Catholic Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
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572
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Catholic Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq

Jan 17, 1:32 PM (ET)

By BASSEM MROUE

VATICAN CITY (AP) - A Roman Catholic archbishop in Mosul, Iraq, has been kidnapped, the Vatican said Monday.

It identified the kidnapped man as Archbishop Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, of the Syrian Catholic Church, one of the branches of the Roman Catholic Church.

"The Holy See deplores in the firmest way such a terrorist act," a Vatican statement said, demanding that he be freed immediately.

According to reports from Baghdad, Casmoussa was walking in front of his church in Mosul's eastern neighborhood of Muhandeseen when he was abducted.

Mosul is a northern Iraqi city that in recent months has been a hotspot of violent insurgency.

The reason for the kidnapping was unclear, but Christians - tens of thousands of whom live in and around Mosul - have been subjected to attacks in the past.

Christians make up just 3 percent of Iraq's 26 million people. The major Christian groups in Iraq include Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians. There are small numbers of Roman Catholics.

Officials estimate that as many as 15,000 Iraqi Christians have left the country since August, when four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were attacked in a coordinated series of car bombings. The attacks killed 12 people and injured 61 others.

Another church was bombed in Baghdad in September.

Text
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
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Let's blame Islam as a violent and anti-Christian religion!

Edit: Just responding to the tone of your topic summary.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Let's blame Islam as a violent and anti-Christian religion!

Edit: Just responding to the tone of your topic summary.

Im not. This is a news story. But the subtitle is for the people with the false belief that Islam is only a peaceful religion, sure it is for the most part, but there is a growing movement within it that all of us must be cautious of.

Edit: there I changed the subtitle, happy now?
 

peonyu

Platinum Member
Mar 12, 2003
2,038
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im not surpised, see also the mass slaughter of christians in east timor and sumatra. The 20 year old jihad against christianized southern sudan, church bombings in morocco, egypt, pakistan, lebanon, the southern phillipines etc etc.
 

Train

Lifer
Jun 22, 2000
13,579
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www.bing.com
dont judge a whole religion by the acts of a few.

If we did, Catholic Priests wouldnt exactly be the icon for loving peace they try to make themselves out to be, now would they?
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
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Originally posted by: Train
dont judge a whole religion by the acts of a few.

If we did, Catholic Priests wouldnt exactly be the icon for loving peace they try to make themselves out to be, now would they?

right, i sure am not. This is done by extremist muslims, definately not the majority. Also, dont blame the action of a few on the whole catholic religion - just using your logic :)

 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
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Originally posted by: peonyu
im not surpised, see also the mass slaughter of christians in east timor and sumatra. The 20 year old jihad against christianized southern sudan, church bombings in morocco, egypt, pakistan, lebanon, the southern phillipines etc etc.

abu sayyaf has been conducting a low level war against the Phillipine govt. for the past 20 years or so. This is basically the Southeast asian wing of al qaeda as the two organizations have a close relationship. if most people did not know this already, abu sayyaf wants to create a separate country only for muslims, because they dont want to live side by side with christians.
 

peonyu

Platinum Member
Mar 12, 2003
2,038
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81
I can think of a few things they will do with this priest, one they probably try to force him to convert to islam in exchange for his life [that happens in egypt alot], two they just kill him so that they can scare more christians out of iraq [kinda like how the kkk killed black leaders in the south to scare them out pre-1960s], or three they release him but i doubt it.

Sad news regardless.
 

Beowulf

Golden Member
Jan 27, 2001
1,446
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71
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: peonyu
im not surpised, see also the mass slaughter of christians in east timor and sumatra. The 20 year old jihad against christianized southern sudan, church bombings in morocco, egypt, pakistan, lebanon, the southern phillipines etc etc.

abu sayyaf has been conducting a low level war against the Phillipine govt. for the past 20 years or so. This is basically the Southeast asian wing of al qaeda as the two organizations have a close relationship. if most people did not know this already, abu sayyaf wants to create a separate country only for muslims, because they dont want to live side by side with christians.

Luckily Abu Sayyaf leader is reportedly dead: Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani

Abu Sayyaf Terrorist Leader Reportedly Killed


20 December 2004: The death of Khadaffy Janjalani, pictured at left is being investigated by Philippine and US authorities. Intelligence reports indicate that the leader of the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf was killed in a November 19, 2004 air raid on a rebel hideout in marshlands near the town of Datu Piang on southern Mindanao island in the Philippines. An informants claimed to have seen Khadaffy Janjalani's body and that he was literally cut in half by the air strike.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
Originally posted by: Beowulf
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: peonyu
im not surpised, see also the mass slaughter of christians in east timor and sumatra. The 20 year old jihad against christianized southern sudan, church bombings in morocco, egypt, pakistan, lebanon, the southern phillipines etc etc.

abu sayyaf has been conducting a low level war against the Phillipine govt. for the past 20 years or so. This is basically the Southeast asian wing of al qaeda as the two organizations have a close relationship. if most people did not know this already, abu sayyaf wants to create a separate country only for muslims, because they dont want to live side by side with christians.

Luckily Abu Sayyaf leader is reportedly dead: Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani

Abu Sayyaf Terrorist Leader Reportedly Killed


20 December 2004: The death of Khadaffy Janjalani, pictured at left is being investigated by Philippine and US authorities. Intelligence reports indicate that the leader of the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf was killed in a November 19, 2004 air raid on a rebel hideout in marshlands near the town of Datu Piang on southern Mindanao island in the Philippines. An informants claimed to have seen Khadaffy Janjalani's body and that he was literally cut in half by the air strike.

"reportedly" dead. There is no confirmation. I heard on the radio from a Australian reporter that they simply dont know if the leader of Abu Sayyaf is dead.
 

Beowulf

Golden Member
Jan 27, 2001
1,446
0
71
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: Beowulf
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: peonyu
im not surpised, see also the mass slaughter of christians in east timor and sumatra. The 20 year old jihad against christianized southern sudan, church bombings in morocco, egypt, pakistan, lebanon, the southern phillipines etc etc.

abu sayyaf has been conducting a low level war against the Phillipine govt. for the past 20 years or so. This is basically the Southeast asian wing of al qaeda as the two organizations have a close relationship. if most people did not know this already, abu sayyaf wants to create a separate country only for muslims, because they dont want to live side by side with christians.

Luckily Abu Sayyaf leader is reportedly dead: Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani

Abu Sayyaf Terrorist Leader Reportedly Killed


20 December 2004: The death of Khadaffy Janjalani, pictured at left is being investigated by Philippine and US authorities. Intelligence reports indicate that the leader of the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf was killed in a November 19, 2004 air raid on a rebel hideout in marshlands near the town of Datu Piang on southern Mindanao island in the Philippines. An informants claimed to have seen Khadaffy Janjalani's body and that he was literally cut in half by the air strike.

"reportedly" dead. There is no confirmation. I heard on the radio from a Australian reporter that they simply dont know if the leader of Abu Sayyaf is dead.

Yeah I heard the same myself but heres hoping it is true even though it won't stop another from being a leader to Abu Sayyaf.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
Another link of the Archbishop kidnapping, with picture

Yahoo news story

from the article:

"The Holy See deplores this act of terrorism in the firmest manner and demands that the worthy pastor is swiftly freed unharmed to continue to carry out his ministry," he said.

Christians make up some 3 percent of Iraq's population of about 25 million and have traditionally kept a relatively low profile, mindful of their precarious position in an overwhelmingly Muslim society.

A spate of bombs have hit churches and hospitals in the past few months, leaving numerous dead and injured.

Iraq's 650,000 Christians are mostly Chaldeans, Assyrians and Catholics. Many have left Iraq and the Vatican fears more will go."
 

Jassi

Diamond Member
Sep 8, 2004
3,296
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0
If there is a war going on between Islam and Christianity, the Muslims didnt start it.

<-- Belongs to neither religion.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
Originally posted by: Jassi
If there is a war going on between Islam and Christianity, the Muslims didnt start it.

<-- Belongs to neither religion.

Please think of what you just posted. Then come back. Wow amazing :confused:

 

BBond

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
8,363
0
0
Canadian Press is reporting the Archbishop has been freed.

Catholic archbishop kidnapped in northern Iraq is freed a day after abduction

12:00 PM EST Jan 18

VATICAN CITY (AP) - A Catholic archbishop kidnapped in Iraq has been freed, the Vatican said Tuesday.

The Pope, who had prayed for the bishop's release, was informed immediately of the release, said papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. "He changed his prayer to one of thanks," he said.

A ransom of $200,000 US initially had been demanded but the bishop was released without the payment of any money, the Vatican said.

Kidnapped on Monday was Basile Georges Casmoussa, 66, of the Syrian Catholic Church, one of the branches of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican had branded the kidnapping a "despicable terrorist act" and demanded his immediate release.

A priest in Iraq said on condition of anonymity that the archbishop was walking in front of the Al-Bishara church in Mosul's eastern neighbourhood of Muhandeseen when gunmen forced him into a car and drove away.

Mosul, in Iraq's north, has been a hotspot for the violent insurgency in recent months.

The reason for the kidnapping was unclear but Christians - tens of thousands of whom live in and around Mosul - have been subjected to attacks in the past.

Christians make up just three per cent of Iraq's 26 million people. The major Christian groups in Iraq include Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians. There are small numbers of Roman Catholics.

Officials estimate that as many as 15,000 Iraqi Christians have left the country since August, when four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were attacked in a co-ordinated series of car bombings. The attacks killed 12 people and injured 61 others.

Another church was bombed in Baghdad in September.

However, Navarro-Valls said the Vatican didn't view the kidnapping as an anti-Christian act but part of the general climate of violence in Iraq. He said the archbishop was well-loved in the community.

 

NesuD

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,999
106
106
Hmm someone in that terrorist organization must be able to see the big picture I guess and realized kidnapping and murdering by all accounts a kindly and well liked Catholic Archbishop would have probably done them more harm than good. Hopefully that kind of thing will spread but somehow I doubt it. My guess is the kidnapping was probably carried our without the knowledge or approval of the Terrorist leaders by freelancers so he was ordered released.
 

NesuD

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,999
106
106
Originally posted by: Aimster
Who keeps posting threads on P&N to make Muslims look bad? Hmm .....

Far as i can tell the OP only makes Muslim Terrorists look bad. I'm pretty certain that the majority of people are fully aware that terrorists are a pretty small percentage of Muslims.
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
Originally posted by: NesuD
Originally posted by: Aimster
Who keeps posting threads on P&N to make Muslims look bad? Hmm .....

Far as i can tell the OP only makes Muslim Terrorists look bad. I'm pretty certain that the majority of people are fully aware that terrorists are a pretty small percentage of Muslims.

Nowhere in the article does it say who abducted him nor does it say why.
 

raildogg

Lifer
Aug 24, 2004
12,892
572
126
Originally posted by: Aimster
Who keeps posting threads on P&N to make Muslims look bad? Hmm .....

well they already do a good job themselves, so i dont have to. im just reporting news

i dont have the intention of making muslims look bad, i do however want to notify the public of the threat from extremist islamists. which are here, living among us in the USA
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
0
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: Aimster
Who keeps posting threads on P&N to make Muslims look bad? Hmm .....

well they already do a good job themselves, so i dont have to. im just reporting news

i dont have the intention of making muslims look bad, i do however want to notify the public of the threat from extremist islamists. which are here, living among us in the USA

Your little article doesn't say Muslims kidnapped this guy and you claim they did.
Nice very nice. Keep up the Muslim bashing.

You don't post articles about Muslims in the U.S and you want to show the public the threat from muslims living in the U.S by posting articles about other countries? Doesn't make sense.

This article has what to do with Muslims living in the U.S? Of course you won't answer that.,
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
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Originally posted by: Aimster
Originally posted by: raildogg
Originally posted by: Aimster
Who keeps posting threads on P&N to make Muslims look bad? Hmm .....

well they already do a good job themselves, so i dont have to. im just reporting news

i dont have the intention of making muslims look bad, i do however want to notify the public of the threat from extremist islamists. which are here, living among us in the USA

Your little article doesn't say Muslims kidnapped this guy and you claim they did.
Nice very nice. Keep up the Muslim bashing.

You don't post articles about Muslims in the U.S and you want to show the public the threat from muslims living in the U.S by posting articles about other countries? Doesn't make sense.

This article has what to do with Muslims living in the U.S? Of course you won't answer that.,

That seems to be raildoggs calling card. He posts articles that make no mention of Muslims, and seems to draw the conclusions himself. It's really classy on his part.

If the connection to Muslims is in an article somewhere, why not just post that article in the first place?