Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
Sweden – ESNA — The Syriac-Orthodox archdiocese of Sweden and Scandinavia condemns the kidnapping of Fr. Daniel Savci in Turkey, an member of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
“I’m shocked, hurt and upset. The violence towards Christians in Islamic countries has to come to an end,” said Archbishop Julios Abdulahad. “The world community has to open its eyes to the religious and ethnic cleansing that’s going on in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East.”
More than half of the Assyrian population in Iraq has been forced to exile. Priests are kidnapped, nuns are raped and killed and children crucified. The state of Iraq or the American troops cannot seem to stop the violence. The kidnapping of father Daniel Savci is not only reminding people about the violence in Iraq, it is also terrifying members of the Syriac-Orthodox church around the world.
Regarding the demonstrations that took place after the cartoons of Muhammed were published in the magazine Jyllandsposten, the Archbishop said “thousands of Muslims joined the demonstration in Midyat, the Christian city in southeast of Turkey, which 20 years ago was populated mainly by Christians. Today the remaining 3000 in Midyat and the surrounding villages are very afraid because of the murder of Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist, the brutal murders of the missionaries in Malatya and several more incidents of oppression of Christians.”
According to the Archbishop, the Turkish police and army are infiltrated with radical Muslims and nationalists. When the young man who killed Hrant Dink was apprehended policemen proudly took pictures with him. The murderer was seen as a hero ought to be hailed.
The rule of law for Christians has to fulfill the same function as for Muslims. In the nineties twelve Christian leaders, among them doctors, were killed in Tur Abdin, southeast of Turkey. Nobody was arrested.
The kidnapping of father Daniel Savci is a Swedish concern as it is a Turkish concern. The majority of the Syriac-Orthodox who escaped Tur Abdin now live in Sweden. The Archbishop appealed to Sweden’s minister of foreign affairs, Carl Bildt, to monitor the situation in Tur Abdin. “Sweden should send a delegation to oversee the investigation done by the police force in Tur Abdin.”
EasternStar New Agency
