MUSLIM STATES SLAM IRAQ CHRISTIANS VIOLENCE

Middle East Online
2008-10-14
UK

OIC chief says violence against Christians in northern city of Mosul
‘unprecedented in the history of Iraq.’

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
on Tuesday condemned deadly attacks against Christians in northern
Iraq which have been blamed for the flight of over 1,000 families.

OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said the violence in the northern city
of Mosul was "unprecedented in the history of Iraq."

He called upon the Iraqi authorities to "prosecute the culprits who
are behind these acts to end the suffering of Christian brothers and
provide them with protection."

He said that the 57-member Islamic grouping always calls for
"respecting minorities in the Muslim world."

One Christian was killed and his nephew wounded when gunmen opened
fire in the east Mosul late on Sunday, the latest in a dozen murders
of Christians in the city over the past fortnight.

Heavy police reinforcements have helped stem the flight of Christians
from homes in the city.

Since the US-led invasion of 2003 more than 200 Christians had
been killed and a string of churches attacked, with the violence
intensifying in recent weeks, particularly in the north.

Iraq’s Christian community includes various denominations, including
Syrian Orthodox and Catholic, Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic
congregations.

A recent report by Iraq’s Ministry of Human Rights that sets out the
number of deaths in different ethnic communities caused by direct
or indirect attacks in Iraq between 2003 and the end of 2007 showed
that only 172 fatalities were from Iraq’s Christians: 107 Chaldeans,
33 Orthodox, 24 Catholics, four Assyrians, three Anglicans and one
Armenian.

The report added that about 9,000 Christians were living as IDPs.

Since the US-led invasion in 2003, some estimates put the figure of
fatalities of Iraqis (mostly Sunnis and Shiites) up to one million
innocent civilians. Over two million Iraqis are living as IDPs.

Observers say Christians are no more threatened than average Iraqis.