More Violence During Ramadan: Militant Muslims Bomb Orthodox Church in Iraq

We challenge Muslims who are sincere about the tenets of their commemoration of Ramadan to publicly speak out against these evil acts

A bomb exploded on Sunday evening at the St Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church. This evil act follows other such evil acts directed against Christians in Iraq by militant Muslims. We challenge Muslims sincere about the commemoration of Ramadan to speak out against these evil acts by other Muslims who commit terrorist acts against Christians. 

P>KIRKUK, Iraq (Catholic Online) - Muslims around the world are still commemorating Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered by devout Muslims to be the month during which the Quran was revealed.

For the entire month Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset, abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations. They are also supposed to concentrate on devotion, the giving of alms and care for the poor. Sadly, during this month which is supposed to be holy to Muslims (the term means those who submit to God), some militant Muslims in Iraq continue to bomb Christian Churches and commit acts of terror. 

Asia News, in an article entitled "Christians "sad and in shock," Mgr Sako says after car bomb explodes at Kirkuk church, wounding 15" reported on the events of August 2, 2011: "Iraq's Christians are "sad and in shock" because attackers targeted a "sacred place" and "innocent people", said Mgr Louis Sako. The archbishop of Kirkuk, a city in northern Iraq, spoke to AsiaNews about the latest outrage against the country's Christian community two days into Ramadan.

"Since the start of the Muslim holy month, attacks have been on the rise. This morning, a car bomb exploded near the Holy Family Syro-Catholic Church at about 5:30 am (0230 GMT), wounding 15 people. Some 30 homes were also damaged. A second bomb was also found.

"According to local sources, Mati Shaba, a Christian man, is among the wounded, and is in serious conditions. Fr Imad Yelda, one of the church's clergymen, was slightly injured. A 20-day-old baby and residents from the predominantly Christian and Turkmen neighbourhood of Shaterlo in northern Kirkuk were also hurt. Fr Imad Hanna, who was also injured in the attack, said, "It is the first time that this church is the object of a terrorist attack." The blast damaged the doors and inside the building (pictured), as well as cars and other buildings around the area.

"Tuesday morning, Mgr Louis Sako, the archbishop of Kirkuk, visited the wounded in hospital. Many of them have already been released and gone home. Speaking to AsiaNews, the prelate said that "Christians are sad and in shock" because "a sacred place" and "innocent people" were targeted.

"Many cars caught fire" and there was widespread damage in the area, he added.According to the archbishop, the attack has caused a great deal of sorrow because it occurred "at a holy time of fasting and prayer, [a time] of conversion."

"We are shocked," he explained, "because Christians play no role in the political games" of the city, its centres of power and economic interests. "We are always for what is good, for dialogue, and we have good relations with everyone."

"With a population of 900,000, Kirkuk is at the centre of an ethnic-political struggle between Arabs, Turkmen and Kurds. The latter would like to see the city annexed to Kurdistan, whilst Arabs and Turkmen want it to remain linked to Iraq's central government.

"Local sources said that a second bomb was found in a car parked near a Presbyterian Evangelical church at al Mass, in central Kirkuk. The bomb was ready to explode but was defused. Tuesday's bombs come a month after the opening of the first church built since the US invasion of 2003."

Now, this same news source reports that on Sunday evening/early Monday morning, August 14, 2011, another bomb exploded "near the St Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church in Kirkuk, which is just a few hundreds of metres from the Chaldean cathedral, in central part of the city. The device blew up at 1.30 am and there were no victims. The damages to the church were however huge."

This latest bombing is being deplored by some Muslims. yet, other Islamic sites openly refer to it as a "holy bombing". It once again reveals the horrid situation being faced by Christians in Iraq and the dangers of radical,militant Islam. The militant Jihidis in Iraq are targeting Christians for extermination and seeking to drive them from a land with which they have an even earlier history than Syrian Muslims.

Fortunately, no one was killed or injured in this recent heinous act of terror. However, this beautiful Orthodox Church was severely damaged and desecrated. This evil act follows other such evil acts directed against Christians in Iraq by militant Muslims. 

We once again call on our global readership to pray for our brethren in Iraq. We again call upon world leaders, in particular we implore the US Administration, to loudly speak out against this overt persecution of Christians in Iraq. 

We challenge Muslims in Iraq who are sincere about the tenets of their commemoration of Ramadan to publicly speak out against these evil acts by other Muslims who, purporting to follow Islam, commit terrorist acts against Christians. In some circumstances, silence implies consent.

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