Iraqi bishops against hanging Tareq Aziz

(October 29, 2010) The Catholic bishops of Iraq have joined the European Union and the Vatican in criticising the death sentence imposed on Tareq Aziz, right-hand man of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein. Most Iraqi media have done the same. The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the former foreign minister guilty of taking part in the elimination campaign of a number of Shia political groups, like Dawa, to which current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki belongs. “We condemn in any case the death penalty,” said the Chaldean Patriarchal Vicar of Baghdad, Mgr Shlemon Warduni, in an interview with an Italian-language blog, Baghdadhope. “Our faith tells us that no one should take the life that God gave. What we want is peace and security, and for people to be able to meet, not clash,” he said. Latin Archbishop Jean Sleiman of Baghdad agreed. Many Iraqis also believe that the sentence is politically motivated rather based in law. “Most Iraqis condemn the death penalty imposed on Tareq Aziz,” said Taleb Abdulaziz, an Iraqi reporter for Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas. While reiterating the Church’s position against death penalty, the Holy See has declared with utmost prudence that it will quietly intervene through diplomatic channels to stop the hanging of the former foreign minister. The European Union, through its foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, has called the sentence as “unacceptable”, demanding its suspension. Tareq Aziz, a Chaldean Christian, is often cited as an example of how favourably Christians were treated under Saddam. However when Christian schools were nationalised, he “did not lift a finger,” nor did he say anything when the Qur’an became a compulsory subject in schools.