr. Gabriel Marko, Mr. Kamel Zozo & Mr. Isa Yousif) had meetings at the European Commission and the European Parliament.

The aim of the meeting was to inform the different European representatives about the situation of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians in Iraq which is worsening and to draw their attention about the needs of these indigenous Christians people.

The delegation explained, among other topics, that attacks are rising against all minorities and especially against the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians people; that the indigenous Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians and other minorities continue to flee Iraq and taking into account that no actions are being undertaken to overcome this tragedy, the only viable solution is to settle an autonomous area for the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians in Iraq.
The delegation clearly stated and insisted that this request for autonomy is not against the Iraqi people neitheir against the Iraqi constitution but is only aimed to stop the flee of these indigenous Christians people with millenia-old history and culture.

Photos Gallery

09 November 2008 (CBNNews.com) - NINEVEH PLAINS, Iraq - Christians and non-Muslims in Iraq are being targeted in a brutal campaign by Islamic militants.

Since October, some 13,000 Christians and other minorities have been driven from their homes in the northern city of Mosul. More than a dozen Christians were assassinated.

Now some Iraqi Christians want to create a separate, autonomous region for their community. Read More ...

07 November 2008 - BAGHDAD, (Reuters) - Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, whose three-member Presidency Council vets all legislation, has hinted he might veto a bill guaranteeing council seats to minorities, which they complain gives them too few seats.

A statement from Talabani's office posted on his website late on Thursday said he had met with minority Christians.

"They expressed worries about the negative impact of the law passed in parliament, which they said gives them a small number of seats and does not protect their rights," the statement said. Read More ...

Christians On the Run in Iraq

30 October 2008 - In Iraq, the persecution of Christians continues, as murders and a mass exodus contradict Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's promise of security for everyone. Churches are trying to help the refugees, and some may come to Germany -- if the government settles on a plan.

The long trip from Mosul to Baghdad traverses a bombed highway along the Tigris River, through a wasteland in central Iraq left behind by five years of war. For Rami Kamil, 43, his wife and their children, the journey was an escape from the growing prospect of being murdered in Mosul. Read More ...

25 October 2008 - Iraqi Christians exiled in the UK held a mass on Saturday to commemorate relatives and friends murdered because of their faith in their homeland.
Around 90 Iraqi exiles living across Britain attended the service to say prayers for lost loved ones and those still in Iraq.

Led by Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod, the head of the Syrian Orthodox Church in the UK, the mass included prayers for Christians killed in recent attacks in Mosul, northern Iraq. Read More ...

24 October 2008 - The current plight of Christians in the northern city of Mosul is a reminder of how precarious conditions in Iraq as whole are. At least 2,500 families have been forced to leave the city, a dozen killed and many of their houses destroyed.

Christians are not the only minority under persecution but their fleeing is being highlighted because it comes at a crucial moment for Iraq and particularly its northern region. Read More ...

23 October 2008 - Despite the hopes of the government and part of the population, the massacre of Christians continues in Iraq. The killing could be another signal for the Christians to leave the country. Prime minister al Maliki promises to "punish the guilty and their supporters.

Mosul (AsiaNews) - The Iraqi government is asking Christians to remain in Iraq, but is doing nothing to stop them from being slaughtered. Yesterday in Mosul, in the Sanaa neighborhood, a father and son were killed: no further details are available at this time on the method of the attack or the identity of the two victims, but their death must be seen in connection with the violence in recent weeks against Christians in the city. Read More ...

L'évêque de Mossoul demande au gouvernement de tenir ses engagements

23 Octobre 2008 - Si la violence qui sévit en Irak à l'encontre des chrétiens n'est pas "systématisée", elle a pris ces derniers temps une tournure plus "agressive", si l'on en croit l'évêque syriaque (catholique) de Mossoul, Mgr Georges Casmoussa.

... le religieux dénonce "l'atmosphère de peur et de panique ainsi que les menaces directes" qui, ces dernières semaines, ont poussé entre 1 000 et 1 500 familles chrétiennes de la ville à fuir leurs maisons. Lire la suite ...

UN assisting Iraqi Christians seeking refuge in Syria

23 October 2008 - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is helping hundreds of Iraqi Christians who fled the northern city of Mosul to neighbouring Syria, which is already hosting at least 1.2 million refugees from the strife-torn nation.

“Many Christians from Mosul have been systematically targeted recently and are no longer safe there...“  Read More ...

21 Octobre 2008 - Le Vatican s'est dit "extrêmement préoccupé" mercredi de la situation "dramatique" des chrétiens à Mossoul et a réclamé une meilleure protection de cette minorité qui subit violences, menaces et intimidations. Selon le Haut Commissariat des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (HCR), près de 10 000 chrétiens, soit la moitié de la communauté locale, a fui la grande ville du nord de l'Irak depuis dix jours à la suite d'une série d'assassinats.

"La situation à Mossoul est dramatique. Les victimes sont des chrétiens et des milliers de gens fuient précisément parce qu'ils font régulièrement l'objet d'attaques mais en plus d'une campagne systématique de menaces", a déclaré le révérend père Federico Lombardi, porte-parole de Benoît XVI. Lien vers l'article ...

17 October 2008 - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed its concern at reports that some 9,360 Christians have been displaced from the Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week owing to threats, intimidation and attacks.

“We have received information from the Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM) in Mosul that approximately 1,560 families (some 9,360 people) have been displaced so far, although UNHCR cannot confirm this number,” the agency’s spokesperson, Ron Redmond, told reporters in Geneva.

“The displaced population would represent about half of the Christians in the Mosul area,” he added.  Read More ...

16 October 2008 - About 1,700 Iraqi Christian families have now fled their homes after a campaign to displace them in the city of Mosul started about two weeks ago.

Authorities said 11 Christians have been killed and at least five homes have been blown up since the terror began.
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Text massages, leaflets and e-mails were sent to Christian families, ordering them to leave their homes under penalty of death. Read More ...

16 Octobre 2008 - De terribles événements se déroulent actuellement à Mossoul, dans le nord de l’Irak. Des terroristes islamistes armés parcourent les rues et demandent à chaque passant sa carte d’identité. S’il est écrit « religion chrétienne », son détenteur est abattu sur place, d’une balle dans la tête.

Nos contacts sur le terrain rapportent que ce genre d’exactions arrive de plus en plus souvent. Il y a 5 ans, on comptait à Mossoul près de 300 000 chrétiens, il n’y en a plus aujourd’hui que 30 000. Lire la suite ...

15 Octobre 2008 - Depuis le début du mois d’octobre 2008, une nouvelle vague de violences frappe les chrétiens de Mossoul-Ninive (Nord de l’Irak). Près d’une quinzaine de ces derniers ont été assassinés entre le 29 septembre et le 12 octobre, ce qui provoque une panique générale et un exode massif des membres de cette communauté, vers les villes et villages assyro-chaldéo-syriaques de la plaine de Ninive.

On évalue à 1119 le nombre des familles ayant trouvé refuge dans ces dits villages; toutes ont échappé à la mort, aux violences et aux exactions innombrables d’individus et/ou de groupes armés. Lire la suite ...

15 Octobre 2008 - La Syrie et le Liban ont établi des relations diplomatiques mercredi, pour la première fois depuis la proclamation de leur indépendance, il y a plus de soixante ans, a rapporté, mercredi 15 octobre, l'agence officielle syrienne Sana. Le président syrien, Bachar Al-Assad, a reçu le ministre des affaires étrangères libanais, Fawzi Salloukh, arrivé peu auparavant à Damas. Lire la suite ...

14 October 2008 - BAGHDAD — A church in the northern city of Mosul was bombed Tuesday as Christians continued to leave the city to escape recent violence that has been directed at them.

Several church leaders accused the Iraqi government of trying to cover up the extent of the problems facing Christians there and of overstating its success in improving security in Mosul, one of the country’s most volatile cities. Read More ...

13 October 2008 - MOSUL, Iraq, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Iraqi Christians fleeing attacks in the northern city of Mosul on Monday pleaded for protection from what they described as a systematic plan to drive them out of the area. Kana'an Bahnam, a 58-year-old Christian, fled ethnically mixed Mosul with his family in the middle of the night, in disguise and with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
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Nineveh province Governor Duraid Kashmula told Reuters at least 930 families had in recent days fled Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, for towns and villages nearby. Read More ...

13 Octobre 2008 - Déclaration de la présidence du conseil de l’Union européenne

La présidence du conseil de l’Union européenne est vivement préoccupée par la situation d’insécurité que vivent les chrétiens d’Irak. Elle condamne fermement les violences qui ont eu lieu ces derniers jours à Mossoul, où des personnes ont été assassinées en raison de leur confession.

Elle a noté les mesures prises par le gouvernement irakien en vue de garantir la sécurité de cette communauté, dont le déploiement rapide d’unités de police à Mossoul qui est un signe positif. Elle espère que ces mesures permettront de mettre fin aux violences.

La présidence de l’UE condamne les violences à l’encontre des chrétiens d’Irak

ESU Newsletter 14 is released ... Issue 14

Go here to see all the previous ones.

26 September 2008 - ROME, SEPT. 26, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Interreligious peace-seeking in Iraq can take on many forms, ranging from meetings with high-ranking leaders of both religions to parish dinners that gather ordinary people regardless of creed.

On Monday, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and archbishop of Baghdad, met with Abdul Aziz Hakim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC), the Shiite party with the largest number of representatives in Parliament. Read More ...

24 September 2008 - BAGHDAD — After months of negotiation, Iraq’s Parliament passed a crucial election law on Wednesday, but only by setting aside for future debate the most divisive political issues. -...-

The question of how to settle a fierce dispute over control of the ethnically mixed and oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk, however, was given to a committee for further study. And an article in an earlier version of the law that provided a limited number of provincial council seats for Iraq’s Christians and other minorities was eliminated from the new bill, stirring outrage among the groups. Read More ...

24 September 2008 - An ESU delegation composed by Mr. Fikri Aygur (ESU Vice-Chairman) and Mr. Suleyman Gultekin (Belgian ESU Representative) was received at the European Commission regarding the situation of the Syriacs in Turkey.
The ESU delegation discussed the issues and problems still faced by the Syriac community in Turkey and more specifically in Turabdin (South-East of Turkey).

ESU also submitted a report on this subject to the European commission." Read More ...

19 September 2008 - BRUSSELS, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The head of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East said in a prayer service in Belgium that Assyrians based in Iraq should seek solidarity.

Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV addressed a Syriac Orthodox church in the Belgian capital, saying Iraqi Christians based in the Iraqi province of Ninawa should establish an Assyrian-administered unit in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution and provisions of the United Nations ... Read More ...

9 September 2008 (Christian Post) - A group representing persecuted Christians believes followers of Christ have good reason not to feel safe in Iraq.

Recently, two Iraqi Christians were kidnapped and executed, although one family had paid ransom. Jonathan Racho of International Christian Concern is not surprised. "Following the invasion of the country in 2003, Christians faced unprecedented persecution," Racho explains. "Many Christians have been killed; many have been kidnapped." Read More ...

4 September 2008 (Christian Post) - Two Iraqi Christians were kidnapped then later killed by Islamic fundamentalists in Mosul within the span of a few days, a news agency with connections to Iraq reported.

Tariq Qattan, a 65-year-old doctor, was recently kidnapped by a terrorist group. Then on Wednesday, news emerged that he had been killed, according to Assyrian International News Agency. His family had reportedly paid $20,000 in ransom money, but it was not enough to free the Christian man.

On the same day, news also was released about the kidnapping and murder of another Christian ... Read More ...
Lire Plus...

2 September 2008 (Novopress) - Au moment où les persécutions antichrétiennes s’amplifient dans le monde, particulièrement en Inde et en Irak, le secrétaire du Saint-Siège pour les rapports avec les Etats, Mgr Dominique Mamberti, a appelé vendredi à lutter contre la christianophobie lors du meeting de Rimini organisé traditionnellement en Italie par Comunion et Libération.

Il a du reste livré sa définition de la « chriatianophobie » : « C’est l’éducation erronée, voire la désinformation sur les chrétiens et leur religion, propagées en particulier par les médias. C’est aussi l’intolérance et la discrimination subies par des chrétiens en raison de législations ou de mesures administratives qui les pénalisent par rapport à d’autres confessions. C’est enfin la violence et la persécution. » Lire Plus ...

1 September 2008 - St. Gabriel Monastery, which is among the most ancient Christian monasteries, was founded in 397 A.D and is situated in TurAbdin region (South East of Turkey). This monastery is considered as a very important religious site by the Syriacs.

St. Gabriel Monastery, as a tradition, has been helping the poor and the needy people throughout its history and in order to sustain this tradition it has owned a large estate of lands and woods in its vicinity. ..."

Whilst the cadastral land registration works are going on, the lands of the historical Mor Gabriel Monastery are being threatened with occupation by the neighbouring Arab villages and the attempting occupiers are being supported by the local village guards as well as the Kurdish Aghas (tribe leaders)... Read More ...

1 September 2008 (Middle East Online) - The Pope has a responsibility to speak out on behalf of Iraqi Christians who are suffering violence and intimidation. But it is important to remember that all Iraqis are victims of the chaos that has been visited upon their homeland, says Khalid Issa Taha.

Iraqi Christians have given so much to their mother country, often acting as a bridge between Europe and Islamic civilisation. The Christian community has always valued education and has produced some of Iraq’s most distinguished lawyers, doctors and professors. Read More ...

26 August 2008 - WASHINGTON, DC (Inside Catholic) - Last month, I reported on the persecution of Christians in Iraq and the continued vulnerability of their remaining communities.
Extortion and violence by Muslim extremists have driven 500,000 Christians out of Iraq -- about one quarter of the 2,000,000 Iraqis who have left the country since the beginning of the Iraq War. And another 2,000,000 Iraqis are displaced within their own country. Read More ...

26 August 2008 (Middle East Times) - ERBIL, Iraq, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Islamic militants have targeted the Christian minority population in northern Iraq, forcing more than 500,000 to flee their homes.

John Klink with the International Catholic Migration Commission said the international community, and the United States in particular, could do more to offer aid to the displaced Christian minorities, InsideCatholic.com said Tuesday. Read More ...

13 août 2008 - En Syrie, les équipiers de l'ONG Portes Ouvertes ont recueilli des témoignages bouleversants de réfugiés chrétiens irakiens. Ils se disent victimes d'injustices de la part d'employés du HCR et des ambassades occidentales.

« Ces chrétiens qui fuient la persécution en Irak nous racontent qu'ils sont discriminés par les institutions sensées leur venir en aide ..." Lire plus ...

August 7th 2008 - MOSUL, Iraq, (UPI) -- Joining the region of Kurdistan may offer better security and general prosperity for the Iraqi Christian community in Mosul, church leaders said Thursday.

Josef Yohannes, a priest in a Christian village in northern Ninawa province, said many in his community feel Baghdad looks upon them as unwanted refugees and fails to preserve their rights in Iraq. Read More ...

July 27th 2008 Iraq's Christians have taken up arms and formed new militias in a desperate effort to defend their beleaguered communities from an onslaught by Islamic extremists.
In the five years since the Anglo-American invasion of 2003, murders and abductions have driven about half of the 800,000 Christians who once lived in Iraq to flee the country.
Checkpoints manned by civilians armed with heavy machine guns and assault rifles have received official backing in Christian villages on the Ninevah plain in northern Iraq, where their presence dates back to the missions of St Thomas the apostle. Read More ...

Expert Urges More Help for Christian Minority in Iraq

July 26th 2008 DW-WORLD.DE spoke with Middle East expert Kamal Sido about the fate of the Christian minority in Iraq after EU ministers this week dropped calls to take in more Iraqi refugees.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates 2 million Iraqi refugees are living abroad, mostly in neighboring Jordan and Syria. More than 2.5 million are internally displaced. The UNHCR has long lobbied the EU to take in more Iraqi refugees.

In April this year, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged European countries to do more to provide shelter to Christian Iraqis who have fled the country to avoid ethnic strife after the 2003 war. But Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, on a visit to Berlin earlier this week, urged Germany to abandon this initiative. He said security in the country had improved and refugees were needed to rebuild the nation.

DW-WORLD.DE spoke with Kamal Sido of the Society for Threatened Peoples in Goettingen about the troubles faced by the Christian minority in Iraq and their future in the country. Read More ...

July 25th 2008 (BBC News) Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has urged Christians who fled the country after the US-led invasion to return home to help rebuild the country.
Speaking after meeting Pope Benedict XVI in Italy, Mr Maliki said he asked the pontiff to encourage Christians to rejoin Iraq's social structure. Read More ...

July 23rd 2008 Most of the stories of Christians -- even children -- being crucified or cooked alive are acts of Al-Qaeda, not of indigenous Iraqis.
"WASHINGTON, DC (Inside Catholic) - Two weeks ago I spoke with Bishops Mar Sarhad Jammo and Mar Bawai Soro about their plan to protect Iraqi Christians from violence and ensure religious liberty.
The bishops expressed hope that one day the provisions of the Iraq Constitution protecting all religious minorities from discrimination and persecution could be implemented. Read More ...

July 23rd 2008 BAGHDAD (Reuters) - President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday rejected a provincial election law as unconstitutional after Iraq's Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the parliament session that ratified it.
The controversial law must now be subject to another parliamentary vote and pass by even greater majority, raising the prospect that elections scheduled to be held on October 1 may have to be delayed until 2009. Read More ...

July 22nd 2008 - IHT: While Maliki made a sales pitch, saying Iraq was "a rich country" endowed with lucrative energy sources, he also asked that Germany reconsider its policy on refugees.

The German government, particularly Wolfgang Schäuble, the conservative interior minister, has said priority should be given to Christian refugees. Iraq's small Christian community suffers heavy persecution and intimidation, according to the Interior Ministry and churches here.

Schäuble's position has been welcomed by Christian churches, which have expressed alarm at sectarian violence, the bombing of churches and killings of clergymen. Read More ...

The New Lebanese Equation: The Christians’ Central Role

July 15th 2008 After decades during which they saw their influence consistently decline, Lebanon’s Christians are in a position to once again play a decisive political role. The May 2008 Doha agreement, coming in the wake of Hizbollah’s takeover of West Beirut, provides the Christian community with the opportunity to regain an important place on the political map and to advance demands that have long been ignored. Already, Christians have obtained key positions in the new government, which was formed on 12 July. But the Doha agreement goes well beyond. Read More ... - Lire plus ...

July 11th 2008 Iraqi Christians have been in Iraq since the time of Christ.The majority of them are Chaldean Catholics.They are our brethren.
BAGHDAD, IRAQ (Chaldean.org) - Senior research fellow, Brian J. Grim, paints a harrowing picture of the ongoing persecution of Iraqi Christians.

The research expert on religion and world affairs with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in Washington, D.C. reports that the situation for Christians in Iraq is worsening. Read More ...

8 Juillet 2008 Les Coptes sont des vrais Egyptiens et sont identifiés à l’Egypte puisqu’ils la portent dans leur nom. « Copte » provient du mot grec « Aiguptoi ». Les Coptes s’honorent d’être les authentiques descendants de la nation pharaonique et les dépositaires de sa culture . En effet, entre la culture copte et celle de l’ancienne Egypte, il y a des liens qui dépassent le seul lien ethnique.
Après des millénaires de présence sur la terre de leurs ancêtres, les coptes sont aujourd’hui dans une situation nouvelle, plus cruelle que les massacres et humiliations endurés au fil des temps : celle d’une extinction programmée.
C’est une certitude. Les coptes, qui constituent encore la plus importante minorité chrétienne au Proche-Orient sont, de fragiles, devenus extrêmement vulnérables. Leur destin bascule sans que nul ne paraisse en mesure ou n’ait le désir d’empêcher l’accomplissement d’une tragédie. Lire plus ...

July 4th 2008 (Timesonline) They used to live peaceably with other faiths but now they have been driven out and become refugees

When American and British-led forces invaded Iraq in 2003, neither George Bush nor Tony Blair, devout Christians both, can have imagined that one consequence of their action would be the extinction of Christianity in a land where it had survived for nearly 2,000 years. Read More ...

ESU Newsletter 13 is released ... Issue 13

Go here to see all the previous ones.

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"Les chrétiens d'Irak ne veulent pas de la protection américaine"

30 Juin 2008 - Monseigneur Georges Casmoussa, l'archevêque catholique syriaque de Mossoul, en Irak, était ces jours-ci de passage à Paris, ambassadeur involontaire et malheureux de ses frères chrétiens, aujourd'hui persécutés dans leur propre pays. Depuis le début de l'invasion américaine, environ 400 000 chrétiens irakiens ont dû fuir leur pays. Assassinats de prêtres et attentats contre les églises se succèdent. Le 13 mars dernier, notamment, l'archevêque chaldéen de Mossoul était retrouvé mort, deux semaines après son enlèvement.. Lire le témoignage ...

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For Iraqi Christians, Money Bought Survival

June 26th 2008 - MOSUL, Iraq — As priests do everywhere, Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, the leader of the Chaldean Catholics in this ancient city, gathered alms at Sunday Mass. But for years the money, a crumpled pile of multicolored Iraqi dinars, went into an envelope and then into the hand of a man who had threatened to kill him and his entire congregation. Read More ...

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Cardinal Cormac to celebrate Mass for people of Iraq

June 4th 2008, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is to celebrate Mass in Westminster Cathedral (Monday 16 June, 5.30pm) in support of Iraqi Christians and all those still suffering violence in the country.

At a time when many of Iraq's Christians have been forced to flee the volatile and dangerous situation in their homeland, the Mass will offer an opportunity for bishops and worshippers to come together to stand in solidarity with Iraq's Christians. Read More ...

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Germany may act alone to rescue Iraqi Christians, Merkel aide says

June 3rd 2008, Berlin - Germany may act alone to rescue Iraqi Christians if fellow European Union nations continue to refuse a joint welcome to the refugees, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel's top adviser on immigration Tuesday.

Maria Boehmer said in Berlin that members of the ancient Christian minority were regularly being threatened by Islamist gangs, who were giving households a choice of converting to Islam or leaving the country within 24 hours. Read More ...

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SITUATION DES CHRETIENS D'IRAK REPONSE DU MINISTRE DES AFFAIRES ETRANGERES ET EUROPEENNES, M. BERNARD KOUCHNER, A UNE REPONSE D'ACTUALITE AU SENAT

29 Mai 2008, Paris - Monsieur le Sénateur, Vous avez raison d'attirer l'attention sur le sort cruel qui est réservé aux chaldéens et à l'ensemble des chrétiens d'Irak. Toutes les communautés du pays sont visées, mais plus particulièrement celle-ci, puisque les chrétiens d'Irak, qui étaient environ 1,3 million en 1980, ne sont plus que 400.000 aujourd'hui !
Lire plus ...

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Iraq Compact Annual Review Conference

Welcome to the first annual review conference of the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), Stockholm, 29 May 2008.

Press Release

Read More ...   The ICI website   UNAMI's website

ICI Final Report - Report published after the conference in Stockholm (Sweden)

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European Syriac Union is organising a demonstration in Sweden
regarding the Christians in Iraq

On May 25th 2008, ESU took again the initiative to organise, with the help of other oganizations and associations, a demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden.
This time the aim was to warn and draw the attention of all participatns to the International Compact with Iraq (see event and links above) on the tragedy and ethnic cleansing going on against the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians in Iraq.

Among the guests, Mrs. Mona Sahlin (SAP leader), Anders Lago (Major of Södertälje, and different church representatives were present and made a speech. Read More ...

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European Parliament resolution of 21 May 2008 on Turkey's 2007 progress report

21 May 2008, The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own initiative report by Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN (EPP-ED, NL) on the 2007 report on Turkey's progress towards accession, welcoming the commitment of Prime Minister Erdogan that 2008 is going to be a year of reforms. MEPs now urge the Turkish government to fulfil its promises and to transform Turkey into a modern and prosperous democracy based on a secular state and a pluralistic society.
...

11.  Encourages the Turkish government, following the positive step taken with the adoption of the Law on Foundations, to fulfil its commitments regarding freedom of religion by establishing, in line with the ECHR and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, a legal framework enabling all religious communities to function without undue constraints, in particular as regards their legal status, the training of clergy, the election of the hierarchy, religious education and the construction of places of worship; calls for protection of the religious and cultural heritage; reiterates its call for the immediate re-opening of the Greek Orthodox Halki Seminary and the public use of the ecclesiastical title of the Ecumenical Patriarch; shares the concern expressed by the Council on 24 July 2007 over the ruling of the Turkish Court of Cassation on the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and expects that this decision will not further impede the exercise by the Patriarchate and other non-Muslim religious communities of their rights guaranteed under the ECHR;

15.  Reiterates its earlier calls upon the Turkish government to come up with a comprehensive master plan to boost the socio-economic and cultural development of the south-east of Turkey, where over half the population still lives below the poverty line; is of the view that this master plan should also address the social, ecological, cultural and geopolitical problems stemming from the Southeastern Anatolia Project; asks the Commission to link the regional component of assistance given under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) to the speedy drawing-up of such a strategy;

17.  Takes note of the process under way to prepare a new, civilian constitution; regards it as the key opportunity to place the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the core of the constitution; reiterates that a system of checks and balances needs to be established, guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, social cohesion and the separation between religion and state; stresses also that the new constitution should ensure gender equality, avoid the use of vague criteria such as general morality, refrain from perceiving women primarily as family or community members and reaffirm women's human rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights, as their individual rights;

21.  Is concerned about the hostility, strongly present in certain parts of society, shown to minorities and about politically and religiously motivated violence; calls on the Turkish government to take action against organisations and groups which stir up such hostility, to protect all those who are threatened and fear for their lives, and to make sustained efforts to create an environment conducive to full respect of fundamental human rights and freedoms;

25. Takes note of Prime Minister Erdogan´s assessment of assimilation, as expressed during his recent official visit to Germany; is therefore of the opinion that the Turkish government should take steps to enable all citizens to develop their cultural identity within the democratic Turkish state; points out in this regard the commitments set out in the Negotiating Framework concerning respect for and protection of minorities, and effective access to the learning and broadcasting of, and to public services in, languages other than Turkish;

Read the full Resolution ... EN - FR

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Cardinal says keep religion out of Iraqi visa decisions

19th May 2008, PARIS (Reuters) - Iraqi Christians seeking asylum in the West should not receive special treatment based on religion, a Roman Catholic cardinal said on Monday, contradicting French and German calls for priority to be given to Christians.
These meetings were related to the Christians in Iraq and the demonstration organized in Brussels on 19th April 2008 to support the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians in Iraq. Read More ...

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E.S.U. delegation received by the European Parliament and European Commission
regarding the Christians in Iraq

On May 6th and 7th 2008, an ESU delegation composed by Mr. Fikri Aygur (ESU Vice-chairman) and Mr. Suleyman Gultekin (ESU Belgian Representative) had different meetings at the European parliament with most of the Political Groups, followed by a meeting at the European Commission.
These meetings were related to the Christians in Iraq and the demonstration organized in Brussels on 19th April 2008 to support the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians in Iraq. Read More ...

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USCIRF Names 11 Countries of Particular Concern

May 2, 2008, WASHINGTON-The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today announced its 2008 recommendations to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on "countries of particular concern," or CPCs.
The 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) requires that the United States designate as CPCs those countries whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.
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Serious, Targeted Violence in Iraq

The Commission has been concerned about the particularly dire conditions affecting non-Muslims in Iraq, including ChaldoAssyrian Christians, other Christians, Sabean Mandaeans, Yazidis, and other minority religious communities, who face widespread violence from Sunni insurgents and foreign extremists, as well as pervasive violence, discrimination, and marginalization at the hands of the national government, regional governments, and para-state militias, including those in Kurdish areas.  The Commission also concluded that Iraq's government was failing to curb the growing scope and severity of other religious freedom violations.  In 2007, the Commission placed Iraq on its Watch List, citing escalating unchecked sectarian violence, mounting evidence of collusion between Shi'a militias and Iraqi government ministries, and the severe plight of the country's smallest religious minorities.  Read More ...

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E.S.U. delegation received by U.S.A. Embassy in Brussels

23 April 2008 - Following the demonstration of 19th April in Brussels, an E.S.U. delegation has been received at the U.S.A. Embassy in Brussels.
The E.S.U. delegation explained the reason of the demonstration and the urgent need to help the Christians (Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians) of Iraq who are facing systematic attacks and are forced to flee their country. During this meeting it has also been stressed that an autonomous region under international protection is needed for the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians.

The E.S.U. delegation also provided the U.S.A. Embassy representative with a folder containing detailed information about the situation of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians in Iraq and their needs in order to continue to live in their homeland. The U.S.A. Embassy assured the E.S.U. delegation that all information will be communicated to the ad hoc government people in Washington DC and as well as in Iraq.

European Syriac Union

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Iraqi Christians Struggle With Fear After Slayings

22 April 2008 - Washington Post - BAGHDAD, At the Rev. Thair Abdal's church, where on Sunday mornings sweet songs of prayer stream from the doorway, the congregation's fear of death leaves the sanctuary half-filled.
...

In March, Paulos Faraj Rahho, archbishop of Mosul's Chaldean community, was found dead after being abducted. This month, Youssef Adel, an Assyrian Orthodox priest, was fatally shot in a drive-by attack in Karrada, one of Baghdad's safest neighborhoods and home to Abdal's Holy Catholic Assyrian Church. Read More ...

 

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Thousands march in Brussels to protest attacks on Christians in Iraq

19 April 2008 - More than 5000 Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrians from many European countries organized a march and a meeting in Brussels. The aim of the meeting was to draw the attention of the USA, the European Union and the UN to the ongoing terror, violence and especially the killings of the clerics of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians in Iraq. Read More ...

Mr. Ali Yurttagul (EFA adviser) attended the meeting and made a speech. ESU also got a statement from the MEP Dr. Charles Tannock who apologized to not be able to attend as he was not in Belgium during the demonstration.

Photo Gallery of the Demonstration ...

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Iraq: Christians Say Targeting By Extremists Amounts To Genocide

17 April 2008 - UNHCR: At least 10 churches have been bombed this year, two leading clergymen have been killed, and scores of worshippers targeted for practicing their religion. Though they make up only 3 percent of the population, Christians comprise nearly half the refugees fleeing Iraq, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
...
Unlike other groups in Iraq, Christians do not have militias or tribes to protect them. In their absence, they have relied on coalition and Iraqi forces for protection, and say they have been let down. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed to increase protection for the Christian community following the March killing of Mosul Archbishop Bulus Faraj Rahhu, but it does not appear that he has followed through on his pledge. Read More ...

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Germany to press EU over Iraqi Christian refugees

16 April 2008 - BERLIN: Germany will appeal to other European Union countries this week to take in more Christians from Iraq and attempt to reach a common policy toward Iraqi refugees, officials said Wednesday.

The government here is already considering granting Christians preferential treatment over other religions and groups. Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble stated his intention to open Germany's doors to Iraqi Christians during interviews last weekend and expects full agreement Thursday when interior ministers from the 16 states meet near Berlin. Read More ...

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A nouveau, un prêtre chrétien abattu dans le centre de Bagdad

5 avril 2008 - Un prêtre chrétien irakien a été abattu par des hommes armés dans le centre de Bagdad, annonce la police. Adel Youssif a été tué près de son domicile dans le quartier résidentiel de Karrada.

Le cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, patriarche chaldéen de Bagdad, a précisé à Reuters que Youssif appartenait à l'Eglise orthodoxe syrienne. Delly a ajouté que les chrétiens irakiens étaient sous le choc de cet assassinat, qui survient trois semaines après la mort de Mgr Paulos Faraj Rahho, archevêque chaldéen de Mossoul. Lire la suite ...

Syriac Orthodox Priest killed at Bagdad home. Read More ..

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"Religious Cleansing" In Northern Iraq; "Christians in Life Danger"

 5 April 2008 - MOSUL/AMSTERDAM (BosNewsLife)-- A Dutch parliamentarian investigating reports of persecution says about 100,000 Christian refugees in northern Iraq are in life danger as Islamic militants have launched a "religious cleansing campaign" in the region, an influential Dutch Christian news site reported Saturday, April 5. Read More ...

Related article

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L'Orient a besoin de ses chrétiens

4 avril 2008 - A n’en pas douter, un Orient sans chrétiens n’aurait pas d’avenir. L’islam seul s’ennuie et se déchire. Souvent, lorsque les communautés ne se parlent plus, les chrétiens jouent un rôle d’intermédiaire, parfois de stabilisateur. Cette place a été chèrement acquise. L’histoire nous ­­mon­tre que d’une situation majoritaire – antérieure de plusieurs siècles à la conquête islamique – les chrétiens d’Orient sont devenus les minoritaires d’un monde oublié. Qui sait encore la place prépondérante des chrétiens dans l’édification des empires musulmans ? Ils se sont adaptés à la nouvelle donne politique. Lire la suite ...

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ESU Newsletter 12 is released ... Issue 12

Go here to see all the previous ones.
 

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LE LOUVRE - Expositions thématiques: BABYLONE du 14 mars au 2 juin 2008

Sont évoqués le rayonnement et les étapes fondatrices de la ville antique et la manière dont le concept ultérieur d’une Babylone imaginaire prend son origine dans cette réalité historique. Cette nouvelle approche est rendue possible grâce à des études permettant de retracer une histoire qui ne dépende plus fondamentalement des sources bibliques ou classiques tardives.

http://mini-site.louvre.fr/babylone/FR/index.html

Cette exposition est organisée par le musée du Louvre et la Réunion des musées nationaux, Paris, les Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin, et le British Museum, Londres.
Avec le concours exceptionnel de la Bibliothèque nationale de France.

En partenariat média avec RTL et Paris Première.

Informations pratiques

Lieu: Hall Napoléon

Horaires: Ouvert tous les jours, de 9 h à 18 h, sauf le mardi.
Nocturne jusqu’à 22 h les mercredi et vendredi.

Tarifs: Billet spécifique à l'exposition : 9.50 euros.
Billet jumelé (collections permanentes et exposition Babylone) : 13 euros avant 18 h, 11 euros après 18 h.

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La tragédie des chrétiens d'Irak

24 mars 2008 - Mais que se passe-t-il ? Que nous arrive-t-il ? Pourquoi sommes-nous si sourds, si aveugles, si indifférents au sort des chrétiens irakiens ? Notre société si prompte à commémorer les crimes d'hier n'a-t-elle rien à dire pour les crimes du jour ? Ou bien notre silence serait-il le reflet de notre perplexité pour cet Orient compliqué où il n'y aurait que des Arabes et des Persans qui s'entre-tuent depuis la nuit des temps ? Lire la suite ...

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Les larmes des chrétiens d'Orient

24 mars 2008 - Dimanche, les chrétiens célébraient la résurrection du Christ ; les enfants ont fait la chasse aux œufs en chocolat dans les jardins ; tout le monde a savouré un week-end prolongé : c'est ainsi, en France ...

À quelques milliers de kilomètres de là, en Irak, le pays d'Abraham, des chrétiens payent dans leur chair le prix de l'intolérance. Leur calvaire ne suscite guère d'émoi. Le 13 mars, Mgr Rahho, évêque de Mossoul, était retrouvé mort. L'information a été publiée. Et après ? Il est la figure symbolique du martyre enduré par les chaldéens depuis cinq ans. Lire la suite ...

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L'évêque qui veut sauver les chrétiens d'Irak

22 mars 2008 - La communauté chrétienne de la région autonome kurde s'apprête à célébrer Pâques dans le deuil et l'incertitude. Mgr Rabban se bat pour endiguer les départs massifs.

Lire la suite ...

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 Kouchner : "La France va accueillir 500 chrétiens d'Irak"

19 mars 2008 - La France tend la main aux chrétiens d'Irak. "Nous allons, j'espère, en accueillir près de 500 dans les semaines qui viennent, et on verra après", a déclaré Bernard Kouchner sur RMC et BFM-TV. "Nous ne refuserons pas d'accueillir des musulmans", mais "le problème, c'est que personne n'accueillait les chrétiens", a-t-il pris soin de préciser.

"Plus menacés que les autres"

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères a "confirmé" que cette opération s'effectuerait en faisant valoir que les membres de la communauté chrétienne chaldéenne d'Irak "sont plus menacés que les autres".

Lire la suite ...

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 President Bush Saddened by Death of Archbishop Rahho

13th March 2008 - I send my condolences to the Chaldean community and the people of Iraq on the death of Archbishop Rahho. I deplore the despicable act of violence committed against the Archbishop of Mosul. The terrorists will continue to lose in Iraq because they are savage and cruel. Their utter disregard for human life, demonstrated by this murder and by recent suicide attacks against innocent Iraqis in Baghdad and innocent pilgrims celebrating a religious holiday, is turning the Iraqi people against them. We will continue to work with the Iraqi government to protect and support civilians, irrespective of religious affiliation.

The White House ...

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The Archbishop of Mosul (Iraq) Paulus Faraj Raho's body has been found

We are very sad to inform you that the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul Paulus Faraj Raho's body has been found on Thursday morning in Mosul.

The Archbischop Rahho, 65, was kidnapped on February 29 after a shootout in which three of his companions were killed. Read more ...

 

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ESU will hold the second Book Exhibition in Sweden on March 16th 2008

On 16th March 2008 EESU will organize in Sweden the second Book Exhibition in order to introduce the existing and new released books and publications about the Syriacs, as well as their authors.

Like for the first exhibition there will be authors, scholars and publishers from different countries of Europe to present their books and publications.

ESU Sweden - Read More ...

 

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New compaign to collect money for helping TMS (Taw Mim Semkath) in Beirut - Lebanon

European Syriac Union (E.S.U.) and Syriac Union of Lebanon (S.U.L.) started a new compaign to collect money for helping TMS (Taw Mim Semkath) students. This compaing aim to help all Syriac students by collecting money for buying a bus. Like this the students from different locations will be able to come to the TMS centre in Beirut and driven back to their home after the courses. Read More ...

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The Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul (Iraq) Paulus Faraj Raho has been kidnapped

On 29th February 2008 the Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul Paulus Faraj Raho was kidnapped by unknown persons in Mosul - Iraq.

At around 17:00 pm local time, after performing the evening service, while the Archbishop Paulus Faraj Raho was leaving the Church of the Holy Spirit in Al-Nour district of Mosul, his vehicle in which he was accompanied by his driver and two guards was ambushed by some unknown persons. Read more ...

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Pâques avec les chrétiens d'Irak 2008

Opération : Pâques avec les Chrétiens d'Irak 2008 - Proposée par Pax Christi France, l'opération oecuménique d'information, de sensibilisation et de soutien aux Chrétiens d'Irak, appelée "Pâques avec les Chrétiens d'Irak", est animée en partenariat avec Justice et Paix, la Fédération Protestante de France, l'Oeuvre d'Orient et Chrétiens de la Méditerranée. Lire la suite ...

Bishop Marc Stenger with Pax Christi in solidarity with Iraqi Christians (15/02/2008) - The Italian religious news service SIR reported on 12 February 2008 that Bishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq, met with a delegation from Pax Christi France that came to Iraq on 11 February 2008 for a solidarity visit to the Christian community. Read more ...

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN TURKEY: SITUATION OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

February 2008 In contemporary Turkey, the status of religious minorities has been stipulated in the Treaty of Lausanne signed on 24 July 1923. The Government interpreted the Lausanne Treaty as granting special legal minority status exclusively to these three groups, although the treaty text refers broadly to "non-Muslim minorities" without listing specific groups. The Treaty of Lausanne is a founding text of the Republic of Turkey since it is defining the fundamental rights of all linked to the state by the link of citizenship and puts forward the obligation for the Turkish State to protect the Non- Muslim communities.
...
According to the Government sources, 99 % of the population is Muslim, the majority of which is Sunni. The Christian and Jewish minorities are less than 1% of the population. In addition to the country's Sunni Muslim majority, academics estimated
there are 15 to 20 million Alevis. The religious groups include approximately 65,000 Armenian Orthodox Christians, 23,000 Jews, and up to 4,000 Greek Orthodox Christians.
...
Despite laicism, the Turkish state has not been able to overcome the segregation of non-Muslim minorities and to integrate them into the nation as citizens with equal rights. While the Muslim Turks have been the “we”, the non-Muslim minorities have
been categorized as “the other”.
...
There are also some other non-Muslim minorities such as Syriacs who are not included to the criteria defined by the Treaty of Lausanne. First of all, because of the nationality criteria the Syriacs faces difficulties to work for certain churches. But, similar to the problems of other non-muslim minorities, the Syriacs are not permitted to establish schools and the election of the heads their churches is subject to strict conditions. Their clergy continue to have difficulties ... Read more ...

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De Gilgamesh à Zénobie

Arts anciens du Proche-Orient et de l'Iran au Musée du Cinquantenaire

"Les Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire peuvent se vanter de posséder une collection renommée d'art ancien du Proche-Orient et de l'Iran. Outre la célèbre plaquette de Gilgamesh qui prête son nom à cette exposition, rappelons une collection de bronzes du Louristan (Iran) unique au monde, de somptueux sceaux-cylindres et de nombreux témoignages de l'écriture de l'époque pré-islamique. Tant de trésors dont le public ne pouvait admirer qu'une sélection jusqu'à la fermeture des salles en 2002. Comme les travaux de rénovation n'ont pas encore pu être entamés depuis, nos richesses archéologiques ne quittent nos réserves qu'à l'occasion d'expositions temporaires, le plus souvent à l'étranger et cela au compte-gouttes. Voici une occasion unique pour venir admirer ce patrimoine, ainsi qu'une douzaine de chefs-d'œuvre que le Musée du Louvre a bien voulu nous prêter afin de donner encore plus d'éclat à cet événement."

Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire

INFORMATIONS PRATIQUES

Musée du Cinquantenaire
1000 Bruxelles

Heures d'ouverture
Du mardi au dimanche de 10:00 à 17:00
(la caisse ferme à 16:00)
Fermé le lundi, le 25/12 et le 01/01
Chaque dernier jeudi du mois, sauf en décembre, l'exposition est ouverte jusque 22h, soit les 31/01, 28/02, 27/03 et 24/04.

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Attentat meurtrier dans un quartier chrétien de Beyrouth

25 Janvier 2008 - Au moins quatre personnes ont été tuées, dont un officier de la sécurité libanaise, dans un attentat qui a visé, vendredi 25 janvier, peu après 10 heures, heure locale (9 heures, heure de Paris) un convoi de la sécurité dans un quartier chrétien de la banlieue de Beyrouth, ont indiqué des sources de sécurité et militaire libanaises. Lire la suite ...

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L'APPEL DE JEAN D'ORMESSON

18 Janvier 2008 - Le Figaro - En Irak, dans un pays déchiré par les conflits ethniques et par le terrorisme, les chrétiens sont isolés. L'écrivain appelle les Français à leur manifester leur solidarité.

"n'abandonnons pas les chrétiens d'Irak " - par Jean d'Ormesson, de l'Académie française - Lire la suite ...

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LA FOI SOUS HAUTE SÉCURITÉ

18 Janvier 2008 - Le Figaro - Assassinats de prêtres, attentats contre des églises, pressions islamistes : ceux des chrétiens d'Irak qui n'ont pas choisi l'exil vivent dans le danger permanent. - par Sébastien De Courtois - Lire la suite ...

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Colère de l'Egypte après l'adoption au Parlement européen d'un texte sur les droits de l'homme

Jeudi 17 Janvier 2008 - A quelques jours d'une rencontre bilatérale qui s'annonce désormais houleuse, les députés européens ont adopté, jeudi 17 janvier, un texte critiquant la situation des droits de l'homme en Egypte, malgré les menaces émanant du Caire - Egypte. Lire la suite ...

 

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Iraq: USCIRF Alarmed by Series of Bomb Attacks Against Churches, Monasteries

14th January 2008 - WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is alarmed by the coordinated bomb attacks against churches and monasteries in Iraq last week. At least six people were reportedly wounded in seven separate attacks in Baghdad and Mosul as Christians were celebrating Christmas and the Epiphany on Jan. 6; three days later, bombs targeted three churches in Kirkuk.The attacks were the latest to target Iraq’s shrinking non-Muslim population, many of whose members have fled the country in the wake of violence directed against their communities. - ... -

Chaldo-Assyrian Christians, Sabean Mandaeans, and Yazidis make up a disproportionately large number of refugees from Iraq; nearly half of these communities’ members fled abroad between 2003 and 2006, according to Iraqi government estimates. Read More ...

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L'appel de Jean D'Ormesson pour sauver les chrétiens d'Irak

Dimanche 13 Janvier 2008 - L'écrivain et académicien Jean d'Ormesson est l'invité exceptionnel de "C'est aussi de l'info" dans l'Emission "Le jour du Seigneur" sur France 2. Voir la Vidéo (Real Player)

Page consacrée aux chrétiens d'Irak sur le site de "Le Jour du Seigneur" Lire la suite ...

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Churches and Monasteries bombed in Iraq

Sunday 6th January 2008 - On the Epifany day, 7 churches and monasteries were bombed in Bagdad and Mossul - Iraq. Read More ...

 

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[-] Close

Monday, December 31, 2007 - ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish police have foiled a plot to murder a priest, in a case that recalls other attacks this year against Christians in Muslim but secular Turkey, newspapers reported on Monday. Read More ...

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Egyptian prosecutor releases 7 Muslims arrested in attacks on Coptic Christian property

18 December 2007 - CAIRO, Egypt: Seven Muslims were ordered released Tuesday, two days after their arrest in attacks on shops owned by Coptic Christians in a southern Egyptian town that has recently witnessed increasing sectarian tensions, an official with the prosecutors office said.

The attackers had hurled stones and set fire to several shops, smashed windows of a Coptic church and damaged two cars in the early morning hours Sunday in Isna, about 560 kilometers (350 miles) south of Cairo. Read More ...

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New report on minorities' quest for equality in Turkey

10 December 2007 - Millions of ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities remain unrecognized by the Turkish state, face discrimination and are now increasingly under threat as a result of a growing wave of violent nationalism, Minority Rights Group says in a new report.

The report says that whilst the accession process to become a EU member state has forced Turkey to make significant strides in minority rights, much more remains to be done. Read More ...

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Vicar: Dire Times For Iraq's Christians
Tells 60 Minutes Most Of Iraq's Christians Have Fled Or Been Killed

(CBS) From the time of Jesus, there have been Christians in what is now Iraq. The Christian community took root there after the Apostle Thomas headed east.

But now, after nearly 2,000 years, Iraqi Christians are being hunted, murdered and forced to flee -- persecuted on a biblical scale in Iraq's religious civil war. You'd have to be mad to hold a Christian service in Iraq today, but if you must, then the vicar of Baghdad is your man. He's the Reverend Canon Andrew White, an Anglican chaplain who suffers from multiple sclerosis and from a fanatical determination to save the last Iraqi Christians from the purge. Read More ... - Watch the Video

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Syriac monk - Father Daniel Savci - kidnapped in South-Eeast Turkey has been released

The monk kidnapped in Tourabdin - South-East Turkey - on Wednesday was released unharmed on Friday.

Father Daniel Savci, 55, was taken hostage Wednesday afternoon by unidentified people who stopped his car as he was travelling to the Mor Yakup Monastery in a village near the town of Midyat in South-East Turkey's Mardin province.

A representative from the Mardin Governor's Office said the priest had made his way to a workplace in the town of Batman from where he had telephoned his friends.

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Father Daniel (Edip) Savci, a monk of the Syriac Orthodox Church, has been kidnapped in Tur Abdin - South-East Turkey

Wednesday 28th November 2007 - at around 14:00 pm, Father Daniel (Edip) Savci, a monk of the Syriac Orthodox Church, was kidnapped in Tur Abdin region which is in the South East of Turkey.

The monk Rev. Father Edip (Daniel) Savci is the abbot and residing at the Monastery of Mor Jacob in the Village of Saleh (Bar tepe in Turkish), which is situated only about 15 minutes driving distance from Midyat. Read More ...

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European Parliament resolution of 15 November 2007 on serious events which compromise Christian communities' existence and those of other religious communities

More info ...

 

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Conférence "L’Avenir des Chrétiens au Liban et en Orient" le 21 novembre 2007 à l'Université Catholique de Louvain en Belgique

Organisée par Le Mouvement Chrétien Libanais et présidée par Mgr Béchara El Rai (Archevêque de Jbeil / Byblos - Liban)

BUT: Promouvoir toutes activités et/ou projets sociaux, économiques, pédagogiques ou humanitaires en vue de sauvegarder l’héritage Chrétien au Liban et au Proche-orient. 

Entrée libre le 21 nomvembre à 19h30 Auditoire central C - Faculté de médecine, UCL Avenue Mounier 51- 1200 Bruxelles
Renseignements: Père Ghassan Nasr (+32-475.54.58.54) Plus d'info ...

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Colloque "Quel avenir pour les chrétiens d’Orient ? " les 16 et 17 novembre 2007 à l’Alliance Française et à l’Institut du Monde Arabe à Paris

Organisé par l’Institut Européen en Sciences des Religions (IESR) et l’Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes - Sorbonne (EPHE), sous le parrainage du ministère des Affaires étrangères

Comité d’organisation : Régis Debray, président d’honneur de l’IESR et Bernard Heyberger, EPHE-IUF, conseiller scientifique

Entrée libre - inscription obligatoire sur le site www.iesr.fr
Renseignements à l’IESR - tel. 01 40 52 10 00 -  Plus d'info ...

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Iraqis who fled homes in fear face new terror as Turkey targets PKK rebels

When Youssef Toma and his family fled their home in Baghdad's perilous Dora neighbourhood and found refuge in the peaks and valleys of Kurdistan, they assumed their fear had been left behind with their furniture. ...

Last weekend, however, Mr Toma's rural idyll was brutally disrupted. The dread he felt in Baghdad returned. For about 45 terrifying minutes, a barrage of Turkish artillery shells rained down from the clear night sky upon Anishky. Read More ...

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Iraqi Christians forced to flee homes or risk death

BAGHDAD, IRAQ — Nabil Comanny and his family endured the dead bodies left to decompose along the road in their southern Dora neighborhood. ...

At least a dozen churches in Baghdad have closed. For those still open, like the Church of the Virgin Mary shown here, attendance at Masses is down by more than half, officials said. - JAMES PALMER Read More ... (same article from the Washington Times)

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Barack Obama’s Letter to Protect Iraqi Christians

September 17th - Barack Obama wants answers. He wants to know what the State Department is doing in coordination with the Iraqi Government to protect Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq. The Brody File has a copy of the letter Senator Obama sent to Secretary State Condoleezza Rice. Read More ...

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ESU meets French politicians in Paris - France

On Monday 17th September ESU and the Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac Insitute of Gonesse (Paris) meet Mr. Karim Pakzad and Mr. Alain Chenal from Socialist party in Paris regarding the issues faced by the Syriac-Chaldean-Assyrian people in Iraq and in Turkey.

The same delegation later meet also Mr. Philippe Marini (Senator) & Mr. Marc Le Dorh (Political Studies Institute in Paris). A very useful and informative discussion occured about the situation of the Syriac-Chaldean-Assyrian people in the Middle-East and more specifically in Iraq.

Both of the meetings were very positive and the relations will continue in the future.

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Les Nations unies reconnaissent les droits des peuples indigènes

Au terme de plus de vingt ans de négociations, l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies a adopté, jeudi 13 septembre, une déclaration symbolique reconnaissant de larges droits aux quelque 370 millions de personnes appartenant aux peuples autochtones, souvent marginalisés à travers le monde.

Le texte proclame "le droit à l'autodétermination" des peuples premiers et réclame pour eux, le cas échéant, "des réparations". Il vise notamment à protéger la spécificité de leur culture, l'intégrité de leurs terres, et à les prémunir contre toute discrimination. Lire la suite ...

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ESU meets Mr. Siniora and Mr. Geagea in Lebanon

On 28th August 2007, the President of the European Syriac Union Mr. İskender Alptekin and the Vice-President Fikri Aygur had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Lebanon Fouad Siniora and the Leader of the Lebanese Forces Mr. Samir Geagea. Read More ...

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ESU and the Project for an Autonomous Region in Iraq

The project for an Autonomous Region for our Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people in its historical areas in a Federal Iraq, which started officially as a demand of our people in the Ankawa Congress, held on 12. And 13 March 2007 has a large importance in the agenda of the ESU. Read More ...

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USCIRF to Secretary Rice: U.S. Must Address Threats to Religious Minorities in Iraq

“While all Iraqis are threatened by violence, the non-Muslim minorities face particularized forms of harassment and abuse; what is more, these groups appear to suffer a degree of violent attacks and other human rights abuses disproportionate to their numbers,” says the letter, signed on behalf of the Commission by Chairman Michael Cromartie. Read More ...

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So what do you do?

All over the world, ordinary women, men, and children are fighting for the rights of their communities to be recognized. Dr Hunain Al-Qaddo spoke to MRG's Monica Evans.

Talking fast becomes second nature when you are passionate about your work. Dr Hunain Al-Qaddo, head of Iraq’s Minorities Council, knows time is short: armed with facts and figures he fights for Iraq’s minority religious and ethnic groupings.

To anyone who will listen, he talks about embattled communities representing Iraq’s ancient cultures and religions - Armenians, Chaldo–Assyrian Christians, Baha’is, Faili Kurds, Jews, Mandeans, Palestinians, Shabaks, Turkomans and Yazidis – all fleeing for safe haven in other countries. Read more ...

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Rising to the humanitarian challenge in Iraq

Armed violence is the greatest threat facing Iraqis, but the population is also experiencing another kind of crisis of an alarming scale and severity. Eight million people are in urgent need of emergency aid; that figure includes over two million who are displaced within the country, and more than two million refugees. Many more are living in poverty, without basic services, and increasingly threatened by disease and malnutrition. Despite the constraints imposed by violence, the government of Iraq, the United Nations, and international donors can do more to deliver humanitarian assistance to reduce unnecessary suffering. If people’s basic needs are left unattended, this will only serve to further destabilise the country. Read more ...

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Two members of the Syriac-Chaldean-Assyrian people murdered in Mousul-Iraq

On 27th June 2007 at around 10AM, two members of the Syriac--Chaldean-Assyrian Christian community in Iraq were brutally murdered in Mousul. Zuhayr Yousef Stayfo (Born in Karemlesh 1958) the head of the Mosul branch of the Bethnahrin Patriotic Union (HBA) and Luay Sleyman Nouman (Born in Tel Esquf 1986) a member of HBA.

 Read more ... 

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II ESU Congress

On the 19th & 20th May 2007, ESU organised its 2nd Congress in Brussels. Since its foundation 3 years ago, more than 100 members were present for the 2nd Congress. During the 2nd day of the Congress, elections have been organised to renew the ESU board members and the President of ESU. Read more ...

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Les Vingt-Sept pénalisent le racisme et le négationnisme

L'Union européenne s'est dotée d'une législation commune contre le racisme et le négationnisme après plusieurs années de discussion marquées par de fortes dissensions entre les Etats membres. Une profonde ligne de clivage sépare en effet les pays qui donnent une priorité absolue à la liberté d'expression, même lorsqu'elle rend possibles des discours de haine et de violence, et ceux qui estiment nécessaire d'imposer des limites à de tels discours. Une décision-cadre proposée en 2001 par la Commission n'avait pu aboutir faute d'accord. Lire la suite ... - Council of European Union (EN)

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The first International Syriac Symposium held in Turabdin - Turkey

On 30-31 March 2007, the First International Syriac Symposium was held in Turabdin’s central town of Midyat. This symposium was for the most part financed by the European Union and was jointly organized by the Ulasilabilir Yasam Dernegi (Life Within Reach Association) a social organisation from Turkey and the European Syriac Union (ESU). Read more ...

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