http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s04010084.htm Monday, January 26, 2004
"FOUR CHRISTIAN WOMEN KILLED IN IRAQ, OTHERS INJURED
As violence against Christians and Americans spreads"
By: Stefan J. Bos
Special Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "BAGHDAD, IRAQ (ANS) -- Four Christian women were killed and five others injured when militants in a passing car raked their minibus with gunfire 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Baghdad, an informed human rights watchdog confirmed Monday, January 26.
Barnabas Fund, which has close contacts with Christians in Iraq, said the attack happened last Wednesday, January 21, when nine Christian Iraqi women were on their way to work in the laundry at the Habaniyah American military base.
"Suddenly four masked men in a white Opel machine-gunned our minibus and four women died" Barnabas Fund quoted survivor Maggi Aziz, 49, as saying.
None of the passengers escaped without injuries, explained Barnabas Fund, adding that Aziz herself was speaking from her hospital bed with wounds to the leg, shoulder and head.
Among those killed was Ashkik Varojan, who boarded the bus on Wednesday morning having decided to hand in her resignation, rather than live in fear of reprisals for cooperating with the United States-led coalition, Barnabas Fund said.
PARALYZED HUSBAND
"Necessity had driven her to work to support her paralyzed husband and four children. On hearing the news of her death, Anjel, her 20 year old daughter fainted with grief.
Vera Ibrahim, who survived, told Barnabas Fund that she "won't continue" her work. "I am afraid. They wanted to kill us all," she reportedly said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although church leaders, individual Christians and human rights workers have told ASSIST News Service (ANS) in Iraq they are concerned about rising violence against Christians."