Seit Ausbruch der Irakkrise steht missio in engem Kontakt mit einem Projektpartner aus dem Irak:Father Emanuel Youkhanakoordiniert für die christliche Hilfsorganisation Christian AID Program Nohadra Iraq (CAPNI) im Nordirak die Kontakte nach Deutschland.

Fast täglich schickte er missio Berichte und Hintergrundinformationen zu der Situation seiner Mitmenschen während des Irakkrieges.

Lesen Sie nachfolgend Auszüge aus seinem Tagebuch.

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ!

In reference to our telephone yesterday, I enclose the two reports for you as follows: The Emergency Relief Plan and the report on Iraqi Christians. The report is based on the estimation of:

• 5000 persons who will be hosted by their relatives and friends (they will be in need of food and medicine)
• 4680 persons who will be sheltered in the halls and buildings directed by the Churches in the region.
• The food needs are estimated for one month. Depending on the war circumstances, this period may be longer.

The report was an outcome of many meetings and discussions with variuos Church and community leaders, particularly the Chaldean and Assyrian bishops, Doctors, representatives of the different community associations, etc.

The report was figured out in early March, during my short trip between 24.02. to 10.03.At that time, it was strongly believed the Americans will be in and the region will be protected by them from Iraqi military invasion.The current situation is that Americans were not granted the passage from Turkey.

This led the people of N. Iraq to have a precaution. They evacuated their families and children to the villages and towns far from front lines with central government.

Practically to say, the refugees from the cities to the villages in N. Iraq is greater than expected earlier.

As for the refugees from the cities of Mosul, Baghdad and Kirkuk to the region of N. Iraq.There are significant number of families so far.The number is expected to increase in the coming days.

As for refugees in Syria. I spoke over telephone to our bishop in Hassaka: he confirmed the increasing number of Christian families in Damaskus.There are no refugees in the Christian villages and twons of Khabur and Jaseera.He will investigate and inform me on the situation of the refugees in Damaskus and their needs and the mechanism to help them, if required.

...

I am in daily contacts to the city of Dohuk, N. Iraq.I expect to get photos from there today. I will forward them to you.

Let us keep praying for peace.

Emanuel

Chaldean Catholic Church In Baghdad Slightly Damaged In Bombing

"ROME (CNS) -- A Chaldean Catholic church in Baghdad was slightly damaged during the second night of a U.S.-led missile attack on the Iraqi capital, Catholic humanitarian aid workers said. The church building, located in Baghdad's northern Rashid section, was not directly hit by missiles but sustained some broken windows and other 'slight damage', said Karel Zelenka, an official with Caritas Internationalis, the Rome-based international confederation of Catholic aid agencies. Speaking to Catholic News Service after a conference call with local Caritas officials responsible for operations in Iraq, Zelenka said it appeared no one was in the church at the time of the strikes early in the morning of March 21. He said he had no other information, including the church's name, what the strike's intended target might have been or whether there were any casualities in the neighbourhood."

From Internet: Bombs Explode Near Chaldean Patriarchate

"Auxiliary Bishop Emmanuel Karim Delly Is Unharmed

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 23, 2003 (zenit.org).- Bombs damage the Chaldean Patriarchate in Baghdad, but auxiliary bishop Emmanuel Karim Delly was not wounded by the explosions.

On Saturday, news agencies said that the 75-year old prelate, who has been bishop since 1962, had been wounded by bombs that fell near his residence in the Patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans.

'Glass from the windows fell on top of me. But nothing happened to me. The Virgin protected me. I am well,' the bishop told the Italian Catholic television channel 'Sat2000' on Saturday afternoon.

Monsignor Shlemon Warduni, also an auxiliary bishop of the Chaldean Patriarchate, explained in turn: 'There was a bombing next to our Patriarchate. All the windowpanes broke and this is the reason that the rumor spread that Bishop Delly had been wounded. However, as he himself has said, he is well.'

Bishop Delly made an appeal to 'stop the war, to stop this catastrophe, in which children, young people, elderly people, women, men are lost. Everything is lost with war; much is gained with peace.'

'In particular, we ask all families to pray the Rosary, as Pope John Paul II has requested,' the bishop concluded."

“… According to yesterday news from N. Iraq, an attack against one of the churches in Zakho was recorded. 

The attack was carried by a single person as many of our Christian community were standing in front of the church. No casualties are reported. The damage is not big as well. The person was arrested by the local security authorities in Zakho. 

The news are not confirmed so far. 

For information: ZAKHO is a very important city in N. Iraq. It is the closest city to the Iraq - Turkish boarders. 

In Zakho lives a significant Christian community, around 600 families. They are members of the Chaldean Catholic church and Armenian Orthodox Church (around 80 families) besides 25 families from Syriac Catholic church. 

In Zakho does exist four big church buildings: 

• Two Chaldean Churches, one in the city part named Mahalat AlNasara, the other in Abbasiya part, 
• one Armenian Church in the city part named Al Sooq, 
• one Syriac Catholic church in Mahallat AlNasara besides the Chaldean church. 

In addition of the churches, there is the Chaldean Bishop house. The current bishop is His Grace Petros Harboli (ordained February 2002). 

Also there are many Chaldean nuns in Zakho. 

I will try to have further information on the incident. 

I hope it to be an individual isolated incident, but as I mentioned in my earlier report on Iraqi Christians, there is a real fear from terror acts against christian community in Iraq (and Egypt, Pakistan, etc.) due to the big mistake by the Arabic and Islamic official and public media in portraiting the ongoing war as Christian religious war against Islam and Muslims. 

Let us keep pray for the peace for Iraq and Iraqi community. 

Rev. Emanuel“

Dear brethren,

As for the news of yesterday regarding the 'attack' on the church in Zakho, here are the available detailes from confidental sources:

• Indeed the incident is not an 'attack' in the general meaning.
• It is an embarresment to bother rather than attack.

It was on Sunday, when a Kurdish single person came to the Armenian Church in Zakho and asked the people with unacceptable words not to ring the bells of the church, as the bells bothers him!!

This led for a friction between him and Armenian believers who were in the church.Later, the person was arrested by the security police and he is still under arrest.

There was a small explotion in the city centre of Dohuk, Monday around 19:30.No casualties were reported as it was a small explotion and the market was almost closed. 

I enclose few fotos for CAPNI relief operations which started on Monday. The fotos were shot on 24.03.2003.

I enclose two fotos for Kerosene distribution, and two other fotos for food distribution in the village of Gondy Kosa.

The operations covered yesterday the refugees in Mangesh.They were to continue today to cover other places.

I enclose another foto for another group of families who are sheltered under tents on the main road from Dohuk to Sarsing near the Christian village of Bagerat.The foto was shot on 24.03.2003.

Best regards

Rev. Emanuel

From Internet: Baghdad Archbishop Says People Didn't Expect Market Bombing

"BAGHDAD, Iraq, MARCH 26, 2003 (Zenit.org).- The missiles that hit a Baghdad market 'caused widespread dismay among the population', says Latin-rite Archbishop Jean Benjamin Sleiman of Baghdad.

The archbishop told the Misna missionary agency today that 'until this moment the people believed that the United States had a practically perfect technique.'

Archbishop Sleiman said he was not personally on the scene of the bombing, which reportedly left at least 14 people dead.

'However, everyone is talking about it,' he said. 'The people were caught off guard and now are frustrated and discouraged. It may have been a mistake, but in any case it caused a tragedy.'

Archbishop Sleiman added: 'Also today numerous explosions were heard, though less frequent than yesterday, and a new alert siren went off around a half-hour ago. In the meantime the terrible sandstorm afflicting the nation for days continues. There is so much sand in the air that even the blasts are somewhat muffled.'"

News Bullets

"Bartilla, the famous Christian town in the suburbs of Mosul was hit by American missiles on 31.03.2003.The attack destroyed five houses causing four deaths and dozens of wounded people.

The names of the victims are:

• Hilal Faraj Silo (Male)
• Manal SaadAllah Matti (Female)
• Mahroosa Jarjis (Female)
• Valentina Bashar Faraj (Female)

* On other hand, there was unconfirmed report from N. Iraq yesterday 01.04.2003 that an Assyrian Christian family was massacred by the goverental militia called 'Fedaeyeen Saddam' as the family was trying to flee to North Iraq on the road between AlQush and Bandwaya.

I will update you on any news on this tragedy.

* It was confirmed that on 29.03.2003 the bombing of Basrah hit the Assyrian Club in Basrah which was reported to be destroyed completely.No casualties were reported so far, as it was empty.

We pray the war to end soon and the peace be achieved for our community and country.

Emanuel"

"Dear brethren, 

In reference to my earlier reports. 

Please, find the attached fotos for CAPNI medical team in visit to Christian villages in N. Iraq. 

The fotos were shot on 04 April 2003. 

Best regards 

Rev. Emanuel" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News Bullets

"Dear brethren,

• Following the withdrawal of the Iraqi central government troops and militia from the region and front line with Dohuk governorate in N. Iraq, there is now the access for N. Iraq people and organizations to this region. As mentioned in earlier reports that this region consists of the most significant Christian existence.The famous Christian Assyrian town of Al Qush is now free from the central government control.The Christian Assyrian villages of Sharafiya, Karanjo, En Beqre, Garmawa, Perusawa and the mixed town of Sheikhan (mixed town: Kurds, Assyrians, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Yezedis) is free from this control also.The local administration offices of Dohuk, political parties of N. Iraq, organizations and people from N. Iraq had the secured access to these towns and villages.
  
• Being visited by our people from N. Iraq (namely from Dohuk), it was reported there is a huge number of refugees in these towns and villages.The initial reports are speaking about thousands. I can't confirm the figures so far.These refugees are from Baghdad and Mosul who fled their homes before the war and in its first days.They were not given the access to N. Iraq as this region was controlled by the central government till its withdrawal couple of days ago.It is reported the urgent need for act to help these refugees.I asked for further details and will keep you updated.
  
• On coming Monday, 14 April, another peace prayers evening is to take place in St. Bonifatius Catholic church in Wiesbaden at 19:00.St. Bonifatius is the main Catholic Church in the centre of Wiesbaden.The participants in the prayers are from different German churches, particularly the Catholic and Evangelic churches, besides our Assyrian churches.

...

Best regards

Rev. E. Youkhana"

- To Be Continued -