THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER. ESTABLISHED IN 1828 Edith THE Cavell and a CHU RCHOF message of hope: ENGLAND p12 Newspaper The Church is family NOW AVAILABLE ON NEWSSTAND p10 FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014 No: 6240 200,000 Christians flee Bishop Also Health questioned Inside The Michael Perham dangers of steps back from chlorine his post [email protected] facebook.com/churchnewspaper @churchnewspaper i2 www.churchnewspaper.com Friday August 8, 2014 News 200,000 Christians flee from ISIS jihadists in Nineveh plain By Amaris Cole “Displaced Assyrians are sleeping on fleeing Qaraqosh, it is now thought “I believe the United States has a moral sidewalks and in open fields.” Karamlis, Bartella, Bashiqa, Tel Kepe, responsibility to support us, because this THE LARGEST Christian town in Iraq The agency says government officials Batnaya, Telsqof, Alqosh are also is a fight against terrorism, and we have has now been captured by the militant have also fled these areas, along with thought to be empty of Christians. proven to be pro-democracy, pro-West, Islamic group ISIS. And the UN has been residents and Christians clerics. “Tal Kayf is now in the hands of the and pro-secularism.” urged to take concrete action to defend An AINA report reads: “Yesterday at Islamic State. They faced no resistance The Assyrian Patriarch has appealed the Christian community that were midnight a column of Islamic State (IS) and rolled in just after midnight,” said for the United Nations to take ‘concrete forced out. vehicles entered Tel Kepe and took con - Boutros Sargon, a resident who fled the and statutory action’ in a plenary session The Islamic State has seized trol of the city, whose population had town and was reached by phone in Arbil. of the member-states of the United Qaraqosh, after a successful attack that already fled north. IS is now marching to “I heard some gunshots last night and Nations against the perpetrators of these pushed Kurdish troops back across a Batnaya and Telsqof, which have been when I looked outside, I saw a military crimes against humanity. He added: “I large area of the north of the troubled abandoned. convoy from the Islamic State. They implore the Security Council to take a country. “All of the population of the city of were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is positive vote in favour of these persecut - Those that fled Mosul City had sought Alqosh has fled. greatest),” he said. ed Christians who are suffering a new refuge in Qaraqosh, but overnight raids “The massive exodus of Assyrians was Tel Kayf was a significant Christian and modem genocide. have now made this town unsafe too. precipitated in part by the withdrawal of stronghold, but was also home to a His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, The Patri - Some Iraqis have fled to the moun - Kurdish forces from the Nineveh Plain. Shabak Shiite minority, who also fled. arch of Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian tains, while an estimated 200,000 Assyri - “With no one left to defend them, AINA said: “The situation of the Assyr - Church of the East said that: ”The world, ans have fled the Nineveh Plain in just 24 Assyrians followed the retreating Kur - ian refugees is critical. and much less the United Nations, can - hours. dish forces.” “There are thousands who fled on foot not stand by with obvious complacency Once the stronghold of Assyrians in Qaraqosh is now ‘completely empty’ of and are stranded on the roads without and apathy towards our plight and allow Iraq, the Plain has been attacked by Christians, following a mass exodus on food or water, with many handicapped this destruction of these peoples in Iraq. Sunni jihadists. Thursday morning at 2:30am when the and disabled people. Mere statements of condemnation by the The Assyrian International News Kurdish troops began their withdrawal. “For those fortunate to have cars, they UN, and even of the major countries of Agency (AINA) said: “The influx of The Bishops ordered all churches to are unable to find shelter and are sleep - the West, are not sufficient! These state - refugees into Ankawa and Noohadra ring their bells to warn residents to flee. ing in their cars.” ments, though taken with gratitude, are (Dohuk) has overwhelmed the towns. The Islamic State took control of the One refugee, Falah Mustafa Bakir, not enough to bring an end to these There is a shortage of everything — city and its surrounding areas, with told CNN: “We are left alone in the front atrocities and to stop this genocide of a shelter, food, water. reports that its soldiers robbed those to fight the terrorists of ISIS. religious nature.” Bishops urge Government to offer asylum to Iraqi Christians By a staff reporter he would be ‘very disturbed’ if the Government failed to ty in Iraq. He called on the Government to do more to act. Invoking a ‘tradition of offering sanctuary to people help Christians fleeing Mosul. BISHOPS are calling on the Government to follow the who are oppressed’, the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Rev It has been reported that Prince Charles has been in example of France and grant refuge to Christians flee - Nick Baines, argued: “We have an obligation to at least touch with Canon White to see how more publicity can ing Iraq. raise with the Government the possibility that we be given to the plight of Christians in Iraq. Prince The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev David Walker, should be offering sanctuary to Christians in Iraq who Charles has long had an interest in the welfare of appeared on the BBC Radio Four ‘Sunday’ programme have effectively been expelled under threat of death.” ancient Christian communities in the Middle East. He and spoke to The Observer to make the case that Britain Writing on his blog from Baghdad, Canon Andrew recently wrote in a pan-Arab newspaper that it ‘saddens had a moral duty to help because military intervention White said that it is easy for people in Iraq to feel for - me deeply that the ancient Christian communities are there by British and American forces had helped cause gotten, with most of the world’s attention focussed on among those facing growing difficulties, despite the the present situation. Gaza. He reported that even in Baghdad people were fact that part of their deeply-rooted history in the “Given the vast amount of money that we spent on the frightened and that his congregation was involved with region is testimony to the tolerance and understanding war in Iraq, the tiny cost of bringing some people flee - helping Christians who have fled Nineveh and Mosul. Muslim leaders have shown in the past’. ing for their lives to this country and allowing them to He welcomed a fact-finding visit by the Archdeacon. Archbishop Justin Welby has changed his homepage settle – and who in due course would be an asset to our Over 35,000 Christians have been forced to flee Mosul. photograph to the Arabic letter for ‘N’. This has been society – would seem minuscule,” he told The Observer. Last weekend Canon White paid a brief visit to the daubed by ISIS on the homes of Christians, standing for Speaking on the ‘Sunday’ programme, he compared the UK. He told the BBC that numbers in his church in ‘Nazarene’ — or Christian — and making them targets Christians of Mosul to the Ugandan Asians. Baghdad have fallen from 6,500 to 1,000. He warned for attack. It has now been adopted by Christians world - The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev John Inge, said that we could be about to witness the end of Christiani - wide to show solidarity with the Christians of Iraq. Lights go out in remembrance of World War I THE LIGHTS went out across the UK on commenced to repent. you directly if I come back.” Monday evening to commemorate the Readings included David Morris - The Captain, who survived the war 100th anniversary of the start of World sey’s recital of 1914 by Wilfred Owen with facial injuries, went on: “It’s a funny War One, led by a service at Westminster from Poets’ Corner and the Rt Hon game this war.” Abbey. Michael Fallon MP reading from Joel He said while they were leaving with Candlelight illuminated church servic - 2: 1 – 3, 12 – 13. joy, he predicted they may soon curse es, art installations, a parade through Serving Captain Edward Harris read this day. Folkestone and even Downing Street at the letter of a World War I serviceman, The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch led the 10pm. Captain Alfred Dougan ‘Mickey’ first prayers, praying to the God who The service at the Abbey, itself Chater. wants to ‘restore all things’. touched by the war, with a falling bomb ‘A Letter to Joy’ was saying goodbye, The retired Bishop of Manchester and losing members of staff, hosted the ‘for God knows when we shall see one prayed: “Bring the families of the nations Duchess of Cornwall and a large number another again’. divided and torn apart by the ravages of of guests to build up to the exact anniver - The Captain said he was glad to be sin, to be subject to his just and gentle sary at 11pm. going, as this was what he had been rule.” The Dean of Westminster, the Very preparing for, but noted it came so Large candles were extinguished grad - Rev John Hall, welcomed the Royal rep - much sooner than expected. ually throughout the service by notable resentative, who met the Bishop of Lon - “So now, dear, it is goodbye, and may figures, including Baroness Warsi, don and the Catholic Archbishop of we meet again if God wills.