Chaldean archbishop kidnapped in Iraq found dead: church

Yahoo News ^ | March 13, 2008

[NYer]

A Chaldean Catholic archbishop kidnapped last month in northern Iraq has been found dead, the information service of the Italian Catholic Church said Thursday.

The body of Paulos Faraj Rahho, the archbishop of Mosul, was found near the northern city, the Church said, quoting the auxiliary archbishop of Baghdad, Shlemon Warduni.

"We recovered his body near Mosul," Warduni said, according to the Church's news agency SIR. "The kidnappers had buried him."

Rahho was kidnapped on February 29 in Mosul after a deadly shootout in which three of his companions were killed.

Iraqi forces in Mosul had fanned out to search for Rahho, whose abduction was branded as "atrocious" by Pope Benedict XVI.

Rahho was the latest in a long line of Chaldean clerics to be abducted in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003. Two priests were kidnapped in the city in October, and last June a priest and three deacons were attacked in front of their church.

Iraq's Christians, with the Chaldean sect by far the largest community, were said to number as many as 800,000 before the 2003 invasion.

Associated with the "Crusader" invaders and regarded as well-off, they are now victims of sectarian cleansing, killings and kidnappings at the hands of both Sunni and Shiite Islamists, as well as criminal gangs.

[Allegra]

Most of the soldiers I know who come back from Iraq express massive hatred for Islam.

I hate Islam, too.

That being said, most of the Iraqis hate all of that extremist stuff, have no desire to have an "Islamic Republic" (they tell me "we don't want to be another Iran") and even the ones who practice (in the minority) don't follow the hatred doctrine.

Those extremists are in the minority, but get the most attention because of their heinous actions.

[gracesdad]

I know little about this so somebody help me out. It sounds like from the story that these Christians were living fairly safely and peacefully in Iraq until 2003 (heck, I didn’t even know there were as many as 800,000 Christians in Iraq). But since 2003, it’s been open season on them. Is that really right and if so, why?

[gracesdad]

“That being said, most of the Iraqis hate all of that extremist stuff, have no desire to have an “Islamic Republic” (they tell me “we don’t want to be another Iran”) and even the ones who practice (in the minority) don’t follow the hatred doctrine.”

You know that even though you’re over there and know a lot more about it than almost anybody on FR, you’re not going to convince a fair number of Freepers? I’m constantly amazed at the posters who are absolutely convinced that every Muslim in the world is a radical and is under orders to slaughter all non-Muslims.

[farmer18th]

Those extremists are in the minority, but get the most attention because of their heinous actions.

You can't separate terrorism from Islam. Our leaders betrayed us in the formulation of the new Iraqi Constititution, with its overt PANDERING to the Imams. If we really wanted to test the Iraqi dedication to western-style civil liberties, we should have put full time security on the Iraqi Christian community, over and above even the new Iraqi cabinet. It is an absolute outrage that we are selling this sham as "nation building" when Chaldean Christians have now LESS freedom than they did before.

[tommix2]

liberals will continue to say that Islam is a “religion of peace”"Islam is a peaceful religion";President Bush said so right after 9/11.

[farmer18th]

I’m constantly amazed at the posters who are absolutely convinced that every Muslim in the world is a radical and is under orders to slaughter all non-Muslims.

You don't get it. Not even every Communist wanted to slaughter capitalists--but that outcome was effectively in the "holy writ" of Marxism. It's the same with Islam. The average "moderate Muslim" worships at a shrine of hate, even if he allows the "pious" to strap on the suicide packs. I have a good friend who firmly believes his own son was saved by his constant advice, before going to Iraq, "never trust a Muslim."

The only Muslim you can trust, like the only Communist you can trust, is one who forsakes their old faith. Period.

[Inwoodian]

Let the next Crusade begin.

[Cacique]

btt

[gracesdad]

Oh well, you see what I mean by the other comments that followed yours.

[farmer18th]

Is that really right and if so, why?

Because our "leaders" (leaders I voted for), sold out Christiantity, when the following was written into the new Iraqi Constitution AT THE VERY TOP: "No law that contradicts.. Islam may be established"

The dunder-headed stupidity of people like Condi Rice is very much to blame.

[conservonator]

I know little about this so somebody help me out. It sounds like from the story that these Christians were living fairly safely and peacefully in Iraq until 2003 (heck, I didn’t even know there were as many as 800,000 Christians in Iraq). But since 2003, it’s been open season on them. Is that really right and if so, why?

in Iraq, it was the Pax Saddam; he brokered no trouble from anyone in his country so any descent or inter-community violence was quickly quashed. After he was deposed, the Christians became easy targets for Islamic (peace and Love)anti-Christian violence. Since specifically protecting the small and weak Christian communities by us would be viewed as evidence of a crusade rather than a secular war of liberation by both the common Muslim and our Arab masters, our forces have not spent a whole lot of time and effort to protect them as they would any other obvious target of value.

[trisham]

I’m so sorry to hear this. Prayers for him, his family and all who loved him.

[gracesdad]

I certainly don’t “get it” the way you “get it.” Thank goodness.

[marshmallow]

"Well done, good and faithful servant."

A great tragedy but the blood of faithful Christians is beautiful in the sight of the Lord. As in every past generation, it will be the fertilizer which causes a wonderful flowering of the Christian religion.

[Nathan Zachary]

"And so many of us remain under the false impression that the age of the Christian martyrs is ancient history."

Ignored and swept under the rug mainly by media and other Christian haters.
From the beginning of the twentieth century, tens of millions of Christians (up to 100 million by some estimates) have been martyred in the middle east, Asia minor and eastern Europe during the last days of the Ottoman empire and through out Stalins rule. Plus many are killed each year in other places like Africa, Philippines, Malaysia every year by the Mohammedan crusades, which the media remains largely silient about.

[tob2]

So sad to hear this. May his soul and the souls of the three others murdered rest in peace.

[farmer18th]

Oh well, you see what I mean by the other comments that followed yours.

How many times must Muslim Radicals call for Sharia Law in Merry Old England before you get it? Will they have to put a bag over your daughters' heads before you stop engaging in the phantom of false hope? Down at UC Irvine last week, the Muslims put up a graveyard for the Gaza Dead. I hope you, and the rest of the timid in America, wake up before it's too late.

[farmer18th]

Oh well, you see what I mean by the other comments that followed yours.

How many times must Muslim Radicals call for Sharia Law in Merry Old England before you get it? Will they have to put a bag over your daughters' heads before you stop engaging in the phantom of false hope? Down at UC Irvine last week, the Muslims put up a graveyard for the Gaza Dead. I hope you, and the rest of the timid in America, wake up before it's too late.

[farmer18th]

Oh well, you see what I mean by the other comments that followed yours.

How many times must Muslim Radicals call for Sharia Law in Merry Old England before you get it? Will they have to put a bag over your daughters' heads before you stop engaging in the phantom of false hope? Down at UC Irvine last week, the Muslims put up a graveyard for the Gaza Dead. I hope you, and the rest of the timid in America, wake up before it's too late.

[farmer18th]

Oh well, you see what I mean by the other comments that followed yours.

How many times must Muslim Radicals call for Sharia Law in Merry Old England before you get it? Will they have to put a bag over your daughters' heads before you stop engaging in the phantom of false hope? Down at UC Irvine last week, the Muslims put up a graveyard for the Gaza Dead. I hope you, and the rest of the timid in America, wake up before it's too late.