Iraqis Fasting Today for End to Killing Spree Protest 'Heinous' Slayings of Christians in the North

Kirkuk, Iraq: March 01, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

With less than a week beforenational elections, and in the wake of a killing spree in Mosul that lefteight Christians dead in 10 days, the archbishop of Kirkuk has declaredtoday a day of fasting and prayer.

During his homily Sunday, Archbishop Louis Sako decried the killings innorthern Iraq that are leading more Christians to flee the country.

Mosul is about 360 kilometers (220 miles) north of Baghdad; Kirkuk isroughly between the two cities.

"The targeting of innocent Christians, especially in these days in Mosul,in a barbarous manner, coinciding with the elections, is a shameful act,"the archbishop said. "It affects the design of God who created usdifferent, violates human rights, hits the national partnership and insultsreligious values. [...]

"Wiping out Christianity from the region, or forcing [Christians] tofollow the Islamic banner, will only lead the country to become moreradical.

"Therefore we have chosen to fast and pray in protest against theseheinous acts and in solidarity with our brothers, confident that thejustice of God is inevitable."

Motives are unclear for the killing spree in Mosul, though Archbishop Sakoattributed it to "tension and struggle between political forces."

"It is unfortunate that the country today is going more toward ethnicintolerance, religious and sectarian division," he said.

This Sunday's elections are expected to be complicated at best. Manycandidates were barred because of ties to Saddam Hussein's party and it isunclear if any group will emerge with enough votes to make a government. Ifnot, tensions between rival Muslim groups are only expected to deterioratefurther.

The last murder in Mosul was less than a week ago: A father and his twosons were killed in their home, in front of his wife and daughter.

News source: www.zenit.org