Iraq’s Parliament Speaker reiterates support for Iraqi Christians:

NINEWA / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Parliament’s Speaker, Usama al-Nujeifi, in a reception of the Chairman of the Christian Chaldian Sect in Mosul, Rev. Emil Shamoun Nona, on Thursday has reiterated “necessity to support Iraqi Christians,” according to a Media Spokesman of his office. The spokesman told IraqiNews.com news agency that Nujeify and his accompanying delegation had conferred early on Thursday with Rev. Shamoun, during which he said that “the people of Iraq supports their Christian Brothren,” adding that “his visit has taken place to express support and solidarity with the Christians.” “The Iraqi people are determined to fight terrorism and they are keen to fight extremism,” Nujeifi stressed, saying: “We shall not allow any attempt to undermine the cohesion of the Iraqi people, and Christians are a basic component of our people, and their sufferings are similar to the sufferings of all Iraqi people.” Noteworthy is that a group of armed men had broken through Baghdad‘s “My Lady of Salvation” Church on 31/10/2010, took dozens of worshippers hostage, before a counter attack by the Iraqi security forces, that caused the killing of 58 persons, among them 5 of the attackers, 7 security men, whilst the others have been hostages..The attack had wounded 75 persons, among them 15 Army and police men. Al-Qaeda Organization had announced responsibility for the attack, threatening Iraqi Christians with other attacks. The attack was followed by several terrorists raids against areas inhabited by Iraqi Christians, including Baghdad and Ninewa, killing and wounding a number of Christians, that was followed with the immigration of Christians to Iraqi Kurdistan’s Arbil and Sulaimaniya Provinces, where Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani, expressed his Region’s readiness to receive and protect them. Rev. Nona, on his part, told Nujeifi and his accompanying delegation: “Your visit represents a strong support for Iraqi Christians and reflects the Iraqi people’s cohesion,” adding: “we are following the steps, taken by the Parliament and the government, which we see as encouraging for stability and helping to achieve decent life for us, especially after your reception of the Parliament, which became strong after your chairmanship.” Parliament Speaker Nujeifi is leading a 35-member delegation, comprising the Ministers of Education, Transport and Agriculture, along with several other officials and Legislatures, who held an administrative, economic and service conference in Ninewa, to boost means of communication between the provinces and the Central Government in Baghdad. MA (A) / SKH 2