AsiaNews Mgr Sako: encouraging the exodus of Christians
is detrimental to all Iraq
The European Union announced it would hold up to 10 thousand Iraqi refugees in exile in Syria and Jordan. The archbishop of Kirkuk ( side in the photo) it says contrary to a mass exodus of Christians from their homeland and denounces the lack of political leadership that promotes unity. Leaving means "to betray the sense of the Christian message."
Kirkuk (AsiaNews) - Welcoming refugees is a duty, but more important is to "eliminate root causes of flight and allow people to "live in peace and harmony in their land." This is the meaning of the message that Mgr. Louis Sako, archbishop of Kirkuk, run by AsiaNews on the issue of Iraqi refugees.
On 27 November the European Union has announced its readiness to take up to 10 thousand Iraqi refugees, most of whom live in exile in Syria and Jordan, in the midst of hardship and suffering. "Doing this kind of an amnesty - continues Msgr. Sako - is like telling Christians to flee, to go away from Iraq. Today 10 thousand, 10 thousand more tomorrow until the day that the country will not be emptied of the Christian presence. " The prelate ribadisce che non ci si può limitare “ad accogliere i rifugiati”, ma bisogna predisporre “tutte le iniziative necessarie per favorirne la permanenza”.
La Germania ha affermato di essere pronta ad accoglier almeno 2500 profughi e la priorità verrà concessa a quanti necessitano di cure mediche, alle vittime di torture e abusi, alle ragazze madri e alle minoranze religiose. Un plauso arriva dall’Alto commissario Onu per i rifugiati che parla di un “passo positivo”, dopo 18 mesi di pressioni esercitate nei confronti di Bruxelles. L’arcivescovo di Kirkuk non giudica negativa “in toto” la decisione, ma tiene a precisare che “vi sono casi estremi di persone che non possono include, as members of the former regime of Saddam ", but not to be encouraged a mass exodus that would ultimately worsen the situation. "You just accept people in distress - he continues - but it is also right to address specific cases, and above all to work to rebuild a civil society in the country." Archbishop Sako
denounces the lack of a common within the Christian community and the absence of a strong political leadership: "Christians are divided among themselves - said - some want to stay, others prefer to go away. The desire to escape is undoubtedly exacerbated by the lack of a political leader to guide people into a concrete, solid, that will convince them to stay, while suffering and difficulties. " Contrary to the exodus is also a large part of the Muslim community, which is expected from the Christian brothers' loyalty, openness, and morality ", but also a concrete collaboration" to build a future together "because they consider" an integral part of the Christians country ".
The archbishop of Kirkuk concludes warned the Christian community: "Escaping the face of difficulties - he says - means losing the substance of the Christian message that calls us to mission, not to retreat. Even in case of persecution must show the deeper meaning of the Gospel that calls us to be witnesses of Christ's sacrifice. Go away is equivalent to betray both the task of the Christian, because expectations and hopes of many Muslims. In all this lies the meaning of the expression 'Quo vadis?' pronounced in the tradition of Peter to Jesus They answered and invited him to return to Rome to face martyrdom. "(DS)
