Reproaches against the organisers of the Church Congress: Largest present-day persecution of Christians ignored – Involvement for the Assyro-Chaldaean Christians from Iraq demanded

At the beginning of the 31st German Evangelical Church Congress in Cologne the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has raised reproaches against the organisers of the Congress. "Instead of using the Church Congress for informing the Christians in Germany in central main events on the largest persecution of Christians at the present time and calling for solidarity, the forced exodus of the Assyro-Chaldaeans from Iraq is not being registered”, criticised the GfbV General Secretary, Tilman Zülch, the programme of the Congress. "And yet these people, who to the present day speak the language of Jesus – Aramaic, urgently need our concrete help! We must not leave them in the lurch!” Three quarters of the Assyro-Chaldaeans, who numbered in the past approximately 650,000, have had to flee into the small neighbouring countries of Jordan and Syria or into the relatively secure autonomous northern Iraqi federal province of Kurdistan.

"The almost 2000-year old history of the Christians in the land of two rivers is ending. In the light of this tragedy the organisers of the Church Congress should have reacted flexibly and restructured parts of their planned programme. For hoping and praying is not sufficient to save the lives of the Assyro-Chaldaeans. All Christians in central and southern Iraq are constantly in danger of their lives, even children and old people, priests and nuns. It was only last Sunday that terrorists in Mosul lay in wait for a priest and three deacons and shot them straight after mass. Hundreds of Christians have in recent years been dragged away, women have been raped, and dreadful murders committed. Bomb attacks have been carried out on 30 churches of all confessions, also on Christian schools and on the shops of Christian business-people. Even Islamic ministers take part in the incitement against Christians, calling on them to convert to Islam or to leave the country at once. Death threats against Assyro-Chaldaean Christians are made daily in leaflets and come by SMS or by post.

The GfbV calls on the German government and the governments of the large neighbouring European countries to take up contingents of 20,000 Christian refugees each from Iraq. The Assyro-Chaldaeans already living in Germany must be given secure right of residence.

NOTE FOR EDITORS: On Thursday 7th June at 14.45 in Hall 4.2 the GfbV is planning a special campaign for the Assyro-Chaldaeans at the Church Congress. Please inform your correspondents!