Two Sisters Murdered in Mosul

Two Christians, Lamya' Sabeeh and her sister, were killed in al-Qahira quarters of Mosul when unknown assailant/s stormed their home and attacked the peaceful family. The mother of the two girls was seriously injured as well from repeated stabbing. The ssailant/s then left a bomb in their house, which exploded as the police arrived. This crime occurred as many Christian families began to return to Mosul after last months forced exodus of Christians from the city.

Car Bomb Kills Four in Mosul

A car bomb exploded Wednesday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, killing four civilians as the local government acknoweledged it has yet to persuade frightened Christians to return to the homes they fled, police said. A police officer in Ninevah province said the bomb went off in a parked car in a predominantly Sunni area of this city, where violence has continued against Christians and other religious minorities despite months of U.S. and Iraqi military operations to chase out extremists. Mosul officials said few of the nearly 10,000 Christians chased from their homes earlier this month are eturning to the city, despite government pledges of financial support and protection.

In a statement to France Press, Jawdat Isma'eel, Director of the Ministry of Migration and Immigration office in Mosul, stated that the number of Christian families that fled Mosul has risen to 1307 families Coptreal. Click here to read the report. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Minister of Defense, Abd Al-Qadir Al-Ubaidi, stated in a meeting with notables and
with political parties and families representatives in Mosul that 1894 Christian families have fled Mosul.

One of the gates of the Church of Miskenta on the east (right) side of Mosul city was damaged due to an explosion of a bomb that was placed near it. Worth mentioning that until today the Christians of the east side of Mosul city were not inflicted with the recent wave of emigration and displacement.

The McClatchy Newspaper Washington Bureau reported that thousands of Christians are fleeing their homes in Mosul after a spate of killings this week that left 12 dead.

The Associated Press reported that 3,000 Christians have fled Mosul in the past week
alone.

CNN reported that at least 900 Christian families have fled Mosul in the past week terrified by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face possible death. It reported that 13 Christians have been slain in the past two weeks.

The BBC – Arabic reported that about 1,000 Christian families have fled Mosul in the past 24 hours due the bombing of some of their homes and the killings of 11 Christians in 10 days. BBC Arabic Meanwhile, the Middle East On Line reported that the Governor of Nineveh Governorate Duraid Kashmoola stated that there has been a mass emigration (nizooh) of at least 932 Christian families from Mosul within 10 days after the bombing of three homes belonging to Christians in al-Sukkar quarters. He said: 500 families fled on Friday and 432 families on Saturday. He stressed the killing of 11 Christians at least in the past 10 days.

The latest statistics on the Christian families that fled Mosul to the Nineveh Plains towns and villages from 10/6 to 10/11/2008 due to the latest killing of Christians included the followings (keep in mind that families are moving around): Baghdeda 138; Karamlesh 128; Bartella 72 families.

Jihad Waged on Christians in Mosul

Some forty Christian families have fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, bringing the number of Christian families who fled the city over the past three days to 295, a press spokesman for a political party with links to the Iraqi Christian community in Nineveh province has said. "Due to death theats by insurgents some 295 Christian families fled the city to areas around the city," a spokesman for the Assyrian Democratic Movement told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.

The source said that the living conditions for the families were very poor, and many lacked basic health services. Earlier a security source said that some 25 families fled Mosul on Wednesday followed by 50 families on Thursday for the fear of being targeted by armed groups. According to Khaled Abdel-Sattar, a spokesman for Iraqi security forces in the area, five Christians have been killed in the past few days. Iraqi Christians are one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Large parts of the Iraqi Christian community emigrated to Syria and Jordan following the US-led invasion.

Christian groups have also recently protested the removal of article 50 of the provincial elections law, which passed through the Iraqi parliament last week. The article had guaranteed Christians certain rights of representation in local assemblies. Also in Mosul, two civilians were killed and another twelve were injured when two bombs in two plastic bags were detonated simultaneously in a crowded area inside the city. Separately, US forces in Iraq announced on its website the arrest of eight militants in Mosul. Mosul is located some 400 kilometres north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. At least 10 people were killed and another 20 were injured in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, al-Arabiya TV channel reported. The blast took place in al-Dawra district south of Baghad. Related Story

4 More Christians Murdered in Mosul

An Iraqi military source said four Christians were killed in two separate attacks on Friday, recording a rising wave of attacks against the religious minority in the northern volatile city.

“Two gunmen driving Opel came across two Christian individuals in al-Wihda district, north Mosul, and shot them dead after asking for identification papers,” an Iraqi army source said.The source noted the gunmen “shouted there is no place for Christians in Mosul”.Meanwhile, the same source said “two gunmen killed two Christians in al-Mithaq district, east Mosul”.

Waves of attacks have seen a spike in the northern city of Mosul, forcing a number of their families to leave the city for its northern suburbs in the lush valley of Nineveh.

The Assyrians are affiliated with different Churches and since the U.S. led invasion in March 2003, they have been subjected to severe acts of violence and as they form the weakest link in the Iraqi mosaic, they've been continuously ignored and marginalized by the local and foreign authorities which are governing Iraq at present in addition to being obscured by the media.

Jalal Mousa (38 years old) was shot and killed near his home in al-Noor Quarters in Mosul.

In al-Tahrir neighborhood in eastern Mosul, gunmen stormed a pharmacy and killed assistant pharmacist Khalid Jirgis al-Sammak.

Unknown gunmen killed Amjad Hadi Boutros and his son Housam while they were working in a house during construction. The victims were residents of al-Sukar neighborhood in Mosul.

Ziad Kamal, a disabled 25-year-old in a wheelchair was killed at 10:00 a.m. this morning when a group of unknown gunmen riddled his body with bullets while he was inside his auto parts shop in al-Karama quarters in Mosul. The victim's family is originally from Mosul but they had moved to Bartilla lately due to the violence in the area.

Unidentified gunmen killed Hazim Toma Yousif, an Assyrian man in his 40s, inside his family clothing store in the old souk of Bab al-Sarai, central Mosul, before they escaped to an unknown place. "A gunman stormed the store owned by the victim, an Assyrian Christian, and opened fire at him from his gun he had in the crowded souk," the police source said, not giving more details.

Ivan Enwiya, a 15 years old young Assyrian, was killed this afternoon (Saturday) by unknown gunmen near his home, beside AL-Zahra mosque in Tahrir district in Mosul.

Bashar Nafi'a was murdered 10:00 a.m. at his workplace according to a priest of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul. No other details are available.

Jihad Maskoni, his son Marwan (student of Engineering College) and his daughter Milad (student of Pharmacy college) were killed in front of the Personal Statute Court in Karrada neighborhood.

A Nineveh Governorate police source who asked to remain anonymous said that a Christian, whose father was killed a week ago, was killed by an unknown armed group in al-Bakr neighborhood in eastern Mosul. It's been noted that an Iraqi army checkpoint is located 200 meters from the scene of the crime. The source added that: "The gunmen were on foot and they shot the man dead before they fled the scene". The names of the two victims were not released and the motives behind this latest crime remain unknown.

Latest reports indicate that the victim is Rayan Nafi' Jamoo'aa, whose father was kidnapped and murdered earlier.

Nafi' Bashir Jamoo'aa was kidnapped and killed in Mosul. It is not yet known whether or not a ransom was paid.

Police found the body of Dr. Tariq Qattan (65) east of Mosul. The source stated that the upper body and
head reflected signs of beating and gun wounds. Dr. Qattan was abducted on August 24.

Haytham Khidir was murdered in his lathe shop in the al-Sina'aa quarters in Mosul. The deceased brother, Potros Khidir, is a monk in Germany.

Mazin Girgis Yaqou Aboona, a 34 year old Assyrian man, who used to sell household items out on the street was attacked by gunmen in a car, they surrounded him, stole all that he had, then riddled his body with bullets and fled the scene. The crime took place on Wednesday July 09 in al-Dargazliyya neighborhood in Mosul.

When Mazin's mother heard shouts of neighbors she ran out to find the body of her son in the street and as she hugged him, the shock was too powerful that she fell dead next to him.

Unidentified armed men abducted two high school female students in Telkaif district of Nineveh Province. The two girls were on their way to school to take the final examination.

Children Kidnapped, Killed & Crucified to Instill Terror

A Canadian parliamentary committee studying the persecution of religious minorities worldwide heard that since the Iraq war began in 2003, about 12 children, many as young as 10, have been kidnapped and killed, then nailed to makeshift crosses near their homes to terrify and torment their parents. One infant was snatched, decapitated, burned and left on his mother's doorstep. The committee was told that one in every three Iraqi ChaldoAssyrian Christians is a refugee.

Monqedh Elias Essa was assassinated by unknown gunmen in al-Yarmouk neighborhood (al-Mansour district) in central Baghdad. The victim was riddled with bullets and the motive for the criminal act remains unknown. The victim, born in1967, was married and the father of two girls and a boy.

Priest Shot Dead

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Gunmen shot dead an Assyrian Orthodox priest near his house in central Baghdad's Karrada neighbourhood on Saturday, security officials told AFP.

Youssef Adel, a priest with Saint Peter's Church, was killed by gunmen travelling in a car around noon (0900 GMT), they said. A medical official said Adel's body had been brought to Ibn Nafis hospital in central Baghdad.

Christians in Iraq have come under frequent attack in recent months, with clerics kidnapped and churches bombed. Last month, the body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, was found in a shallow grave in the northern city two weeks after he was kidnapped.

A terrorist group tried to kidnap Rani Yousif Hanna (b. 1983) as he left St. Thomas Assyrian Church in al-Noor quarters in Mosul; however, he resisted and they shot him dead. Rani and his family fled to Syria in 2005 because of the escalation of terrorism against the Christians. He returned couple of weeks ago to take care of few personal issues and was planning to go back to Syria again.

Zaid Michael Atto was killed when a bomb exploded in central Baghdad.

Bishop Found Dead

The kidnapped Archbishop Mar Poulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Catholic Church bishop of Mosul, was found dead north the city of Mosul.

Bishop Abducted And Three Others Killed

Mosul (AsiaNews) – Mar Poulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean bishop of Mosul, was abducted today after he celebrated the Via Crucis . Three people who were with him were killed. Mgr Rabban al-Qas, bishop of Arbil, told AsiaNews about the event after getting the news directly from Mosul.

KDP Peshmerga Abduct Deacon John Khoshaba

At 6:30pm, on Sunday 17 February 2008 in the town of Telkepe (Nineveh Province), Deacon John Khoshaba was abducted from his home by members of the KDP peshmerga loyal to Kurdish President Masoud Barzani.

Even though Telkepe does not form part of the Kurdish region, Deacon John was transferred to Sekrene, a high security prison facility near Sarsink in Kurdish controlled northern Iraq. He is charged with criticising through his website, the Kurdish authorities and their Finance Minister, Sarkis Aghajan.

He was also warned against writing about the corruption and sex scandals of his Bishop Ishaq Khamis and his loyalty to the Kurdish authorities.

Yet Another Church Bombed

According to Aswat al-Iraq (Voices of Iraq), A car bomb detonated near the Church of al-Tahira (The Pure) in al-Shifa district, western Mosul, leaving one policeman and a woman slightly injured. The blast caused material damage to the external wall of the church and smashed its windows and doors, said a police who requested anonymity.

Another Cathedral and Church Bombed

Two churches were bombed in central and northern Kirkuk: The first at the Cathedral of Qalb al-Yasoo' (Jesus's Heart) of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the second at Mar Afram Church of the Syriac Orthodox Church in al-Umal (Workers) Square. Three people were wounded. According to reports, a third church has been bombed, but no details are available.

Monasteries, Churches and a Cathedral Bombed in Coordinated Attacks

Today, several explosions targeted Churches and monasteries of different Assyrian Christian denominations in Mosul and Baghdad. The targeted churches and monasteries were: In Baghdad, Mar Giwargis (St. George) in al-Ghadeer quarters and the Chaldean Nuns Monastery of the Daughters of Mary in al-Zaafaraniya. A Greek Orthodox Church in Al-Tayaran Square was also a target.

In Mosul, the bombs targeted the Catherine Monastery of the Chaldean denomination, St. Mary's Cathedral of the Ancient Church of the East in al-Nour quarters (al-Shuhada' previously), Mar Poulus (St. Paul) Church in al-Sa'aa quarters, the Chaldean Nuns Monastery of the Daughters of Mary in al-Nour quarters and the Miskinta Church in central Mosul.

The body of Fadi Michael Hanani Aolo was found in the outskirts of the Assyrian town of Baghdeda. It was established that the body has been left there for about four days. The circumstances are still very sketchy. Fadi did not return home since he left four days ago after he received a phone call.

The family of Saalim Yousif Karash (originally from Baghdeda) was attacked while inside their own home and during daylight (2:00 p.m.) by an armed group in Zayoona quarters in Baghdad. They hit the father severely until he was unconscious. One of his two girls, Lena, who was inside the house was afraid of being raped, beaten or kidnapped, threw herself from the balcony of their apartment on the fourth floor. Then the armed gang stole most of what they gathered and left. The mother was hysterical and had a nervous breakdown. The father is in critical condition in local hospital while the daughter underwent surgery for a crack in her skull and she is still unconscious in the hospital. The other two sons and one daughter are safe since they were not at home when the attack occurred.

According to alarabiya.net, female Christian students faced numerous threats on their first day at Basra University from students that appear to be members of Islamic militias. The female students were given the option of wearing the Islamic veil or face death while the male students were told to raise their beards in the Islamic fashion. The alarabiya.net referred to an article on December 9, 2007 in the Sunday Times about the issue.

Pamphlets and notices were floating all over Mosul University threatening Christian female students from not wearing the Islamic dress code. The Islamic groups gave the Christian students three days to comply or face death.

A groups of eight men kidnapped Usama Fareed (age 45) from his home. Then, his sister Maysoon Fareed (age 42) was taken from her work place as well. An hour later, the brother and sister were found dead in the quarters of al-Jamhooriya (3 km from town center) with more than 11 bullets in their heads.

Unidentified gunmen killed a Christian girl in the area of Nabi Younes (Prophet Jonah) in central Mosul on Sunday, a police official said. "Gunmen in a vehicle opened drive-by fire at the 24-year-old Christian young girl at al-Nabi Younes market, killing her instantly," Brig. Muhammad Abdul-Aziz al-Wakkaa, the director of Nineveh police operations room said. "The girl's body was removed to the morgue in Mosul," Wakkaa said, not giving further details on the incident.

An explosion in al-Karada district in Baghdad claimed the lives of three residents from Baghdeda. The three victims are Haitham Sabeeh Toma (b. 1975) and a father of two small children, Amer Aziz Hashko and his sister. Amer and his sister were in the capital city preparing for his own wedding, which was to take place in three days.

Luisa Matti Jameel was killed in al-Khalis area north of Baghdad. Luisa was on her way back home to Baghdeda (in Nineveh plains) from Baghdad.

Close to 2,500 Assyrian students that live in the Assyrian villages of Qaraqosh (Baghdeda), Bartilla, Karemlish, Ba'ashiqa, Bahzaneh, Tel-Kaif (Tel-Kepeh), Tel-Esquf, Batnaya, and Sharafiya, expressed their fears of not being able to continue their higher studies in Mosul University and other technical, academic and art institutions due to the continuous acts of violence, threats and harassment, which are exposed on the roads and highways leading to Mosul. Few months back eight Assyrian university students from Baghdeda were abducted as they were on their way to Mosul. Parents fear for their children's lives and make the decision to keep their children home. A number of students said that they had tried to enroll in the universities and colleges of Arbil and Dohuk (Nohadra) but they were faced with many hurdles, red tape, unusual local laws and measures which imposed in these institutions which aren't found in other universities and colleges such as students' hosting and restricted admissions because they're considered not to be part of the so-called Kurdish region (North of Iraq-Occupied Assyria).

Khaled Giwargis Sako (b. 1971) was killed in al-Hadba' neighborhood in Mosul. He was a member in St. Paul's Church group. The victim had returned home from work when several shots riddled his body in front of his house. Sako was married and father to three children, a boy in 4th grade, a daughter in 1st grade and another daughter in kindergarten.

A group in police uniforms who claimed to be from the Ministry of Interior approached Behnan Rehana al- Bijwaya, on September 27, 2007. The group abducted him and demanded a ransom of $250,000 that was reduced to $50,000 Dollars. However, after they stole his car, his body was found on October 22, 2007 with apparent and visible torturing marks. The victim was 45 years old and married.

Fawzi Aukania Apas (b. 1968) was killed in Mosul. Unknown gunmen riddled the victim with bullets while he was driving his car from Arbil. Apas was married and he was a father of five children.

Ayman Abd-Allah Ishaq Hanna, son of Fr. Abd-Allah Hanna, priest of St. Shmouni Syriac Orthodox Church in Ba'asheeqa was gunned down as he was returning Saturday from Dohuk (Nohadra) to his hometown.

Najah Salman al-Los (b. 1960) left his home in New Baghdad quarters to go to work in Dora quarters. He was attacked, fired at with several bullets and murdered while driving on the highway. Al-Los was married with five children

Miyssar Mansour Hanna Rahel was abducted by unknown gunmen on Thursday (Oct. 11) in Baghdad. He was found dead on Friday (Oct. 12). He is originally from the northern Iraq town of Karamlish. The victim had a brother named Malik Mansour and he was also murdered in Baghdad few months ago.

Bassam Yousif Elias al-Khadim was kidnapped after completing his service at the al-Tahira Church. Later, his body was found in one of Mosul's quarters.

Franco Issac was murdered today. No details available yet.

Samir Estephan Micah Doda was murdered today. No details available yet.

At around 1:00 p.m. local time, a horrific car bomb explosion shook the Assyrian town of Baghdeda (around 13 miles northeast Mosul). According to the preliminary reports, a suicide bomber in a pickup truck caused the explosion and it happened inside the market facing al-Rafidain bank in the town's center. Evan Yousif Zora and Rabie Sabah Shandar were killed in addition to three unidentified policemen. The estimated 15 wounded were transferred to the hospital with one of them being in a serious condition.

The explosion of a car bomb at a checkpoint between Mosul and Arbil on Wednesday killed Matthew Shamoun Boutros.

Assyrian Christian families that had fled Dora district affirmed that their homes were looted by armed groups. Security forces didn't take any action to stop the looting. It is believed that between 125-150 homes were robbed and looted of all their contents, including electric appliances, furniture, carpets, etc. In addition to that iron windows and doors were removed from the houses, while more than 100 houses have been occupied by strangers without a prior agreement with their legitimate owners nor their knowledge.

The Assyrian Democratic Movement announced that Joseph Abd Ibrahim Hermiz (b. 1986) was murdered Friday at noontime in al-Qadisiya al-Thaniya behind the Public Clinic. No further details were available.

Baher Sabah Kallo (b. 1975) was killed in Baghdad. He was a lecturer at Baghdad University. Kallo was abducted and a ransom was paid in exchange for his release, still the abductors murdered him.

Jeffrey Ramzi Boutros (28) was killed in al-Mansour neighborhood of the al-Dawoodi district in Baghdad. Jeffrey was an only child to his parents.

Hizni Khadida al-Margahi, Farouq Giwargis from the Naf Kindal village and Nabil Yousif from the Leevo village were killed when a car exploded in the Zammar district near al- Rabi'aa area as they were on duty in a military regiment of the Iraqi National Guard.

Unidentified gunmen forced themselves into the house of two brothers Falah and Sabah Nasouri 'Alka in al-Karrada district of Baghdad. The two brothers were brutally attacked before being killed. Falah died following a savage beating and torture while Sabah was shot. Falah, 52, was a pharmacist who ran al- Rabab pharmacy in al-Karrada district while Sabah, 55, was an entrepreneur and worked in trade.

Unidentified gunmen in three cars approached Thamer Najib Azzouz in an attempt to abduct him in al- Hadbaa' district in Mosul. Azzouz refused to leave his family and two little children in order to yield to the gunmen's request, and when he fought the kidnappers, they shot and killed him instantly then they fled the area.

Ayad Allawi's Deputy Accuses Kurds Of Murders In Nineveh

Osama al-Nujaifi, a deputy of the National Iraqi bloc led by Ayad Allawi, accused the Kurds of murders against a number of citizens in the Nineveh Governorate. The deputy said that the Kurdish forces and their members in the Iraqi army are committing murders and terrorizing the people while they stand to guard the Kurdish parties headquarters. He accused the Kurdish Alliance of following a Kurdification policy. He added that there are districts such as Sinjar and Zommar that follow the area of Tel-afar as well as Telkaif,
Hamdaniya and Sheikhan, which are administratively part of Nineveh Governorate, but immediately after 2003 Iraq War the Kurds moved into those areas and began to run them directly.

Kurdish Peshmerga Murder Another Assyrian

Fadi Nazar Habash was killed when a force of Kurdish forces "Peshmerga" fired towards his car while he was driving on al-Hizam Street in Baghdeda

Matti Boulos Markus Moma, an Assyrian from Baghdeda, was kidnapped couple days ago. The kidnappers demanded for $20,000 ransom to release him. The money was raised and paid by his wife. Still, Matti was murdered and his body was found today Friday.

Amira Abd al-Massih Hermiz from the village of Telesquf was killed today in her home in Samarra. The victim was born in 1970, married to Jalal Shaya Marogi and a mother of 7 children the eldest 16 years old and the youngest a baby of two months. Details about the circumstances of her death aren't available yet.

Priest, Son and Two Relatives Kidnapped

In the northern city of Kirkuk, the Rev. George Atta, a Chaldean Christian priest, was kidnapped with his son, Louise Atta, and two relatives about 11:30 a.m. Thursday by unknown gunmen, according to an anonymous police source.

Atta had recently fled Baghdad's mainly Sunni Dora neighborhood. The Rev. Louise Sakis, a high-ranking Chaldean clergyman, said the kidnappers are demanding about $160,000 ransom.

An armed group attacked al-Mashtal area in Baghdad near the Hydro Company, opening fire on shop owners yesterday. Some shop owners were killed while others were abducted. Fathalla Hazem Batti was shot three times and killed. The victim was born in 1967, married with two children, Marios (3yrs and 6 months) and Albert (1 yr and 9 months), and he lived in the area of Palestine Street. Eyewitnesses mentioned that up to eight people were killed in this attack.

P.S. al-Mashtal area has a high concentration of Christians.

Mouwafaq Philip Boutros was murdered by a group of armed terrorists who asked him whether he was a Sunni Muslim, but when he answered, "I'm Christian" his body was riddled with bullets. The victim was 58 years old, married, and had three children. He had left his home in Baghdad three days ago and was murdered in al-Saidiya district.

Islamic Emirate of Mosul Threaten To Behead Christians

A statement by an Islamic group that calls itself the Islamic Emirate of Mosul threatened to kidnap or kill all Christians whether Students or employees in Mosul University if they did not leave the university campus in three days. According to the statement that was posted on city streets, the Islamic group threatened as well all Christians living in Mosul to leave the city within three days or the group will behead any Christian who will remain in the city. The Islamic Emirate of Mosul had killed four Christians living in the al-Sa'aa and al-Yarmook quarters of the right littoral of the city after they were kidnapped and their
bodies were found in the Wadi 'Aaqab cemetery. The group had killed as well two Christians who arrived from Hamdaniya District to Mosul where they worked. The said group murdered another female Christian employee of the Iraqi Central Bank in Mosul.

Sa'eed Elias Sam'aan Estephan Sheekho was murdered in Baghdad as he left his home in al-Za'afaraniya district. The victim was married and father of six children. He was buried in his hometown of Baghdeda today.

Sources in the Spanish Foreign Ministry said yesterday that an Iraqi Christian employee in the Spanish embassy in Baghdad was found dead with three of her family members. The Iraqi Christian woman who had been working in the embassy for 10 years disappeared last Friday and was thought to be abducted. The four bodies were found dead with gun shot wounds on July 01, 2007.. The Spanish sources mentioned that this incident has nothing to do with Spain but every thing to do with the violence in Iraq

Aamer Bahjat Mikha was murdered Wednesday on the highway between Mosul and Baghdad when an unidentified militant group stopped his car and shot him. Mikha was married with three young children, a boy in primary school and two little girls.

Unidentified gunmen killed two members of the Assyrian's Patriotic Union of Beth Nahrain, Sahir Yusuf Istayfo (b. 1958) and Lewi Sleman Numan (b. 1986), in a drive-by shooting in central Mosul, police said.
Source: Reuters

An unidentified armed group kidnapped eight Assyrian Christian students and teachers returning home to the Nineveh Plain from Mosul university Wednesday afternoon. The students of the Nineveh Plains travel on church provided community buses that transport them daily to school. One of the buses returning to Qaraqosh (Bakhdeda), one of the largest Assyrian Christian towns in the Nineveh Plain, was pursued by eight vehicles that surrounded and eventually stopped it. Eight people, among them a number of University professors, were taken to an unknown location. It is noteworthy that the abduction took place directly in front of a police stations as several eyewitnesses stated.

This came one day after another Qaraqosh native was killed in Mosul by an armed group.

Church Looted and to be Turned into a Mosque

The situation for Iraq's Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) is approaching a crisis level. On June 3rd an Assyrian priest and three deacons were gunned down in Mosul and their car booby trapped so that their bodies could not be recovered (AINA 6-3-2007). On May 28 an Assyrian couple that worked for the US embassy in Baghdad was killed by an al Qaeda-led group (AINA 6-2-2007).

An Iraqi government employee familiar with the situation, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of being killed, told AINA that today St. Jacob Church Near the Asia Neighborhood (Hay Asya) in Dora was attacked and the Christian guards killed, the church was looted and will be turned into a mosque. St. John the Baptist Church near the Hay Al-Athoriyeen (Assyrian quarter) was also looted.

Muslim groups, mainly affiliated to al-Qaeda but also Shiites of Muqtada al-Sadr, have moved into Assyrian neighborhoods in Baghdad and begun imposing Shari'a (Islamic law) on Assyrians. Shari'a demands that Christians pay the jizya, the poll tax demanded by the Koran which all Christians and Jews must pay in exchange for being allowed to live and practice their faith as well as being entitled to 'Muslim protection' from outside aggression.

The attacks on Assyrians, which began in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad in early March, when al-Qaeda moved in and began imposing Islamic law (AINA 4-17-2007, 3-18-2007), have now spread to Yarmouk, Qadisiya, and Mansour, where the jizya is being demanded.

According to the government employee, in the Hay al-Amiriya quarter a Sunni "Amir" (prince) demanded the car belonging to an Assyrian brother and sister who are orphans; their priest advised them to give up the car, which they did. The "prince" later returned and officially asked for the girl's hand in marriage. The girl had to go into hiding. In a report by the Catholic News Agency (AINA 5-18-2007), Mar Addai II, the Patriarch of the Ancient Assyrian Church of the East, says "Only the families that agree to give a daughter or sister in marriage to a Muslim can remain, which means that the entire nuclear family will progressively become Muslim." Also, Assyrian families are forced to turn over their homes as ransom for their kidnapped relatives.

Muslim persecution of Assyrians is not limited to al-Qaeda or Sunnis. On May 30 AINA reported that Sadr's Mahdi army ordered Christian women in Baghdad to veil themselves or face dire consequences (AINA, 5-30-2007).

Assyrian Priest and 3 Deacons Gunned Down in North Iraq

The Arabic language Assyrian (also known as Chaldnen and Syriac) website ankawa.com is reporting that 1 priest and 3 deacons were gunned down in Mosul as they left the Church after having finished Sunday Mass. Fr. Ragheed Ganni, Deacon Basman Joseph, Deacon Bassam and Deacon Ghassan of the Holy Spirit Church were killed by a hale of bullets from a group of gunmen. Their bodies were dumped in front of the church and remain their; residents are afraid to remove their bodies for fear of being shot. According to the AFP, the four had finished mass at 7.30 PM and were driving away in the priest's car when they were intercepted, about 100 meters from the church, by a car; four men got out and shot them.
Fr. Ganni was born in Mosul in 1972; he held a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Mosul (1993). He studied in Rome from 1996 to 2003 where he Obtained a Masters in Divinity (Moscone Theology).

Two Assyrian Baghdad US Embassy Employees Killed By Al-Qaeda

An Assyrian couple that worked for the US embassy in Baghdad has been killed by an al Qaeda-led group. The couple was killed on Monday, May 28. According to Reuters, after the husband went missing late last week his wife went to look for him and then she too appeared to have been abducted.
U.S officials, who wish to remain anonymous, told AINA the couple's car was stopped and the husband was abducted while the terrorists screamed "you filthy Christian traitor." When the wife, Amal, attempted to deliver the ransom to the kidnappers, described as a Sunni group, she was killed.
The self-styled "Islamic State of Iraq" said in a statement published on the Internet "God's ruling has been implemented against two of the most prominent agents and spies of the worshippers of the Cross...a man and woman who occupy an important position at the U.S. embassy...The swords of the security personnel of the Islamic State of Iraq...are with God's grace slitting the throats of crusaders and their aides and lackeys."
The group said it was able to acquire a large amount of money from them. It did not give further details.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said only that two local Baghdad embassy employees were missing. "There are two local national employees of the embassy in Baghdad who are missing. Their whereabouts, at this point, are unknown," Casey told reporters in Washington. "We do have concerns about their welfare."

Mahdi Militia Warns Christians

An undated letter issued by Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army to Christians in Baghdad orders Christian women to veil themselves or face grave consequences. The letter, obtained and translated by AINA, states that the Virgin Mary was not unveiled and so Christian women should not be unveiled. The letter ends with an ominous note that committees have been established to monitor the Christian populace and enforce the
decree. For the Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) in Baghdad, the imposition of Shari'a (Islamic law) is coming from both Sunnis and Shiites. On March 18 al-Qaeda moved into the predominantly Assyrian Dora neighborhood in Baghdad and demanded payment of the jizya (AINA 4-17- 2007, 3-18-2007), the poll tax demanded by the Koran which all Christians and Jews must pay. Families that could not pay the jizya were instructed to give a daughter or sister in marriage to a Muslim (AINA 5- 18-2007). Read The Mahdi Order

Tensions are mounting in Nineveh Plains as the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (previously Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq), a Shi'aa bloc in the Nineveh Province Council (5 members out of 40), are demanding to construct a building for the al-Mihrab Martyr in the Christian dominated Nineveh Plain region. Al-Mihrab is a recess in a mosque indicating the direction of prayer, i.e., prayer niche. The Shi'aa bloc are claiming that the administrative authorities are not executing their demands. The Governor of Nineveh Duraid Muhammad Kashmoola stated that the demands of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq are personal and political in nature and that he denied the request to construct the building because it was exceeding and traversing on governmental lands. Furthermore, the governor stated that such action is designed to create tension between Muslims and Christians and that such actions will oppress and/or terrorize the rights of the Christians in the region. The 5 members of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq have boycotted the meetings of the Nineveh Governorate Council. Tensions continue to rise. Worth mentioning that the two Kurdish parties of the KDP and PUK bloc dominate the Nineveh Governorate Council, followed by the Sunni al-Tawafuq (Conformance) bloc, then the Shi'aa bloc, 2 Christians and a Turkomani member.

Hikmat Faraj al-Safi was killed on May 17, 2007 at the hands of unknown gunmen as he was unloading a truck of provisions for his store in the Mechanic area in Dora. Al-Safi was born in 1952 and a father of seven children.

Grand Mufti Condemns Persecution of Christians

The Grand Mufti (High Commission of Legal Opinion) of Iraq, Sheikh Jamal Abd Al-Kareem Al-Dabban, sent a letter to the Head of the Vicar Council of Churches in Iraq acknowledging the attacks and persecution of Christians. He condemned the Iraqi bloodshed and the perpetrators. Read Statement

Three individuals, Jameel Hanna Sayfo, his wife Muntaha Hadi Sleiman and Ra'ad Najeeb Mikha were killed by 'friendly fire' from the coalition forces in the midst of heavy fire exchange in the Baladiyat district in Mosul city. Deceased Jameel and wife Muntaha have left behind one son and two daughters and deceased Ra'ad left one son and two daughters.

The Reverend Temathaus Eisha, pastor of the Church of St. Shimoni in the besieged1 Dora district of Baghdad, confirmed to ankawa.com that the information published about the forced displacement of Christian Assyrians from their homes in the district is accurate. He added that the conditions were horrible, especially in the Al-Ta'ma, Al-iskan, Al-mo'alimeen, Al-shurTa, Al-sitten, and Asia neighborhoods. The three remaining neighborhoods that are relatively calm are Hai Al-athuriyeen (Assyrian quarter), Al-jim'iya, and Al-sihha. The large-scale campaign consists of expelling all Christians, unless they convert to Islam or the jizya, or leave their homes and belongings. He added that the majority of Assyrians have abandoned these areas.

A Chaldean priest is kidnapped in Baghdad

Fr. Nawzat P. Hanna, parish priest of Mar Pithion, was abducted this morning in the capital's al-Baladiyat quarter. Baghdad's auxiliary bishop: “We will pray for his immediate release, but we will not submit to fear”. Local Christians warn of systematic plan by terrorists to “clean-up” the city quarter by quarter. Complete Article

The crisis for the Assyrian community in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood is deepening. Islamists are systematically targeting the Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs), forcing them to pay the jizya (AINA 4-17-2007, 3-18-2007), a "protection" tax demanded by the Koran, or convert within 24 hours or be killed. Dora is located 10 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. Families are abandoning their homes and seeking refuge in Churches:
14 families have fled to the Al-So'ud Chaldean Church.
7 families have fled to Saint Odisho Assyrian Church (3 families are in the church and 4 in the Saint Adai Patriarchate, the old church building).
An unknown number of families have fled to Saint George Chaldean Church.
Islamic groups are preventing families from bringing any belongings as they flee their homes. Hatem Al-Razaq, the sheik of the Al-Noor mosque in Dora, has toured Dora, visiting each Assyrian family and instructing them to pay 250,000 Iraqi dinars ($190), saying this sum is the jizya because "you are not Muslims." Families that cannot pay this sum are told to send one family member to the mosque on Friday to announce their conversion to Islam. Families who refuse to do this must leave their homes immediately and not take any of their belongings with them because "your properties belong to the mosque." Families that do not leave and do not convert are threatened with death.
In a report by the Catholic News Agency (AINA 5-18-2007), Mar Addai II, the Patriarch of the Ancient Assyrian Church of the East, says "Only the families that agree to give a daughter or sister in marriage to a Muslim can remain, which means that the entire nuclear family will progressively become Muslim." Also, Assyrian families are forced to turn over their homes as ransom for their kidnapped relatives.

Muslims Burn Assyrian Church in Baghdad

(AINA) -- According to the Assyrian website ankawa.com , a group of armed Muslims set fire to St. George Assyrian Church in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad. The group of men poured gasoline on the church and set it on fire. This is the same church that was bombed in the first of a wave of bombings of Assyrian churches (AINA 10-16-2004 ). When St. George was bombed in 2004, the church Cross was not damaged; the bombers tore the cross down with their hands after the bombing.

In the past four weeks, the Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) community in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood has been systematically targetted by Islamists, who have demanded that the Christian Assyrians pay the jizya (AINA 4-17-2007 , 3-18-2007 ), a "protection" tax demanded by the Koran, or convert within 24 hours or be killed. Assyrian families have sought refuge in Churches (AINA 5-18-2007 ).

Dora is located 10 kilometers southwest of Baghdad.

Told to Convert or Die, 21 Assyrian Families Seek Shelter in Baghdad Churches

Baghdad (AINA) -- The crisis for the Assyrian community in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood is deepening. Islamists are systematically targeting the Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs), forcing them to pay the jizya (AINA 4-17-2007 , 3-18-2007 ), a "protection" tax demanded by the Koran, or convert within 24 hours or be killed. Dora is located 10 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. Complete Article

Only the families that agree to give a daughter or sister in marriage to a Muslim can remain in Iraq.

Baghdad, May 17, 2007 / 11:51 am ( CNA ) .- The Patriarch of the Ancient Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Addai II, has called on the Prime Minister and the Iraqi parliament to put an end to the tragic situation that Christians in Iraq are enduring due to the constant threats and attacks against them. Complete Article

A car bomb in Ras al-Jaadda near Qabr al-Bint on May 10, 2007 claimed the life of Manhal Hanna Abbo as he was returning home from work. Abbo died immediately as he suffered severe head injuries. He was born in 1968 in the Assyrian town of Tellesqof. He was married and had a baby daughter five months old.

In the past few days alone, more than 100 Assyrian Christian families have fled the Dora district of Baghdad, which had a Christian majority as the threats to leave their homes, pay the jizya tax or convert to Islam continues. Many members of parliament, including Mahmoud Uthman, Noor al-Deen al-Hayali, Haydar al-Abadi protested these acts against the Christians and called upon the Iraqi government to protect the Christians.

Mr. Gabriel Khamis Khamis an Assyrian citizen living in the Na'eeriya district in Baghdad was kidnapped by unknown gunmen with his wife Feryal, his grandson Jason (4 years old) and the taxi driver on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road. Mr. Khamis's son in law and his daughters Lina, Nour and Sara were in another car but they were able to escape and report the incident at the nearest police station. Some time later the wife and the grandson were found in the Habhab desert after they were stripped of their jewelry while the fate of the husband and the taxi driver remains unknown.

Pay, convert, leave or die

Many Christians in Dora are now facing demands for the traditional Islamic tax on non-Muslim minorities, the jizya. This is not being imposed by the government, but by Islamist insurgents who are operating freely in Dora without any intervention by either Iraqi or American forces. In keeping with the teaching of shari\'a (Islamic law), Christians are offered the choice of paying money (which will be used to fund the insurgent violence), converting to Islam, leaving the area, or being killed. The demands can come as written messages delivered to their home, or from militants knocking on the door. Sometimes the option of paying jizya is not offered - it is then a choice of convert to Islam, flee within 24 hours leaving their homes to be seized by the militants, or be killed.

An armed Iraqi group has in recent days begun targeting Christians in the residential al-Doura neighbourhood of Baghdad, according to an interior ministry source quoted by the pan Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat. Information obtained during probes and the interrogation of various terror suspects arrested last week indicate that this group is linked to al-Qaeda and is made up of 200 militiamen, most of them foreigners.

The NBC "Nightly News" with Brian Williams (5:40 p.m. West Coast Time) addressed the issue of Iraqi fleeing to Syria. The NBC correspondence interviewed Najeeba, an old Christian woman, whose husband was killed when one of the churches was bombed in Iraq. The Islamic fundamentalists asked her to convert to Islam or face death. She packed one suitcase, left everything behind and fled to Syria. The cameraman videotaped the one bedroom apartment that Najeeba shared with eight others. Najeeba pays $300 monthly for the room and the landlord had informed her that he was going to increase the rent to $600. Najeeba stated that she has nothing left.

Two Assyrian men were abducted on Tuesday by unknown gunmen in Baghdede as they were heading to work at al-Salam Hospital in Mosul. The reason for their abduction and their whereabouts is still unknown.

ADM Member Martyred

Sargon Ashur, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement passed away on April 26, 2007 after spending two weeks in a coma. He was ambushed, fired upon and hit in his head while on his way to work. Sargon was married and had a girl Oryana (4 years) and a son Mattai (1 year old).

Hani Hanna Yousif Bidawid (b. 1949) was shot down on Thursday morning in al-Ghadeer quarters of Baghdad as he was on his way to work. Bidawid was married and had two children, Saamir and Sally

An Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) man traveling from Kirkuk, North Iraq to Syria was abducted at noon today. The man, identified as Wesam Khamis Sliwa, was traveling with his wife and sisters when their car was stopped by masked and armed men. Mr. Khamis was taken out of the car and driven away; the women were not harmed. The reason for the kidnapping is unknown and the kidnappers have not made contact yet. Mr. Khamis holds a degree in physical education and was born in the 1950s.

Tellesqof (Tell Esqof), northern Iraq Around 10:00 a.m., a suicide car bomb attack took place in Tellesqof, 9 miles north of Mosul. The attacker detonated his car and at least 10 people were killed and 20 wounded. The car bomb exploded in the middle of the village market, in front of the social club near an elementary school. Tellesqof is a predominantly
Christian town. This was the first terrorist attack in this tight-knit community since the Iraq war started.

Leave Christianity and Convert to Islam

An unidentified Islamic group has been threatening the Chrisitan Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) in the Dora district of Baghdad, a traditionally Assyrian area. The Islamic group issued an ultimatum yesterday to Assyrian families, telling them to leave Christianity and convert to Islam within 24 hours or they would all be killed. The Islamic group also issued a fatwa (a religious edict) to confiscate the property of all Christians, to force Assyrian women to veil themselves, to forbid genuflection (making the sign of the Cross) and the wearing of the Cross. Earlier the same Islamic group forcefully removed the Cross from the churches of St. John and St. George. An affiliated Islamic group in Northern Iraq occupied the Assyrian monastery of Raban Hormuz.

Fredrick John Shimshon Al-Bazi (b. 1943) was kidnapped at 1:30 by unknown armed militias as he was returning home from his office in 'Aamiriya. Al-Bazi completed his postgraduate studies in civil engineering in Briton. He served his country for more than 39 years as an academic in Baghdad and Al- Mustansiriya Universities, as an executive director of one of the main bureaus concerned with irrigation and reformation, and as deputy minister for Iraqi Mineral Resources. According to eyewitness reports fully
covered and armed individuals riding an Opal vehicle kidnapped Al-Bazi. They also reported that he was beaten severely before he was taken away. Source: Firodil Institute. Contact (info@firodil.co.uk). He was released later after paying the ransom.

Two Chaldean Catholic Nuns Stabbed to Death in North Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Two elderly sisters, both Chaldean Catholic nuns, were stabbed to death in their home in Kirkuk, city police reported Tuesday, saying the motive for the attack was not known.

Kirkuk police 1st. Lt. Marewan Salih said Fawzeiyah Naoum, 85, and her 79-year-old sister Margaret, were stabbed multiple time by two intruders who raided their home Monday night near the Cathedral of the Virgin in Kirkuk. They lived alone and there was no sign of a robbery, Salih said.

Chaldean Catholics are an ancient Eastern rite now united with Roman Catholicism. Adherents live mainly in Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq and most speak Aramaic

Muslims Forcing Christian Assyrians in Baghdad Neighborhood to Pay 'Protection Tax'

Baghdad (AINA) -- Muslims in the Dora neighborhood of Iraq are forcing Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) to pay the jizya , the poll tax demanded by the Koran which all Christians and Jews must pay in exchange for being allowed to live and practice their faith as well as being entitled to 'Muslim protection' from outside aggression.

At least two cases have been reported to a government employee -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- in which the Christian Assyrian wives were instructed to go to a certain mosque and pay, which they did out of fear. The stated reason for the payment was "we do the fighting and you pay to support."

The jizya has been collected since the arrival of Islam in 630 A.D. The last systematic collection was by the Ottomans (Turks), which came to an end only in 1918, when the Ottoman empire was defeated and partitioned in World War One.

Kurdish Authorities Outlaw Assyrian Language

Dohuk, North Iraq (AINA) -- Kurdish authorities are preventing Assyrian businesses from using Assyrian names or putting up signs using the Assyrian language on the front of their stores, according to the Assyrian website assyrian4all.net . Kurdish authorities have informed businesses that they may use Kurdish or English only. An Assyrian businessman observed that this policy is no different from that under Saddam's regime, when Assyrians were forced to use Arabic instead of Assyrian names.

Architect Walid Abd al-Ahad was killed in al-Nidhal Street while on his way to work.

Bassam Jamil Mansour Breekho was killed in Baghdad due to a bomb explosion at the Administrative and Economy College, University of Mustansiriyya.

Goldsmith (Jeweler) Haitham H. M. Ghazala was murdered this morning in Mosul.

Luana, a 22-year-old Christian university student in Iraq confesses that an Iraqi soldier raped her inside her home. She stated, “I thought very hard before agreeing to tell my story. But I cannot allow other girls to suffer the same violence I suffered. In addition to being discriminated against and lacking support." Luana stated that her entire family had fled to Jordan and from there to Sweden with the exception of her and her brother who decided to wait until she finishes university. She continued to state that one day, while her
brother was at the university, a group of Iraqi soldiers raided their home saying that they had information that there were insurgents in the area. She added that, “When they were inside my home I saw them giving me strange looks. They asked me questions for about 15 minutes and then they left." Two days later, on the afternoon of November 27, 2006, Luana was alone again when one of the soldiers who had raided their home earlier forced himself into the house and raped her threatening that if she made any noises or told anyone then he was going to return to do it again, kill her brother and take the home away. Luana and her brother went to the police, but the police did nothing. Two months later, Luana realized that she was pregnant. She and her brother went to a doctor where she had an abortion. She concluded, "I hope my story will help girls who are raped in Iraq to decide to tell their story even though it is hard in a traditional Muslim country such as Iraq. But if we remain silent, there will be more girl victims and more girls will lose that so precious thing that God gave them, their virginity."

Deacon Abd al-Khaliq Bakos Mussa Qaryo was murdered after he was kidnapped. Despite paying the ransom, the kidnappers decided to kill him. His body was transferred to his hometown of Baghdeda for burial. He is the brother of Sister Sophia Bakos of the Christian Dominicans.

Firas Sabah Aboosh Momeeka was one of the victims who were killed when a car bomb exploded in al- Sadriyya quarters of Baghdad. His body was transferred to his hometown of Baghdada for burial.

After over two months of his kidnapping, the body of Faris Daniel was found and identified. Faris' body was transferred to his hometown of Telkepe for burial. Faris and Shakeep Poulus were kidnapped together. The body of Shakeep was found earlier.

A high ranking Assyrian official of the Iraqi Airways was gunned down by unknown assassins near his home in Mekanik (Daura). Mr Isaac Esho Alhelani was stopped whilst driving with his wife, forced out of the car and shot twice before the assassins fled with his car. According to his children living in Australia, he was then taken to a hospital in Baghdad, but the hospital did not have the resources or medication to treat his serious wounds. He was then flown by helicopter to the city of Arbil where he died. His body was
later taken by car to the city of Kirkuk, the place of his birth, for burial by his wife and sister. Isaac was a graduate from an aircraft engineering school in Scotland in the early 1960's where he studied under a scholarship from the Iraqi Government. Upon his return to Iraq after completing his studies with distinction, he was appointed as an aircraft engineer in the Iraqi Airways and climbed the ladder of promotion until he reached the position of Deputy Director. Isaac, who was 64, retired in December 2006.
He leaves his second wife in Iraq and four children from his first marriage. Three of the children, his daughter and two sons live in Australia, and his youngest son is in Syria where he escaped to from Baghdad after being threatened with kidnapping.

ADM Member Martyred

Warda Slewo was murdered by the enemies of democracy in Iraq. Martyred Warda was born in 1955 he is leaving behind a wife and four children: the eldest is 14 years old. Martyred Warda was a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) and the distributor of Assyrian (ADM) Bahra Newspaper. Source: ADM News.

Two Christian brothers, Wisam and Nasir Banni, were murdered in front of their home in al-Hadba' quarters of northern Mosul. A group of armed men fired at the two brothers while they were in front of their home and killed them, police said. Source: Aswat al-Iraq News

Ankawa

After a kidnapping that lasted three days, Malek Mansour Behnam Hanna was found murdered by his abductors. His body will be transferred to his home town of Karamlesh in northern Iraq.

Karemlash4u

In al-Wahda Quarters, unidentified armed group attacked Sargon Sabah Yacoub and his family while on their way to Baghdeda to visit relatives. Sargon (b. 1979) was killed. His wife Zeena and son Fadi were critically injured and are in hospital.

Ankawa

Like other minority members in Iraq, Mardon Matrood, a 44-year-old Assyrian shopkeeper in Baghdad, has had enough of the country's sectarian violence. "Minorities in Iraq are targeted by insurgents and militias, who want us out of the country as they promote what they call the 'cleansing of Iraq, of non-Muslim communities'," said Matrood who is living with his family of six in an abandoned government building. Four months ago Matrood's family failed to pay a ransom of US $50,000 to kidnappers who had abducted his nephew. The nephew was later found dead. "We are a poor family...we couldn't pay [the ransom money] and after two weeks we were informed that the police had found his body near a mosque in Adhamiyah district (northern Baghdad). It was totally mangled, burned and tortured," Matrood said.

ElectronicIraq

December 18, 2006

Toddler Beheaded, Roasted And Served On A Mound Of Rice

Because the crisis in Iraq is so severe, we are dedicating the In Touch page of this issue of Barnabas Aid to a message from our International Director, Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo who visited Basra twice in the second half of 2006.

A toddler was kidnapped in Baghdad in October 2006. The mother, a Christian, could not pay the ransom and the young child was returned to her, beheaded, roasted and served on a mound of rice. Complete Article

A young Assyrian man, Ninos Potros Qoryaqos Al-Bazi, was killed as a huge explosion rocked a popular market in the area of New Baghdad. The young man was with his brother at the time of the explosion. The two brothers were transferred to a hospital whereNinos was announced dead. Another Assyrian, Ryan Sami Esho, who owns a store in the area, mentioned that two car bombs exploded in the crowded market. The explosions shattered the windows of his shop completely and damaged others.

Fishkhabour and Derabon (Dair Aboon) are two Assyrian villages that are part of the Zakho district. The majority of lands in these two villages belong to Assyrians, the indigenous people of the region. Tens of Kurdish families belonging to the Mirani tribe have illegally appropriated lands belonging to the Assyrians and there are additionally two hundred Yezidi families illegally living in the village of Derabon. Many complaints were presented to the government in charge, but no action was taken to end these violations. Other similar violations in the villages of Qrola, Bidar and others in al-Sindi region continue. In addition, it has been noted that the funds, which are allocated to the building of homes in the region, are wasted due to administrative corruption resulting in the building of houses that don't satisfy the legal building codes.

An unidentified Islamic group placed flyers at the Student Union at Mosul University; the flyers contained messages directed at Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) students and were placed in areas where Assyrian students congregate. Witnesses report that University security men observed the men placing the flyers but did not intervene. The flyers warned the Christian Assyrian students that "in cases where non-Muslims do not conform to wearing the Hijab [head cover for women] and are not conservative with their attire in accordance with the Islamic way, the violators will have the Sharia and the Islamic Law applied to them."

December 08 , 2006

ANOTHER PRIEST FEARED KIDNAPPED

Chaldean church leaders today said they fear that an Iraqi priest in Baghdad who has been missing for two days may have been kidnapped.
Chaldean priest Douglas Yousef Al-Bazy was last seen leaving his parish church by car after celebrating Sunday morning mass on Sunday (November 19).
“We haven't heard from him since after the mass,” Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk Louis Sako told Compass by telephone from Kirkuk. “We don't know if it was an accident or if it was a kidnapping.” Complete Article

December 06 , 2006

An armed group attacked few men who were conversing in front of a bakery not far from his home in Dora district in Baghdad. Mikha Raheem (age 56), originally from Alqosh, was killed.

December 04 , 2006

Priest Murdered Execution Style

Fr. Mundhir al-Dayr of the Protestant Church in Mosul was found dead with a bullet in his head, reported AsiaNews today. Fr. Al-Dayr was abducted November 26, 2006 and was found dead four days later. A message from the abductors demanded one million dollars as ransom or they will "kill all Christians starting with Fr. Al-Dayr." Source: AsiaNews

December 04 , 2006

Assyrian Christian Priest Abducted

Fr. Sami Abd al-Ahad was abducted along with his car in front of his home on al-Sina'aa Street across from the Technology University in Baghdad as he attempted to go to Church.

December 04 , 2006

On December 4, 2006, it was reported that Shakeeb's (b. 1974) body was found. He was murdered on December 2. The fate of his relative is not known yet.

November 30 , 2006

Followers of Moqtada al-Sadr have issued a fatwa concerning school girls, according to an Assyrian priest in Baghdad. The fatwa requires all girls to wear the veil while attending school. In an unusual twist of logic, the fatwa implies that failure to wear the veil would be tantamount on the girls' part to complicity in the death of the Imam Husayn ibn Ali (killed in 680 A.D. in Karbala in a battle with the army of the Caliphate.)

November 29 , 2006

A terrorist group in Baghdad assassinated Haskial Isaac Benjamin al-Raikani (b. 1950). He was from the Assyrian village of Telkepe (Telkaif) in northern Iraq. Al-Raikani was shot and killed in front of his home in Dora, Baghdad as he attempted to move his family and belongings back to northern Iraq. Al-Raikani was married with three sons and two daughters.

November 26 , 2006

Two Assyrians, Shakeeb Polous Isaac Polous of the Assyrian town of Karamles and his relative Faris Daniel, were abducted today in Mosul.

November 26 , 2006

The Head of the Department of Antiquities and Heritage in Kirkuk, Ayad Tariq, warned from an increase in trespassing on archaeological sites in the city, such as that of Jallo, 15 km. South of the city of Kirkuk. He said that people are building homes within the site, which is one of the most important archaeological sites that date back to ancient Assyrian period. He added that even though the department had build a fence around the site, still the trespassing by the locals continues to increase.

November 23 , 2006

Ishmael Behnam al-Qas Ishak was abducted over a month and a half ago. Yesterday his body was found at Baghdad's Institute of Forensic Medicine. The victim was originally from the Assyrian town of Baghdeda. He was married and a father of three children. Ishmael worked as a taxi driver on the Baghdad-Amman highway when he was abducted.

November 22 , 2006

The head of al-Suryan Independent Assembly Mr. Eshoo Majeed Hadaya was attacked and shot to death by unknown assailants as he left the headquarters of his movement in Baghdeda, the Nineveh plain, in northern Iraq.

November 20 , 2006

Priest Kidnapped

(AsiaNews) Christians in Baghdad fear yet another priest has been kidnapped. Fr Doglas Yousef Al Bazy - 34 years, Chaldean -- left his parish yesterday morning and has not yet returned home.

October 29 , 2006

In the afternoon of October 29, Marvin Emmanuel Khazmi (born 1984) was kidnapped. His body was found the next day at the mortuary with a bullet in the head. Marvin was a third year student at the University of Baghdad, College of Agriculture.

October 29 , 2006

Ziyad Abdulla Ajaj (22 years young) was murdered by a group of armed terrorists as he left home in the morning going to work in the Christian quarters of al Sa'aa.

October 22 , 2006

Arkan Sabah Yousif was kidnapped. However, his body was found in mid November.

October 21 , 2006

14 Year Assyrian Christian Beheaded

Ayad Tariq (14 years young Christian) was the sole provider for his family that consisted of his father, who was old and could not work, mother, five younger brothers and two sisters. He was forced to quit school, work and provide for his family. His job was to turn on and off an electric generator and attend to it while on his 12 hours shift. On Saturday 21, and around 6:00 a.m., while he was just about to enter the premises of his fenced work, a group of Islamist extremists confronted Ayad and asked for his ID. When they discovered that he was a Christian, they began to scream "kafir … kafir" (Infidel). They dropped him on the ground, different men held each of his arms and legs and a fifth man held his head, put the knife on his neck and cut his throat while screaming "Allah Akbar … Allah Akbar" (God is Great).

October 13 , 2006

KDP Militia Attack Assyrian Ashur TV

A group from the Kurdish militia belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) attacked the Nineveh headquarters of the Assyrian Democratic Movement's TV station, Ashur TV. The KDP militia forced the TV station staff, including two female news anchors, out of the building and forcibly confined them in their vehicle outside of the Bakhdeda (Hamdaniya) TV station. The Ashur TV station staff driver was severely beaten by the KDP militia and was hospitalized.

October 11 , 2006