Baghdad church siege ends in massacre

“No-where is safe anymore, not even the House of God”, says auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, Shlemon Warduni, the day after an unprecedented attack on the Christian community of the Iraqi capital. Together with Patriarch Delly he visited survivors and wounded of the Sunday massacre, in which over 50 hostages and police officers were killed when security forces raided a Baghdad church to free more than 100 Iraqi Catholics held hostage by al Qaeda-linked gunmen. Between 70 and 80 people were seriously wounded, many of them women and children.

The terrorists, some wearing suicide vests, had taken over 120 faithful hostage at the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation, one of Baghdad's largest, during Sunday mass and demanded the release of al Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt. “This tragedy represents a new and terrifying change in strategy by terrorists” said an anonymous source from the Catholic community in Baghdad, “it means all Christian parishes in Iraq are in danger”. An Iraqi affiliate of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack. It said in a statement posted on radical Islamic websites that it was an action against the Coptic church in Egypt.

Archbishop Georges Casmoussa, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul notes “what we are asking for and we repeat this appeal, is that our governors and the international community push to bring peace to Iraq and push for the formation of a responsible government, so there is some authority over the situation here in Iraq”. Church leaders have long warned that the political vacuum created by the failure to agree on a government formation following March elections has left the door open to increased extremist infiltration and insecurity. “The ultimatum of these terrorists, [for the release of AL Qaeda prisoners and the formation of an Islamic state in Iraq –ed] is not our problem it is for other people to deal with”, continues Archbishop Casmoussa “Our problem is insecurity in our country. We are not against anyone. If they want an Islamic government, if they want power then they should try to obtain it by instilling confidence in the population, not fear”.

Bishop Warduni adds that “the Christian community no longer feel safe, not even in the House of God, this attack will have a very negative influence on those who until now had chosen to remain in Baghdad, with many saying they are ready to leave”.

One of the first victims of the terrorist were the priests who had been leading the congregation in Sunday celebrations. “I knew them both very well” says Bishop Warduni, “They were former students, both very young, both very committed to their vocation and community”. “This whole episode is truly sad and really very painful, but we must have hope and trust in God that he will protect his Church”. Emer McCarthy reports: