Sudan 'apostasy' woman Marima Ibrahim arrives in Italy. Mariam Ishaq had been spared death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity but was barred from leaving Sudan.

 

Sudan 'apostasy' woman arrives in Italy

Mariam Ishaq had been spared death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity but was barred from leaving Sudan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sudanese woman who was spared a death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity and then barred from leaving Sudan, has flown into Rome on an Italian government plane en route to the US, officials say.

Mariam Yahya Ibrahim Ishaq, 27, whose sentence and detention stirred international outrage, arrived on Thursday at Rome's Ciampino airport with her family and Lapo Pistelli, Italy's vice minister for foreign affairs, television pictures showed.

There were no details on what led up to Mariam Ishaq's departure from Khartoum, and there was no immediate comment from the Sudanese authorities.

Ibrahim was sentenced to death by a Sudanese court in May on charges of converting from Islam to Christianity and marrying a Christian South Sudanese-American.

The conviction was quashed last month, but Sudan's government accused her of trying to leave the country with falsified papers, preventing her departure for the US with her American-South Sudanese husband and two children.

Mohaned Mostafa, Mariam Ishaq's lawyer, said he had not been told of her departure.

“I don't know anything about such news but so far the complaint that was filed against Mariam and which prevents her from traveling from Sudan has not been cancelled," Mostafa told Reuters.

Ibrahim says she was born and raised as a Christian by an Ethiopian family in Sudan and later abducted by a Sudanese Muslim family.

The Muslim family denies that and filed a lawsuit to have her marriage annulled last week in a new attempt to stop her leaving the country. That case was later dropped.

Matteo Renzi, Italy's prime minister, mentioned Ibrahim's case in his speech to inaugurate Italy's six-month European Union presidency earlier this month.

"If there is no European reaction, we cannot feel worthy to call ourselves 'Europe'," he said.

Muslim women are not permitted to marry Christian men under the brand of Islamic law enforced in Sudan.

Mariam Ishaq, her husband and children had been staying at the US embassy in Khartoum.

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etiqalsgakone@gmail.com

Message of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II

Message of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Aphrem II
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church

Following the Meeting with Representatives of the Churches of Mosul
Patriarchal Residence, Atchaneh – Bikfaya – Lebanon, July 23, 2014

Our people and beloved faithful in Iraq,
Our Displaced Children from Mosul,
Dear attendees,
The incidents, that have been taking place since “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) took control of a dear region of Iraq which is the cradle of humanity and the birthplace of our civilization, are considered barbarian and unprecedented acts in the history of the Christian Muslim relations in this region. ISIS systematically forced Christians and some Muslims out of the city of Mosul labeling them with racist signs and symbols, humiliating and luting them. Therefore, we strongly condemn these acts, and assert that this type of actions and this practice of Islam do not represent the Islam we have lived with for more than thirteen centuries.
This kind of Islam does not revere the religious texts nor the human relationships. Thus, we call upon our Muslim fellows and their leadership to take a clear stance against these actions and this phenomenon that contradicts the Qur’anic text. At the same time, we are astonished by the silence of most Muslim religious leaders and civil dignitaries regarding what has been happening in Mosul. 
The forced displacement of our people, the taking over of our churches, the destruction of our sacred shrines, and the stealing of the properties and the future of our people will not prevent us from fulfilling our mission in this dear Levant. This injustice, which is against the heavenly and human laws, will not compel us to ask for Western protection or help. It is not out of fear or weakness, but because we believe that we are the salt of this land and the witnesses of the Resurrection till eternity. Nonetheless, we request that our compatriots be faithful to our common religious, cultural and human values and support and strengthen the Christian presence in this part of the world. Solidarity statements are not enough, they should stand against and stop supporting those who supply weapons and finance ISIS and similar organizations. Such fanatic acts will surely backfire on those who perpetuate them sooner or later. 
Moreover, we declare that we are going to address the United Nations and the highest international and the Human Rights Fora to hold them accountable to the Bill of Rights they claim to support. We will ask them to abide by the Bill of Rights with no selectiveness or discrimination based on nationality or social identity.
We insist that what has been inflicted on our people in Mosul is a war crime. Forced displacements on the basis of religious belief, be it Islam or Christianity, is a crime against humanity and requires punishment. Despite what it is going through, we wish to see our beloved Iraq united and embracing all of its components and providing them with their rights. We demand that the Iraqi government protect the rights of the Christians to remain in their land and live with dignity. Moreover, we ask our Kurdish compatriots to work with us to protect the Christian presence in order to preserve the historical and cultural diversity in the region. 
On the other hand, we say to our people in Mosul, Nineveh plain and Iraq in general: we will try our best, using all possible means, to provide you with the requisites to have a dignified life through our faithful children in the East and our international relations in an attempt to help you stay in the land of your fathers and forefathers. We will also appeal for the recuperation of your belongings and properties. 
Finally, we are working to convene an urgent meeting soon with our brothers the Patriarchs of the East to discuss and take decisions concerning what has happened in Mosul and what is happening to the Christians of the East. We will form a Christian delegation from the East to carry this cause to the United Nations and to other international platforms as deemed necessary. 
We thank Their Eminences and Excellencies the representatives of the Syrian Catholic Church, Chaldean Church and Assyrian Church of the East along with the General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches and the Ambassador of Iraq in Lebanon for accepting our invitation and for their presence here to consult with us and to work together for the common interest of our suffering people in Mosul. 
Thank you, 
We also thank the press and journalists who responded positively to our invitation.

Jerusalem patriarch: Don't punish all Gaza Palestinians because of Hamas

MIDEAST-TWAL Jul-23-2014 (650 words) With photos. xxxi

Jerusalem patriarch: Don't punish all Gaza Palestinians because of Hamas

By Barb Fraze
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It is impossible for Israeli military to target Hamas missiles without hitting civilians in the Gaza Strip, said Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem.

People might not agree with Hamas, which controls Gaza, but "we cannot punish all the population because you do not agree with Hamas," he told Catholic News Service in Washington July 23.

Israeli soldiers wounded during an offensive in the Gaza Strip are evacuated July 23. Israeli forces pounded the Gaza Strip July 23 and said they were meeting stiff resistance from Hamas militants. (CNS/Reuters)

"We have hundreds and hundreds of killed people, innocent people, 80 percent innocent," he said, noting the deaths of "mothers, children, students."

"In Gaza, when (Israelis) strike, there is no shelter," he said. 

"The Israeli people are happy to have bomb shelters, and they can go escape when they want," he said, referring to the rockets Hamas has been firing into Israel. "Meanwhile, in Gaza, we have nothing. No shelters, and they (people) are in the street."

Patriarch Twal emphasized that the church "absolutely condemns" the firing of Hamas rockets. "But remember these rockets: They make noise, they make fear, they never killed one person," he said.

The patriarch was visiting the United States July 17 when Israel began its ground campaign into Gaza in response to a string of escalating events that began with the kidnappings and deaths of Israeli and Palestinian teens. Israel began airstrikes July 8 and by July 23, the Israeli death toll stood at 32 soldiers and three civilians; the Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 660 Palestinians had been killed and more than 4,120 wounded.

In Washington July 22, Patriarch Twal met with members of the U.S. Committee on International Religious Freedom, and he told CNS he expected to meet with U.S. government security officials.

Patriarch Twal, whose patriarchate, similar to an archdiocese, includes Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus, said he did not understand why authorities do not want to dialogue. Instead of the military option, it is "better to find another way to look for peace," he said. 

He also advocated ending the seven-year Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, which he said makes the area "an open-air prison."

"It is better to be good neighbors forever than to be enemies forever," he said, emphasizing, "Peace is for all."

He noted that three of the patriarchate's 118 schools are in Gaza, and there they have "more Muslims than Christians, maybe some children of Hamas leaders." The schools teach them to "love God, love the neighbor," he said.

"We teach them how to respect others," he said.

"We believe that children, when they play together, when they eat together, when they study together, I think that's the best dialogue we can teach them, from the beginning."

He also said sometimes Hamas authorities receive church officials when they visit schools or their parish in Gaza.

"We must be friend with Hamas, we must be maybe grateful for Hamas, because we have more extremist groups in Gaza that only Hamas can control," he said.

He said for Christians to stay in the Holy Land, "we have to improve the situation."

"I said often our presence in the Holy Land is a mission," he said. "We are there as a witness of our eventual salvation.

"We are a church of Calvary, of suffering. We have to remember that the Lord before us suffered in this land.

"To live, love, work in the Holy Land, you have to build your cross," he added.

Patriarch Twal said when people ask him for help, he speaks of the three Ps: prayer, pilgrimage and projects.

"We still believe in the power of prayer," he said, noting that was the most important P.

He encouraged people to visit, noting, "That's your mother church, and there's a moral obligation to come with this P."

Finally, he said, "Do something. Move. Touch your pocket."

Get involved with a religious, educational or social project, he said.

But, he reiterated, most importantly, "We ask you to pray for us, to pray for this peace."
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1403056.htm

Mosul's Last Christians Flee Iraq's Hoped-For Christian Stronghold

Mosul's Last Christians Flee Iraq's Hoped-For Christian Stronghold

(UPDATED) Historic community comes to 'a real end' after ISIS ultimatum tells Christians to convert, pay tax, or die.

Kate Tracy

 

[ POSTED 7/21/2014 05:29PM ]

STR/EPA

[Added biblical archaeology finds in Nineveh]

There are no Christians left in Iraq's second-largest city after a weekend ultimatum left Mosul residents with three choices: convert to Islam, pay jizya (a poll tax levied on non-Muslims), or die at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).

Mosul, home to the Old Testament prophet Jonah's tomb and the ruins of Nineveh, was intended by Iraq's government to anchor a future province whereChristians could govern themselves. This past weekend, ISIS gave Christians until noon Saturday to choose between the three options. "After this date," read the ISIS declaration, "the only thing between us and them is the sword." The New York Times reports that, while a few Christians may remain in hiding after this weekend, Mosul's once diverse Christian community has likely come to a "real end."

The $250 poll tax ISIS imposed, prohibitively expensive for many Christians, sent more than 200 families fleeing Mosul even as ISIS militants confiscated their belongings, including cars, money, medicine, and food. Some journeyed 42 miles to Kurdish Tel Afar on foot, reports the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), while some of the families went to Kurdish-held Irbil, or Dohuk, which is 87 north of Mosul, reports CNN.

After Mosul's Christian leaders did not attend a Thursday meeting ISIS called to notify them of Islamic rules to follow, ISIS leaders used vehicle loudspeakers to announce their ultimatum throughout the town, according to World Watch Monitor. Middle East Concern reports that ISIS earlier last week marked Christian houses in Mosul with the letter the phrase "property of the Islamic State" and an Arabic mark for "Nazirite."

Louis Raphael Sako, Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Baghdad, said in a statementthat the labels disrupted centuries of religious coexistence.

"This categorization based upon religion or sect afflicts the Muslims as well and contravenes the regulation of Islamic thought," he said. "With all due respect to belief and dogmas, there has been a fraternal life between Christians and Muslims. … Together they built a civilization, cities, and a heritage. It is truly unjust now to treat Christians by rejecting them and throwing them away, considering them as nothing."

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Christian refugees have resettled in tent camps in Kurdistan, but the situation is less than comfortable. As temperatures reach 115 degrees, refugees have nowhere else to go and very few possessions,reports Al Jazeera. World Compassion, one organization offering aid to the refugees, is working alongside the U.N. to provide the Mosul refugees—and others—with food and other necessities.

AINA reports that 15 Assyrian families, some not healthy enough to flee the city, converted to Islam.

Mosul has grown into an increasingly dangerous situation for Christians since theISIS takeover in mid-June, with militants destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary, and removing the cross from St. Ephrem's Cathedral, where the Syriac Orthodox archdiocese has its seat in Mosul. Militants even took sledgehammers to the traditional site of the prophet Jonah's grave, The New York Times reports.

"They did not destroy the churches, but they killed us when they removed the cross, this is death for us," one Mosul resident told the NYT.

The Daily Beast reports that ISIS leaders finance their campaigns by selling looted antiquities on the black market, so many historic artifacts from Christianity and other religions will likely disappear as ISIS militants continue their campaign.

"Those who claim to speak for a vengeful Allah take great delight in smashing idols wherever and whenever they can get to them," noted Daily Beast editor Christopher Dickey. "Theirs is a war of symbols."

Modern Mosul encompasses the site of ancient Nineveh, the city to which the Old Testament prophet Jonah was dispatched by God, an assignment Jonah tried to avoid until three days in a fish belly convinced him otherwise.

Two high mounds lay within the walls of Nineveh: Keyunjik and Nebi Yunus. The name of the latter denotes the tomb of Jonah; the traditional resting place of the prophet lies beneath a mosque on the mound. Because it is a holy site, it has not been excavated archaeologically.

Kuyunjik, on the other hand, has been the site of extensive excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries. Archaeologists uncovered the palaces of the Assyrian kings Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal. Reliefs from Sennacherib's palace, depicting the siege and defeat of Lachish (II Chronicles 32:9), are now on display in the British Museum.

Nineveh is mentioned as early as Genesis 10:11-12. It was the capital of the Assyrian empire during the seventh century BC, and its devastation was predicted by several of the Minor Prophets (Nahum 3:7; Zephaniah 2:13).

ISIS has come under international censure from religious leaders including Pope Francis, who expressed his concern for the Christians in the Middle East, "where they have lived since the beginning of Christianity, together with their fellow citizens, offering a meaningful contribution to the good of society."

In the first reported case of its kind, ISIS militants carried out the death sentence that Sudanese mother Meriam Ibrahim escaped by stoning a woman for adulteryin northern Syria, reports AINA. The U.S. Embassy responded to the stoning in atweet: "We condemn in the strongest possible terms ISIL's barbaric stoning of a woman yesterday in Tabaqa."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the actions of ISIS in Mosul, saying, "Any systematic attack on the civilian population, or segments of the civilian population, because of their ethnic background, religious beliefs or faith may constitute a crime against humanity."

In Baghdad, Muslims have shown support for their fellow Christian citizens by attending a church service with Christians, reports the NYT.

Expulsion of Christians a 'crime against humanity,' Mosul bishop says

IRAQ-BISHOPS Jul-23-2014 (840 words) With photos. xxxi
Expulsion of Christians a 'crime against humanity,' Mosul bishop says

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Backed up by death threats and property seizures, the expulsion of the entire Christian community from Mosul is "a crime against humanity," said an archbishop from Mosul.

Chaldean Archbishop Amel Shamon Nona said the Islamic State, which took control of Iraq's second-largest city in early June, is carrying out "religious cleansing."

"It's an ugly word, but it is what happened and is happening," he told Vatican Radio July 22.

A girl walks past the site of a bomb attack at a market in Baghdad's Sadr City. (CNS/Reuters)

Iraq's Christian leaders are tired of people making appeals and declarations about their plight without backing up their words with real action, the archbishop said.

"Words do nothing today," he said.

Support and prayers are needed, he said, but "we also expect all Christians to show solidarity with concrete action" and "without being afraid to talk about this tragedy."

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad said: "We need action first. The world is not bothering with what is happening to Christians in Mosul."

The world's leaders, including those of the United States, must live up to stated commitment to promoting what is good, he told Catholic News Service by telephone July 23.

"They must do something, because they can," he said.

The international community must help those being displaced, not because they are Christians, but because they are human beings, he said. Because it overthrew Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the United States in particular must be asked: "Where are the human rights? Where is the democracy?" he said.

Bishop Warduni called for a complete end to selling weapons to Islamic State fighters.

"There are no words to describe them," he said. "They have no conscience, no religion. Even though they talk about God, they don't know God," he said of the militant group that has declared a caliphate -- a state governed by a religious leader.

The militants forced thousands of Christians from their homes, seizing their property and then robbed them of their belongings at checkpoints as they fled the city.

Bishop Warduni said, "They take everything, even a wedding ring from a widow, medicine from the hands of a small child, they just (pour) it on the ground."

The militants confiscated the cars people were fleeing in, he said, forcing the occupants, including "small children, old people, sick people, to walk on foot in 48-degree (118 Fahrenheit) heat."

Bishop Warduni was one of a number of Iraqi Christian bishops who gathered in Ankawa, a northern town near Irbil, July 21-22 to talk about the crisis unfolding in Mosul with representatives from the United Nations, UNICEF, Caritas and local government leaders.

At the end of the two-day meeting, Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako and bishops from the Chaldean, Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic and Armenian churches called on the Iraqi government to "stop the catastrophe" and guarantee the "necessary protection" needed for Christians and other minorities being targeted by the fighters.

"A crime is a crime, and it cannot be denied or justified. We expect concrete actions to assure our people, not just press releases of denunciation and condemnation," the statement said.

The bishops also called on the Iraqi government to provide basic services, housing, schools, aid and financial support to those who have been forced from their homes and livelihoods. They thanked the regional Kurdish government for its hospitality and willingness to protect fleeing families.

Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, representing 57 Muslim countries, condemned the forced displacements in Mosul and called the action "a crime that cannot be tolerated."

"The practices of the Islamic State have nothing to do with Islam and its principles that call for justice, fairness, freedom of faith and coexistence," the organization said in a press release July 21.

According to a recent report by the Christian Aid Program, CAPNI, all churches and monasteries in Mosul, numbering around 30 structures, were confiscated and are under the Islamic State's control.

Crosses were removed from Christian places of worship, which, in many cases, were then looted, burned, destroyed or occupied by the militant group.

Shiite mosques also were demolished and all Sunni, Shiite and Christian tombs in the city were destroyed, too, the report said.

Such destruction was endangering many of the nation's ancient historical, cultural and religious sites, including the tomb of Jonah, which reportedly was broken into in mid-July, the report said.

All non-Sunni communities living in Mosul were being targeted, it said, including Shiite Muslims.

Those who escaped Mosul and found shelter in surrounding villages were still facing hardship, it said, as the Islamic State cut off electric and water supplies to neighboring villages.

There is no drinking water in some areas and the Islamic State was preventing medicine and other hospital supplies from getting past the areas it controls.

The fighters also closed the city's banks, CAPNI reported, so many people who want to leave Mosul were delaying their departure because they couldn't access their own bank accounts and they couldn't find buyers for their homes given the "frozen" housing market, it said.

Most city services have "totally collapsed" and the private sector is "almost paralyzed," it said.

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1403045.htm