"Do not forget us": Testimonies of light and pain about the tragedy of Iraqi Christians with ISIS

 In 2015, the French journalist Lawrence Deguyh started in Rome a series of meetings with the Patriarch Cardinal Louis Rafael Saco, the Patriarch of the Chaldeans in Iraq, and these meetings were held on the sidelines of the Synod held by the Vatican under the title "For the Family" and after the occupation of ISIS and the towns of the Nineveh Plain.

After the series was completed, it remained trapped in the sporadic numbers of the newspaper in which she works until Deguyh decided to collect it in a book she called “Don't Forget Us”, which lists - on the tongue of the patriarch in these meetings - the reality of Iraqi Christians, their history, their suffering, the reasons for their emigration.

It also stated the importance of preserving their human heritage and dialogue with Islam, and offers some solutions. She also mentioned her autobiography in the third semester. Note that this book was translated into Italian and German as well. The book came in five chapters with presentation to Cardinal Philippe Barbaran.

The first chapter was titled "Anthem of the ISIS Plight", and the second came under the title "Iraq, 2000 Years of Christianity", and "Patriarch Louis Saco, A Biography of Life in Iraq", before the fifth and final chapter on "The future of Iraq and what is the future of Christians in it?" "

The book’s introduction

A simple friendship was held between us during Patriarch Saco’s stay in Lyon with Bishop Youssef Touma, who succeeded him as Archbishop of Kirkuk, and in March 2014, they came to participate in a global conference held by our Catholic University in Lyon on the Christians of the East and their relationship with Islam.

The events of last June and July, which he recounts since the first pages of this book, have brought us closer, so I contacted him in Baghdad every week to inquire about the events, and I assure Patriarch Saco of our prayer, and to find a way on how to help our brothers and sisters in the Christians of Iraq.

Towards the beginning of July, the idea of ​​going there came to me, and the Patriarch was surprised, saying: “You come! You cannot imagine the joy that we will have if this project is achieved!”

After obtaining the firm approval of Rome, and from Bishop Pontier, the Archbishop of France, told me: “Go and take some bishops with you, this is a delegation representing our council. And we are all with you on this trip.”

Unforgettable testimonials

All the testimonies that we heard during those unforgettable days raised many questions. How can we help and familiarize the world with this situation, stimulate public opinion and make continuous relations between Iraqi and French families ...?

But, above all, I want to show my admiration for these brothers and sisters of these faiths.

In order to return to the person who is the subject of this book, I say that the image of the good shepherd surprised me, because he was always near me, and in all the meetings he explained to people his attempts with the governments of Baghdad and Erbil in Kurdistan, for the sake of the displaced, as well as his endeavors in Brussels with European institutions, and in churches in Europe, North America and others, he is the shepherd who totally volunteered to defend his people! So, in just a few days, Patriarch Saco became my dear brother.

During the meetings, His Beatitude was listening, and he was increasingly tempted by the tragedy of his people, the suffering of his flock, and more than once I saw the tear descending on his cheek.

Their pain was his pain. One day he said: “It is truly written in the history of our people to be persecuted, pursued, my family during my childhood and youth abandoned three times.” Then a man of the same age rose up and declared: “As for us, this is the fifth time that our family has been displaced!”

Erbil Candles

At the end of the visit, Patriarch Saco was taking me to bless a sick child, or to meet a family in painful condition. As for the temperature of the climate, it was very severe, exceeding 45 degrees. I would say 48, but it is sustainable because the climate is dry.

Fortunately the children around us were happy, indifferent. Children always play! As for the parents, they were beginning to think about the harsh winter, in this continental region, where winter is coming quickly, what the fate of the home, school and health care will be? ... together we were thinking of possible solutions.

"Do not forget us": Testimonies of light and pain about the tragedy of Iraqi Christians with ISIS

Robert El-Fares and Ashraf Damer

 In 2015, the French journalist Lawrence Deguyh started in Rome a series of meetings with the Patriarch Cardinal Louis Rafael Saco, the Patriarch of the Chaldeans in Iraq, and these meetings were held on the sidelines of the Synod held by the Vatican under the title "For the Family" and after the occupation of ISIS and the towns of the Nineveh Plain.

After the series was completed, it remained trapped in the sporadic numbers of the newspaper in which she works until Deguyh decided to collect it in a book she called “Don't Forget Us”, which lists - on the tongue of the patriarch in these meetings - the reality of Iraqi Christians, their history, their suffering, the reasons for their emigration.

It also stated the importance of preserving their human heritage and dialogue with Islam, and offers some solutions. She also mentioned her autobiography in the third semester. Note that this book was translated into Italian and German as well. The book came in five chapters with presentation to Cardinal Philippe Barbaran.

The first chapter was titled "Anthem of the ISIS Plight", and the second came under the title "Iraq, 2000 Years of Christianity", and "Patriarch Louis Saco, A Biography of Life in Iraq", before the fifth and final chapter on "The future of Iraq and what is the future of Christians in it?" "

The book’s introduction

A simple friendship was held between us during Patriarch Saco’s stay in Lyon with Bishop Youssef Touma, who succeeded him as Archbishop of Kirkuk, and in March 2014, they came to participate in a global conference held by our Catholic University in Lyon on the Christians of the East and their relationship with Islam.

The events of last June and July, which he recounts since the first pages of this book, have brought us closer, so I contacted him in Baghdad every week to inquire about the events, and I assure Patriarch Saco of our prayer, and to find a way on how to help our brothers and sisters in the Christians of Iraq.

Towards the beginning of July, the idea of ​​going there came to me, and the Patriarch was surprised, saying: “You come! You cannot imagine the joy that we will have if this project is achieved!”

After obtaining the firm approval of Rome, and from Bishop Pontier, the Archbishop of France, told me: “Go and take some bishops with you, this is a delegation representing our council. And we are all with you on this trip.”

Unforgettable testimonials

All the testimonies that we heard during those unforgettable days raised many questions. How can we help and familiarize the world with this situation, stimulate public opinion and make continuous relations between Iraqi and French families ...?

But, above all, I want to show my admiration for these brothers and sisters of these faiths.

In order to return to the person who is the subject of this book, I say that the image of the good shepherd surprised me, because he was always near me, and in all the meetings he explained to people his attempts with the governments of Baghdad and Erbil in Kurdistan, for the sake of the displaced, as well as his endeavors in Brussels with European institutions, and in churches in Europe, North America and others, he is the shepherd who totally volunteered to defend his people! So, in just a few days, Patriarch Saco became my dear brother.

During the meetings, His Beatitude was listening, and he was increasingly tempted by the tragedy of his people, the suffering of his flock, and more than once I saw the tear descending on his cheek.

Their pain was his pain. One day he said: “It is truly written in the history of our people to be persecuted, pursued, my family during my childhood and youth abandoned three times.” Then a man of the same age rose up and declared: “As for us, this is the fifth time that our family has been displaced!”

Erbil Candles

At the end of the visit, Patriarch Saco was taking me to bless a sick child, or to meet a family in painful condition. As for the temperature of the climate, it was very severe, exceeding 45 degrees. I would say 48, but it is sustainable because the climate is dry.

Fortunately the children around us were happy, indifferent. Children always play! As for the parents, they were beginning to think about the harsh winter, in this continental region, where winter is coming quickly, what the fate of the home, school and health care will be? ... together we were thinking of possible solutions.