IRAQ
In 2003, Mosul had a population of 2.7 million, mostly Sunni, with only 30,000 Christians. The war and the jihadists’ rise brought the last Christian families to their knees. Traumatised by the atrocities committed by ISIS and threatened in their integrity, these famillies took the road of exodus in June 2014 to foreign countries or to Ankawa, the Christian district of Erbil.
Mosul fell under the yoke of Sharia law after it fell into the hands of the self-proclaimed Caliph al-Baghdadi and his henchmen. Summary executions, corporal punishment, intimidation, religious sites desecration and looting… The terrorists of the Islamic State organisation indulge in the most vile acts with no limits. Christians’ houses are tagged with the letter ن in Arabic. The Noun designating ‘Nazarenes’ in Koranic terms, as a sign of stigmatisation.
The bells stopped ringing and the silence became deafening. In the Al-Dawasa district, the Chaldean Catholic church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help has been requisitioned as an office for the religious police. On a shopping avenue, the brightly coloured shop fronts are nothing more than a pile of scrap metal and concrete.
When Mosul was finally liberated, it was another shock. The consequences of the city occupation by the Islamic State organisation left painful scars all over the city, particularly in religious sites. All signs of Christianity have been carefully eliminated or at least damaged.
Everywhere in the churches and on the walls, ISIS’ fighters have taken care to tag their names, Sharia rules and the corporal punishment for those who refuse.
There is no ambiguity; without support, Christians will never return to Mosul. The neighborhood around Our Lady of Perpetual Help church is one of the sad symbols of this reality. Where the church, school and shops once stood, there are now ruins, or a building about to collapse collapse and rubble. Contacted by His Beatitude Najeeb, the Chaldean archbishop of Mosul and Aqra, our organization immediately realised the urgency of the situation and responded to the archbishop’s call.
SOS Chrétiens d’Orient therefore decided to help the Chaldean community. The project was as ambitious as Archbishop Najeeb’s ambitions. Hope had to be restored to the hundred or so families still living there, and the Christians who had fled the barbarity had to be supported. In addition to the church, the school, a kindergarten, an activity room, 9 shops and 12 houses will be renovated. This is our commitment to the Christians of Mosul.
As well as restoring Mosul’s Christian heritage, this project will enable Christian families to return to the city, guaranteeing their children access to education and creating new jobs.
This project will serve the Christian community, revive life in Mosul and encourage Christians to gradually return to their original homes after 8 years of forced exile.
