Press release on behalf of Iraqi Christians

Handed out at the rally on Saturday


TO THE PUBLIC
On Sunday 31st October 2010, a barbarian attack took plaoe against Syriac Catholic Church Seydit El
Nacat (Our Lady of Salvation) located at the quarter of Karrada, Baghdad. With this deadly attack,
according to official statements, 58 persons died and 67 wounded. According to some other sources dead
toll is more than 100. The list of wounded people is also more than estimated. If we take official statement
into consideration, we see an atrocious massacre that killed dozens of women, children, young and old
Syriacs and left dozens of wounded people. It’s well known to the world public 'opinion that such regular
attacks are carried out against Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac and other groups during last years. However, the
eye-catching point here is that, the civil and unprotected Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac had been targeted by
this attack just because of their different ethnic identity and their religious belief
Since 2003 dozens of churches and religious centres of our people had been attacked and at these temples
many people died and had been wounded Besides at the certain centres like Mosul and Baghdad, there are
systematic attacks against our people. 'Iherefore hundred of thousands Asyrian-Chaldean-Syriac had to
flee their homeland. Moreover, Iraqi govemment and authorities did not provide any adequate sectuity
measures to change the situation. The legitimate and rightful autonomy demands are out of consideration
and there are not constitutional works for this. Our people are open target for attacks because ofthe lack of
safe autonomy region. Therefore, evay day with different methods and ways, families, students, religious
leaders and businessmen are attacked. Becauseof the oppressions on our people, demographic changes
happened and from various powers a gmocide policy is carried out against our people.
These inhuman attacks did nottak: enough places around the world in the public opinion and govemments.
The interest of some policy malgs, media institutions and other groups remain weak and insuflicient.
Consequently, if this silence continues, aggressors will take more courage and they will continue to
perpetrate such inhuman crimes. Therefore, our demand to all media, institutions and representatives of
these institutions is to be responsive to the situation of our people and explain realities to the world.  We are
also organising demonstrations in Brussels (13 November 2010), ,Paris 14th Novemeber 2010) an
Stockholm (14 November 2010), to supportthe Iraqi Christians EEE support the following demands:
1. hnmediate end of oppressions and attacks against Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac in the whole Middle
East.
2. Providing necessary measures to protect life of our people in Iraq.
3. Increasing security measures of the churches of our people to accomplish their religious services
peacefully and freely.
4. Giving back all goods and chatells of our people that had been seized.
5. Providing state aids to the attacked people and families and recompense their damages.
6. Immediate_ application of safe autonomy region demanded by oin people. For this to happen, make
necessary constitutional and legal arrangements.
7. Take away all reasons, issues and attacks against our people that caused huge migration from our
homeland. '
We kindly invite all media institutions ll) be rxwent at the mentioned place, day and time to record
democratic mass activity and publish the voice of our people to The world public opinion and also to
highlight the inhuman attacks against the Christian Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriacs and putting their
contribution to stop these atrocities. _
Organisation Committee

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