Lebanon Chaldean Church decries Iraq kidnap

Chaldean Church in Lebanon united denunciation calls against the kidnap of Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, Paulos Faraj Rahho and the killing of his three bodyguards. Beirut Chaldean Archbishopric held a news conference attended by a number of religious and political figures. Head of the Chaldean Church in Lebanon, Archbishop Michel Qasarji opened the conference in a speech calling all world organizations mainly foreign, Arab and Islamic countries having a direct influence in Iraq to deploy utmost efforts in order to free Rahho as soon as possible and without conditions. Qasarji affirmed that abductors have asked for a ransom in return of the archbishop release, saying hat negotiations are ongoing.
After taking a minute of silence in respect to martyrs in Iraq, Iraq’s Ambassador to Iraq Jawad Al Hairi said that terrorism tracking all Iraqis without exception must stop and is heading towards the end, stressing that Iraq without Christians in not the same.
Papal Embassy’s advisor Thomas Halim Habib hoped the kidnap would unite Iraqis over religion as as mean to approach God not violence.
Middle East Churches Council denounced in a statement addressed by its Secretary General Georges Ibrahim Saleh the kidnap of Rahho noting that this act does not serve good Muslim-Christian relations and threatens co-existence stressing however the importance of Iraq’s unity and territorial integrity.
United Nations representative for refugees affairs regretted the abduction saying that minority of terrorists are destroying the country while the majority of the Iraqi people are seeking peace, harmony and unity.