IRAQI ARMENIANS KILLED, WOUNDED IN ATTACKS
by Emil Sanamyan
Armenian Reporter
Oct 21, 2008
Armenia
Washington – An ethnic Armenian music-store owner, Farques Batool,
was killed, and his nephew was wounded in attacks in Iraq’s northern
city of Mosul on October 13, news agencies reported. The attacks were
apparently religiously motivated.
Since the surge in violence, ethnic Armenians and other Christians
who had remained in Mosul, one of Iraq’s largest cities, more than
4,000 people in all, have fled, most for the relative safety of
Iraqi Kurdistan.
In all, at least ten people have been killed in fresh attacks blamed
on Sunni radicals linked with Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Associated Press
linked the attacks to calls by Iraqi Christians for restoration of
Saddam Hussein-era quotas that would give them seats in provincial
councils. The Shiite-dominated Iraqi government sent police
reinforcements to try to stabilize the situation in Mosul.
"Thousands of people fled virtually overnight, many with only
the clothes on their back," said Jamil Abdul-Ahad, the head of an
interfaith Christian council in Mosul that has been distributing aid
to the displaced, The AP reported.
"Our situation needs active work, not just media propaganda from
government officials," Mr. Abdul-Ahad said. "The government should
protect Christians in Mosul and safeguard their rights."
Sunni extremists have regularly targeted Iraqi Christians since the
U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. In addition to Armenians,
Iraqi Christians include Syrian Orthodox and Catholics.