News

        Baghdad – AINA — The situation for Iraq’s Christian Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) is approaching a crisis level. On June 3rd an Assyrian priest and three deacons were gunned down in Mosul and their car booby trapped so that their bodies could not be recovered …

        Mosul(North-Iraq)- AINA — Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Fr. Ragheed Ganni and three deacons, Deacon Basman Joseph, Deacon Bassam and Deacon Ghassan, one day after they were gunned down in their car as they left the Holy Spirit Church after finishing evening mass (AINA 6-3-2007). The …

        Dora(Bagdad)- AINA — According to an Iraqi government employee, who asked to remain anonymous, Muslim terrorist groups are being tipped off about Iraqi and US troop movements. In one incident in the besieged Assyrian neighborhood of Dora, where al-Qaeda entered in early March (AINA, 6-4-2007) and began imposing …

  By Sherko Raouf ARBIL(North-Iraq) – Reuters — — Iraq said Turkish forces shelled a mountain stronghold of Turkish Kurd rebels in the north of the country on Sunday, a day after it urged Turkey to use diplomacy to resolve rising tensions in the region. While residents say Turkey shells …

        Baghdad – AINA — An Assyrian couple that worked for the US embassy in Baghdad has been killed by an al Qaeda-led group. The couple was killed on Monday, May 28. According to Reuters, after the husband went missing late last week his wife went to look for …

  By Barbara Karkabi * Syrie – AINA — The 20th century was not kind to the Orthodox archdiocese in southern Syria. Ravaged by war, drought and poverty, its ancient churches were left to crumble, while the Christian population dwindled. But in 1999 a new archbishop was appointed as metropolitan …

        Mosul- AINA — The Arabic language Assyrian (also known as Chaldnen and Syriac) website ankawa.com is reporting that 1 priest and 3 deacons were gunned down in Mosul as they left the Church after having finished Sunday Mass. Fr. Ragheed Ganni, Deacon Basman Joseph, Deacon Bassam and Deacon …

        Australia – AINA — The Reverend Fred Nile, member of the Legislative Council of the New South Wales Parliament, Australia, has raised concern for the Assyrian community in Iraq and has urged the Federal Government to give support to the establishment of a geographically viable demarcated region in …

  By Challiss McDonough Cairo(Egypt) – VOA — Syria’s state-run press has roundly criticized the U.N. Security Council’s vote to set up an international tribunal for suspects in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Damascus has long said it will refuse to turn over any Syrian suspects …

        Germany – AINA — The Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, based in Syria, has suspended Archbishop Julius Hanna Aydin of Germany, according to the EasternStar News Agency. According to Archbishop Aydin, his suspension is because a powerful block of pro-Syria bishops in the Church opposes him because …