After the killing of 14 Christians in the northern city of Mosul in the past few weeks, the Middle Eastern Council of Churches is calling for the government of Iraq to protect them.
In a statement released to the public Oct. 15, the MECC stated, “[We] condemn such violent demonstrations against innocent Christians who were attacked by strangers and insurgents.”
The council noted that more than 1,300 Christian families and more than 8,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in monasteries, towns, and villages surrounding Mosul. Iraqi officials have said that the Christians fled their homes after Muslim extremists threatened them, ordering them to convert to Islam or be killed.
“The MECC affirms the historical fact that Iraqi Christians are a major component of the Iraq national ethnic groups. They have taken part in building their old civilization, and are taking honest part in rebuilding their nation today. Christians are looking for a national unity which brings into it all ethnic groups of Iraq; and to live in harmony, tolerance, reconciliation and equality.”
The MECC consists of churches belonging to the Catholic, Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox traditions.
(ENI, Compass Direct, REC)
