Battle of Mosul: Christians are Targeted
As the weeks go on, we tend to forget the daily Calvary of the Christians who are often used as human shields in the terrible battle for the liberation of Mosul.
The massacre of innocent civilians that is a characteristic part of the ongoing military operations for the liberation of Mosul from the jihadists of the “Islamic State” that still occupy the city, have been a cause of “deep sorrow and great alarm” for the Chaldean Catholic Church. In a press release published by the official channels of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon, there is mention of at least 500 innocent victims that have fallen during the combats of the past few days, and all military forces involved in the offensive for the liberation of Mosul are reminded that they must at least respect the internationally recognized rules and procedures in order to keep the loss of human lives in these conflicts to a minimum.
The Patriarchate also announced that the local ecclesial Committees have been mobilized and entrusted with providing food aid to the multitudes of evacuees fleeing Mosul. It especially reminded everyone of the necessity of respecting the laws of war and all the moral and religious obligations to protect and defend innocent lives, even on the scene of war.
Several testimonies from the part of the city that has been freed reveal that Daesh is forcing civilians to stay in their homes, in order to serve as human shields: “We could not leave before. Daesh would decapitate anyone who tried to escape”, explained one of the survivors of this hell.
The message, that bears the signature of the Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, Patriarch Louis Raphaël Sako, ends with a prayer to God Almighty to “protect Iraq and hasten the return of safety, peace, and stability”.
Source: Fides – 4/25/17
