The Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians of Iraq Demonstrate in Brussels

The Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians of Iraq Demonstrate in Brussels

The Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians of Iraq, yesterday on 19th April 2008, marched in Brussels in order to make the voice of their persecuted brothers and sisters in Mesopotamia (Iraq) heard by the West.

Organizers said Saturday’s peaceful demonstration has drawn about 6 thousand people from across Europe.

The Demonstration was organized jointly by the European Syriac Union (ESU) and the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany with the participation of several other organization of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian. The participating organizations are as follows:

The European Syriac Union (ESU)
The Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Germany
The Syriac Federation of Germany
The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO)
Platform Aram (The Netherlands)
Assyrian-Chaldean-Syriac Institute (France)
The Chaldean Association (Belgium)
The Syriac Council of Switzerland

The marching crowd with their Christian religious leaders at the front begun to gather at about 1:30 pm in the square in front of the European Council building and the other European Institution Buildings.

The demonstrators were carrying banners and shouting slogans demanding protection for the Christians of Iraq. “Stop the Genocide against the Christians of Iraq”, “Stop Killing Bishops and Priests”, “We demand an Autonomous Safe Zone for our Protection in Iraq” could be read on some of the banners.

The news on the demonstration was covered by the most influential news agencies from around the world and by many local European TV channels and newspapers. Some of the news agencies TV channels that broadcasted the news regarding this demonstration are: Reuters, the Associated Press (AP), Deutsche Welle (DW), Al Jazeera, Al Sharqia, Fox and many other television stations as well as many European and international newspapers from around the world.

Also, the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian TV channel Suroyo-TV covered the whole event with a life program which has been broadcasted via the satellites around the world.

The leaders and representatives of the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian Christians held peaceful speeches and urged the UN, the USA, the Coalition Forces in Iraq and the International community to act and stop the ongoing persecution against the Christians of Iraq.

As a result of the ethnic cleansing campaign that the fundamentalist terrorist have begun since the fall of Saddam’s regime, so far, more than 40 churches have been attacked with explosive charges and many church leaders have been kidnapped and killed. Some of the murdered church leaders are: The Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul Msgr. Boulus Faraj Rahho, Priest Rev. Father Paulus Skander and Rev. Father Ragheed Ganni who was murdered with three deacons in Mosul and Rev. Father Youssef Adel Aboudi murdered recently in Baghdad.

Moreover, hundreds of other Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian civilians have been murdered and one half of the Christian population of Iraq has been forced to flee abroad.