EDITORIAL:

Mourning Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul

By Tecola W. Hagos

 �Archbishop Faraj Rahho was kidnapped last February 29 after the Stations of the Cross. His kidnappers gave word of his death, indicating to the mediators where they could recover the body of the 67-year-old prelate.� The Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho died while in the hands of his Moslem fanatic kidnappers on March 13, 2008. Whether he was actually murdered or died from his acute medical conditions is not immediately clear.

We share in the sorrow and anguish of all Iraqi Christians who are at this moment under tremendous persecution by local fanatical Sunni Moslem thugs and the Shiite led Government of Iraqi. We deplore, condemn, and totally reject any form of discrimination and persecution based on religious differences. The persecution of Christians and other religious groups throughout the Arab World, especially in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, and also in Iran is the gravest under-reported violation of fundamental human rights and of social injustice in the World for the last thirty years.  

There is no glory in murdering unarmed civilians of any religious persuasion as is often the case in Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia et cetera in the hands of Moslem fanatics. It is particularly egregious when such cowardly act of murder and violence is directed against religious leaders who are unarmed and essentially peaceful.

According to Asia News there has been an outpouring of sympathy from Moslems across the Arab nations. In Iraq, the leaders of the Sunni and Shia have made statements that are critical of the kidnapers, but does not go far enough in condemning the violent activities of such kidnapers. �In Mosul Sunni leaders have slammed the abduction, whilst in Kirkuk a representative of the al-Sadr�s Shia movement has raised a banner that says that �Such actions are bad for Iraq.��

 We mourn the death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul. Our condolences also to the families of Faris Gorgis Khoder,  Ramy and Samir, three of his assistants (driver, bodyguards) who were martyred in the process of the kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Requiem Eternum.    

Tecola W. Hagos, March 14, 2008