SCANDINAVIAN ARCHDIOCESE CONDEMNS KIDNAPPING OF ASSYRIAN PRIEST IN TURKEY
Edited by AINA
Assyrian International News Agency
EasternStar New Agency
Nov 29 2007
The Syriac-Orthodox archdiocese of Sweden and Scandinavia condemns
the kidnapping of Fr. Daniel Savci in Turkey, an member of the Syriac
Orthodox Church.
"I’m shocked, hurt and upset. The violence towards Christians in
Islamic countries has to come to an end," said Archbishop Julios
Abdulahad. "The world community has to open its eyes to the religious
and ethnic cleansing that’s going on in Iraq and other countries in
the Middle East."
More than half of the Assyrian population in Iraq has been forced to
exile. Priests are kidnapped, nuns are raped and killed and children
crucified. The state of Iraq or the American troops cannot seem to
stop the violence. The kidnapping of father Daniel Savci is not only
reminding people about the violence in Iraq, it is also terrifying
members of the Syriac-Orthodox church around the world.
Regarding the demonstrations that took place after the cartoons
of Muhammed were published in the magazine Jyllandsposten, the
Archbishop said "thousands of Muslims joined the demonstration in
Midyat, the Christian city in southeast of Turkey, which 20 years
ago was populated mainly by Christians. Today the remaining 3000 in
Midyat and the surrounding villages are very afraid because of the
murder of Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist, the brutal murders of
the missionaries in Malatya and several more incidents of oppression
of Christians."
According to the Archbishop, the Turkish police and army are
infiltrated with radical Muslims and nationalists. When the young man
who killed Hrant Dink was apprehended policemen proudly took pictures
with him. The murderer was seen as a hero ought to be hailed.
The rule of law for Christians has to fulfill the same function as for
Muslims. In the nineties twelve Christian leaders, among them doctors,
were killed in Tur Abdin, southeast of Turkey. Nobody was arrested.
The kidnapping of father Daniel Savci is a Swedish concern as it is
a Turkish concern. The majority of the Syriac-Orthodox who escaped
Tur Abdin now live in Sweden. The Archbishop appealed to Sweden’s
minister of foreign affairs, Carl Bildt, to monitor the situation
in Tur Abdin. "Sweden should send a delegation to oversee the
investigation done by the police force in Tur Abdin."