EU + Church : Human Lives + GeoPolitical stakes on Iraq Christians Massacre ask International action

Geopolitical and Human Lives' stakes after an atrocious  Iraqi Christians' Massacre, plead for European/International action, stressed many Top MEPs and Religious Leaders, while this week's Facts, taken all together, were sheding light on the Trans-National context in the Brutal Killing of many innocent Christian worshipers at an iraqi Church, strengthening the importance of Pope Benedict's call "to stop all violence" by "uniting the forces of all good-willing People, National and International Organizations" :


It's at the eve of an exceptional Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's visit to EU Member Cyprus, that unknown Gunmen invaded a Syrian Catholic Church in Iraqi capital Bagdad, taking Hostages many People, with revendications against Christians at the larger Middle East area, particularly Egypt,  resulting into 58 killed, (included 2 Priests) and 67 wounded, after a controversial intervention of Iraqi and US soldiers which triggered explosions.


Only a few Months earlier, this same year, it's also at the eve of an exceptional visit to Cyprus by Catholic Pope Benedict XVI, due to hold a Synod of Christian Bishops from the entire Middle East area, that the Head of the Catholic Church in Turkey, Mgr Luigi Padovese, was atrociously murdered, beheaded by a Turkish man reportedly crying "Allah Akbar", who had reportedly a dispute about the victim's planned trip to Cyprus, for unknown yet reasons. (See  : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/bishoppadovesemurderinturkey.html )

Most Christians living in Iraq are located to Oil/Gas strongholds such as Mosul, Kirkuk and Bassorah. (See MAP) There where another Deadly Explosion, this same week, targetted Kurdish People at Kirkuk, while another 30 Kurdes - Shiites were killed at Diyala just 1 Day before the Church was attacked...

- "Of particular concern is the fate of Mosul's ..Christian population. While security in much of the country has improved, Iraq's divided 3rd city remains an open wound and a reminder of the country's governing elite's inability to agree on Oil and Federalism", reported UK Media. Almost half of Mosul's Christians were reportedly obliged to flee already after a 2008 wave of violence against them.


The community of the Syrian Catholic Christians who were targetted by the brutal Gunmen and reportedly killed mainly after exchange of fire with a controversial Iraqi - US soldiers intervention, was traditionaly headquartered at Mosul, near Syria, the Oil-rich city of the Kurdish Iraqi Autonomous Region bordering Turkey,  which, in recent years, claimed supposed ties to a so-called "Turkmen" tiny group, and where many innocent People have been killed during the recent years by various Bomb-Explosions attacking Markets, squares, and other Public areas, in an obvious aim to terrorise and chase away the local mainly Kurdish and Arab population.


The Syrian President, in his 1st ever visit to Cyprus this week, reportedly highlighted also "projects for Energy transport" and "Ships", while an eventual renovation of a pre-existing Iraq-Syria Pipeline can lead to the Mediterranean Sea facing EU Member Cyprus, which has one of the greatest commercial fleet of Ships in the World and prepares a Liquefied Gas Terminal, thereby creating the Cheapest, more Direct and Faster Oil/Gas Transport link between Iraq and Europe :  I.e. much better than a controversial, too Long, too Expensive, and too Dangerous, (because of threats by Earthquake, Kurdish a.o. Conflicts, Turkey's trend for political Blackmails, and risks to be  ...Empty) Gas pipeline old project throughout Turkey, etc., earlier backed by an old U.S. lobby,


At the same time, various external political interferences were reportedly attempting to disrupt peaceful exploitation of important Oil/Gas resources which begun to be discovered and anounced by Noble Energy Deep Sea drilling company (Texas, US) all along the arc of Coasts which starts from Egypt and continues to Gaza and at the rest of Israel, up to Lebanon and Syria, as well as along Cyprus' southern Seacoasts, (confirming in 2010 a pioneer hypothesis that Eastern Mediterranean has similar Huge Energy Resources underSea as in the Gulf of Mexico, that "EuroFora"s co-founder had initially launched, after a scientific EuroGeology Conference organized in Strasbourg, already as early as since February 2002)...


Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglou was visiting this week precisely Iraq, whose various political factions, interlocked during many Months in a complicated struggle for Power since the March 2010 Elections, have just agreed a part of an eventual compromise, due to be finalized at a Summit, next Monday, at Erbil : another city with a Christian minority, located at the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq.


The Massacre of Christian worshipers occured at a crucial moment, while tensions were growing around long talks for a Government agreement in Iraq, between those who claimed to underline its Unity, and others, who apparently preferred a compromise between various Ethnic groups, each concentrated in differend Geographic Areas, before an overall accord might be eventually reached by all involved next Monday.
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(See MAP) Christian communities still remain eveywhere around Bethleem, Christ's birth-place, at the Palestinian area in nowadays Israel, more than Iraq in Syria, Lebanon, Jordany and mainly Egypt, facing predominantly Christian EU Member State Cyprus (the 1st country in History to become officially Christian). But they have practically vanished in Turkey, even if its tiny Western Part, and mainly Constantinople/Istanbul city at the other side of the Aegean Sea, notoriously was, for more than a Thousand Years, a main Capital of Christianism in Europe (330-1453)?


But, even Turkey-friendly new German President Christian Wulff, launched recently a call in Ankara to better respect Freedoms of the few Christians who still remain in the Country, after many were obliged to leave after Brutal Incidents on 1922, 1955, (etc.), up to the 2005, 2007 and 2010 cold blood Murders of Catholic Priest Sentoro in Trapezunt, Armenian Journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul and 3 Protestant Bible-workers in Anatolia, and even the Head of the Catholic Church in Turkey, Mgr Luigi Padovese, in addition to ECHR-condemned restrictions obstructing Religious Education, Church Buildings and properties, etc., making Christians eveyday life difficult :


- Wulff, the first German president to visit Turkey in a decade, stressed the freedoms Muslims enjoy in Germany and urged Islamic countries to reciprocate : - "We expect that Christians in Muslim countries have the same rights to live their faith publicly, educate new clergy and build churches," he said in a speech at Turkey's parliament, Press Agencies reported.
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The strange fact that some unknown Extremist "Islamists" have reportedly started to harass Christians in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. Military Invasion and Occupation, (strongly incited by former UK "Socialist" Prime Minister Blair), is astonishing, simply because the Head of the largest Christian Community in the World : the Catholic Pope (then John-Paul II, close collaborator of which was the current Pope Benedict) had notoriously ...opposed the War, so that, normally, Catholic a.o. Christians should have Good relations with Arabs...
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Pope Benedict strongly denounced, immediately after this week's deadly incident, "a very Serious Attack", with "Ferocious", and "Senseless", "Brutal violence" which "aggressed defenseless persons, gathered in the House of God, ... home of love and reconciliation", and "tear(s) the peoples of the Middle East".


Expressing his "close affection to the Christian community, again aggressed" in Iraq, he "encourage(d) all pastors and faithful to  be Strong and Firm in Hope".

"Renewing" his "appeal for Peace", he observed that, in order for "efforts" to produce a "result", and "put a stop to all Violence", "all" must "join forces" : "Men of good will, National and International organizations".
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- In an "Appeal to our Brothers in France", dated November 2 (i.e. one Day after the massacre), 5 Bishops from Iraq ask help from the French Bishops, currently meeting at Lourdes :


- "The Slaughter which took place in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Bagdad, with 58 killed, including 2 young Priests, and 67 Wounded, including a Priest, has shaken us deeply", and the fact that "an incident of such a magnitude is provoked just after the Synod" (on Middle East Christians, held at the Vatican, in Rome) "shocked us even more", they note.


- "We need your Prayers, and your Moral and Brotherly support"... "We need your compassion, in front of all that which affected the Lives of Innocent People, Christians and Muslims. Stay with us, stay with us, until this scourge goes away", they ask.


- Because "your Friendship encourages us to stay in our Land, to perseverate and hope".  Otherwise, "without that, we feel alone and isolated", they warn.  "God protect us all", they conclude.
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- In reply, French Bishops' President, Mgr Vingt-Trois, expressing the moral "support and friendship" of "France's Catholic" Christians, "profoundly shocked by these dramatic events", stressed that "we support your legitimate desire to stay in your Land, where Christians were present since the first centuries" A.C., i.e. more than 2.000 Years.


- Wishing that "God's spirit strengthens and encourages you, and grows in the Heart of all People, of whatever Religion they might be, a desire of real Peace and Justice", Mgr Ving-Trois concludes that "the International organisations" should "take measure of your distress, and act firmly".
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 - EU must "offer all our support in helping" Iraqi "Political Leaders" to "achieve the... objectives" of "Peace, .. resolution (of) differences, ..Stability,  Freedom and the rule of Law", that "the People of Iraq", who "have suffered greatly", now "deserve", stressed  the Chairman of EU Parliament's Delegation for relations with Iraq, British Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, (of the New Governemental coalition of Conservatives and Liberals, many of whom had notoriously opposed the 2003 Military Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, contrary to former Labour PM Blair, whom they had criticized).


- Qualifying as "deeply Troubling", the "growing unrest" and "Vicious ...attacks" in the "Recent.. upsurge of violence" in Baghdad with "the Massacre of innocent Christian Worshippers last Sunday", he criticized "the continued failure to form a Government almost 8 months after the Iraqi elections has provided a vacuum which the men of violence are quick to fill", and "urge(d) an end to the stalemate" by "appeal(ing) to all political entities in Iraq to increase further their efforts for the rapid formation of a non-sectarian government of national unity, that embraces and represents all factions in Iraqi society".
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EU's High Representative on External Action, and EU Commission's vice-President, Brittish Baroness Cathy Ashton (Socialist) was prompt on issuing a statement by her Spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic, (dated "Nov. 1") "condemning this unaccepable attack against innocent Catholic worshipers", which "killed and injured a large number of innocent civilians", stressing that "the right of all religious groups to gather and worship freely must be protected."

However, this initial EU Commission Spokesperson's reaction, which "reaffirms" its "full support for the population of Iraq", and "calls on all Iraqi political entities to work together against the threat of violence and terrorism", obviously didn't yet tell a spade a spade about the brutal attacks against Christians, lacking also a clear reference to any European and/or International Organization's action to come, and should apparently be taken only as a hasty, incomplete 1st step.
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Meanwhile, the President of EU Parliament's largest Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul of Strasbourg (France), stressed his group's "Concerns" for all "Eastern Christians" in general, citting several Middle East Countries including Turkey, (where 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010 Murders occured : See supra) :


- "The attack on 31 October is the most tragic which has ever been committed against Iraqi Christians, present in Mesopotamia for 2 Thousand Years", observed Daul.


- "it is estimated that the number of the Christian community has gone down by more than half (-50%) over the last 7 years, only representing between 250,000 and 400,000 people or less than 3% of the Iraqi population. Since 2003, Christians in Iraq are in Despair of being no longer able to live there", he observed now, (after already the 2004 - 2008 Bomb attacks in Mosul, etc., see supra).


- "Many Christians have left" Iraq, and, "at this rate, in 10 or 15 years, we risk having No Christians left in Iraq, (in a kind of "Ethnic-Cleansing" brutal operation which inevitably reminds recent Darkspots also in Europe, f.ex. in Cyprus' Occupied Territories  since the 1974 Military Invasion by Ankara's Army, in some former Yugoslavia's areas in W. Balkans, etc), whereas they have a Role to play in the Reconstruction of the Iraqi identity", Daul concluded.
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But the serious Human Rights issues and the probable GeoPolitical stakes behind the series of Criminal Aggressions against Christians, Kurds, Chiites, etc. and other populations concentrated mainly at the Northern Oil-rich Areas of Iraq, close to Turkey and Syria, (See supra), as well as the inadequacy of  the current Iraqi authorities' reactions in front of the obvious need to protect innocent Human Lives from Death Attacks and an entire Historic Community from the risk to practically "disappear" at its ancestral land, obviously point to the need for a resolute European, Paneuropean and/or International form of action.