ISIS continues to murder and. . .

BREAKING: ISIS JUST EMPTIED NINEVEH PLAINS – 200,000 ARAMEAN CHRISTIANS FLED

By Orthodox Christian News in Orthodox News

Aug 07, 2014 ⋅ 0 Comment(s) ⋅ Tags: Aramean Christians, Disaster, Iraq, ISIS, Persecution, Syria

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World Council of Arameans, Beirut: Last night, two Aramean children and a mother were killed as a result of a shameless attack by ISIS terrorists against Baghdeda (Qaraqosh) in North Iraq. At the same time, in the middle of the night, more than 40,000 Aramean families – comprising at least 200.000 human beings – fearfully fled their ancestral homes, towns and villages in the Nineveh region. Another unprecedented humanitarian disaster is now unfolding in Iraq.

Most recently, thousands of Aramean families had already escaped the Mosul region to the Nineveh province, after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists rampaged the area. The Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of St. Matthew, including its fourth-century Monastery of Mor Matay, and other local dioceses have been closed.

The Nineveh plains are now emptied from its native Christians, who belong to the Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Chaldean and Assyrian (Nestorian) churches in the region. This is the second region that has been emptied from its Aramean population for the first time in its millennia-old history. Thus, an ancient civilization, cultural heritage and population have been destroyed and erased from Iraq’s future.

The majority, if not all, of the local Muslim population apparently did not fear their lives to abandon their homes, while the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters suddenly retreated. The withdrawal of the Kurds is striking, particularly in light of a similar situation that took place a few days ago where thousands of Yezidi men, women and children were abandoned and sacrificed to ISIS by the Peshmerga.

All the developments that have been taking place in Syria and Iraq, once again reveal that there is a clear agenda to divide Iraq into three portions: a Shiite, Sunni (ISIS-controlled) and Kurdish part, whereas defenseless and vulnerable minorities like the Aramean Christians and Yezidis are forced out of their ancient homeland.

The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”) condemns in the strongest possible terms this latest ISIS invasion. This is nothing short of genocide and ethnic cleansing. A new humanitarian disaster is unfolding and the international community simply does not seem to care.

The WCA President, Johny Messo, expressed his deep concerns as follows: “How many more crimes against humanity does the world wants to see before it finally speaks up? Where are the conscience and the sense of responsibility of the world leaders? Where are the principles of ethics and objective journalism by the mainstream media? We urgently call upon the international community, spearheaded by the United Nations, the European Union, Council of Europe, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to act immediately and without further delay. Not to speak is to speak and not to act is to act!”

Mr. Messo further explained: “Yesterday we arrived to Lebanon to discuss the deteriorating situation of our people in Iraq and Syria with the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and today we would join His Holiness and the Patriarchs of the other native churches in the Middle East at a press conference this afternoon where a joint declaration would be issued. This morning, however, we were deeply shocked when His Holiness broke the news to us. We are all very troubled by this news.”

Before the USA and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003, the Aramean Christian population consisted of 1,4 million souls. Today, less than 400,000 Arameans have remained in their homeland. With the latest developments taking place, the future of this ancient indigenous population of Iraq is at the brink of extinction. In Syria, the same developments have been taking place. Similar attempts of genocide and ethnic cleansing were already successfully accomplished in Turkey in the last century, which saw its numerous native Armenian, Greek and Aramean populations dwindle to less than 100,000.

In all these cases, the foreign policies of Western countries have turned out to be utterly destructive to the many hundreds of thousands of native Aramean Christians who experienced persecutions, beheadings, crucifixion, kidnappings, expulsions and more. Simultaneously, Western governments and mainstream media have remained utterly silent and ignored the cries for help by the Arameans.

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But one bungler destroys much good.

Today as I read the passages set for the daily office's morning prayer I was challenged by some words from Ecclesiastes chapter nine:

'Wisdom is better than weapons of war,  but one bungler destroys much good.'

Ironically I turned on the radio to hear that the Secretary of State for Education was making an(other?) 'embarrassing turnaround' over his plans for a British baccalaureate. It seems that once again the man with his hands on the future of our children's education (and therefore it follows, their futures) has once again been a bit of a bungler.

No sooner had this news passed that we turned to a report on a Mid-Staffordshire NHS trust by Robert Francis QC. The report explained how nurses were being investigated and how some would find their careers ended - and having read the abstracts I sure this is right) and yet throughout the report not one person pointed the finger of guilt at those who managed the place and surely set the condition by which patients and their families were so sorely treated. It seems that at the root of the problem is a multitude of bunglers - and despite the NHS featuring large in the Olympic celebrations as a jewel in the crown of our nation - many bunglers are destroying that which is good!

When I worked in industry we used to refer to people being promoted to the level of their incompetence - the greater the bungler the higher they went until they were placed somewhere where their incompetence was minimised (and conversely their salaries maximised).

Reading complaints of the Staffs debacle it appears that many of those running our hospitals, rather than be censured, have been rewarded - how on earth can this be justified or defended?

The ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is to be found in many places and sectors - the politician and NHS executives whilst being the creme de la creme of bungling are not isolated places - so when you see bunglers - bin them!

And of course this goes for Church too - let's hope the new ABC is up for the task as we seek to bring an orthodox, effective and inclusive church to the fore - A church that will criticise those who abuse the system (Well done for the banking comments Boss!), who oppress the poor, who seek to legitimise injustice and to reward the bunglers.

Pax

Horden Shootings

The MP, Grahame Morris, and the Daily fascist (along with oh so many others) get it totally wrong. Then again what can I say but no surprise there. Morris in a totally uniformed kneejerk response (if the newspapers are to be believed) has called for tighter 'gun control' but thankfully David Cameron has come back with the right response in his assessment that this is not necessary.

Seems to me that the Prime Minister has got it absolutely right. Mind you the same boring and overbearing people who successfully called for the removal of handguns after Dunblane (and if he'd run them over with a car they would have called for a ban on motor vehicles I suppose?) are now trying, once again, to peddle their ignorance and take away the 'oh so scary' firearms from people who have a legitimate right to have them.

Now for those who will witter on about those who have the right to hold firearms (with the ambition of seeing this right removed) let me tell you what being a shooter means.

First and foremost it must be taken as a given that those who have rights also have responsibilities (whoops, there goes the animal rights lobby I guess) and there is no place where this is more true than the area of shooting. Had I a gun cabinet at home then I would have the responsibility to ensure it was safely affixed to walls such that it could not be jemmied off. Not only that but the cabinet would be of a design that resisted being forced open and were you successful in so doing would have to repeat the arduous task of breaking doors open at least a couple more times before you had the actions and the ammunition in the same place such that you might use the illegally accessed weapons held within it (and do it whilst the alarm got on your nerves to boot!). Now, picture a set of really nice Sabatier knives of a chunky set of golf clubs, which are potentially more lethal as the former could be hidden and the latter could be taken along a street without much consternation and people running away (well not until you started swinging anyway).

Secondly, being a shooter means that there are people in the community who are weapons savvy and it has been my experience that it is these very people who got a knock when granddad's 'war memento' was found wrapped in an oilskin up in the loft (and I know this to be true). It is also these people who spot the 'nutters' long before they can ever get anywhere near being issued with an FAC and it is because of this that some, who would have been problems, never make it to the front pages.

Thirdly, rather than call for increased measures and yet also saying that the use of psychiatrists as anything other than exceptional circumstances (as Mr Morris has done) many of the shooters I know from past contact were most happy for this if it proved helpful in keeping the sport/hobby of shooting more secure.

Lastly, when you consider the common denominator in pretty much all of the 'mad shooter' incidents in this country is maladministration by our overworked and under-resourced Police and ask why a man who was reported for an obvious metal health problem, or had come out of prison and was known to be dangerous (even without weapons) and yet was allowed to keep his weapons - this tells you where the real problems lie.

SOME FACTS

Shooters (generally) aren't in love with weapons in weird and wacky ways and those who came into my club and drooled at magazine pictures whilst mumbling, "Heckler & Koch MP7, oooh want one!" were destined never to shoot in our, or any other club and their cards were marked with the excellent Police officers what did firearms related work.

Six weapons in the possession of a shooter isn't 'an arsenal' any more than a bag of golf clubs, a box of Sabatier or a set of Le Creuset kitchenware is a collection of lethal weapons. Mind you, in the wrong hands and with the wrong intent all of these can be exactly that (and add the cooking of some as a credible fourth option in some cases).

Six weapons in a gun cabinet, especially when some are shotguns represents lots of firepower if there were six people, but not a lot when there is but one pair of hands available, but for one person it can be legitimised quite quickly by pointing to the different disciplines that different weapons are fit for. Target shooting, vermin, game, clays and the like quickly make the list as rational as having many clubs in your bag (or can you play with just a sand wedge?).

The idea of getting all the weapons and storing them in one place is great until you realise you have created a mega-arsenal and where there might be six (I used to have but four) there are now sixty! Rationalise that one for me.

My last point is the Ryan (Hungerford) wasn't such a non-shooter that all he managed to hit with his automatic weapons was road signs and yet they were taken away because of what he'd done (road sign protectionism?). Handguns were taken away because of Hamilton (Dunblane) and yet (a few odd practical pistol sorts aside) I would have said that these were treated with more security consciousness and greater control within shooting that even the most strict weapons banning type would have required. The reason for this is purely and simply ignorance and because they don't know they legislate.

So here's a bit more for you and a plea to politicians to actually understand what the needs and the realities are regarding shooters i.e. why not go to a club and ask questions (an MP would get you if they knocked, an ordinary mortal generally wouldn't unless they'd made appointments and stuff!

Pax

ps. Sorry it's long but I just had to keep sucking until the spaghetti was gone :)