Middle East Council of Churches’ Executive Committee Statement on the Latest Incidents in Iraq

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

The Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches convened a regular meeting in Saydet el-Jabal, in Fatka, Lebanon on 15 July 2009 and assessed the situation of the council and the member churches in the region.

The Executive committee members were shocked by the news they received about the brutal and inhumane attacks on churches, the country and the individuals in Iraq. They noticed that these evil and harmful assaults have targeted the Christians in particular. This will ultimately lead the Christians who are the native community to emigrate and be cut off the land of their forefathers and end up asylum seekers in any country that can provide them with security and stability thus leaving Iraq permanently. Any good conscience can never justify these crimes and it is not the first time that Christians are subjected to persecutions and injustices in Iraq.

WE call upon the Iraqi Authorities to arrest the perpetuators, apply the rule of law and give justice to the persecuted Christians.

WE are convinced that some parties aim at offending religion and spreading disputes and fragmentation between the citizens of Iraq.

WE call upon our people in Iraq to endure those hardships with patience and steadfast faith and to remove all fears and worries from their heats and replace them with expectation and hope. The persecuted Church is the land of hope.

WE call upon our people in Iraq to maintain their active presence in Iraq. They are a source of cultural, civilization and religious diversity. Their presence in Iraq is a must for the east and the west and Iraq is for all its inhabitants.

WE look for a promising future for this country, for all its constituents and denominations. The Christians have a pioneering role to play in forging this future that is founded on the religious teachings and true citizenship.

Guirguis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)