Christians erect new cross at church near Mosul to replace original destroyed by Islamic State

Record ID: 78287

  • Title: Christians erect new cross at church near Mosul to replace original destroyed by Islamic State
  • Date: 19th November 2016
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Kurdish) PESHMERGA COMMANDER, BRIGADE MAHRAM YASIN, SAYING: "Peshmerga forces under the leadership of Massoud Barzani were able to kick out Daesh (a commonly used Arabic acronym for Islamic State) from Bashiqa. Now security forces and the Peshmerga are in control of the city, we are still searching for any remaining explosives in the homes. We want people to be patient and not to return here until we completely clear the area, as we want to ensure their safety." VARIOUS OF CHURCH BELL RINGING CHURCH MINISTERS AND WORSHIPPERS WALKING TOWARDS CHURCH INTERIOR VARIOUS OF WORSHIPPERS IN CHURCH DURING MASS CRUCIFIX HELD UP BY FATHER AFRAM OF ORTHODOX CHURCH BIBLE HELD UP BY WORSHIPPER MORE OF WORSHIPERS DURING PRAYERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING NEW CRUCIFIX TO BE ERECTED (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FATHER AFRAM OF THE CHURCH, SAYING: "Of course we would prefer to be part of the (Kurdistan) regional government, this is because of our proximity to the area, and for the past 13 years, the regional government has been looking after us and asking about our concerns. There has not been a day where anyone from Baghdad came here to say hello, at all." PEOPLE HOLDING UP KURDISTAN REGIONAL FLAG ON CHURCH ROOFTOP VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ERECTING NEW CROSS OVER CHURCH
  • Embargoed: 4th December 2016 11:53
  • Keywords: Iraq Christians Mosul Bashiqa church cross crucifix Islamic State bells Mar Korkeis
  • Location: BASHIQA, IRAQ
  • City: BASHIQA, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
  • Reuters ID: LVA003593ZHVR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Iraqi Christians erected a new crucifix over a church in Bashiqa on Saturday (November 19), after the original cross was destroyed by Islamic State militants.
    Church bells rang out from the Mar Korkeis church in the town near Mosul where Peshmerga soldiers and Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led air and ground forces, have been driving back the Sunni Muslim jihadists ahead of a battle for the city itself.
    Islamic State has targeted the adherents and religious sites of minority communities in both Iraq and Syria. When it seized control of Mosul two years ago it issued an ultimatum to Christians: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword.
    Most abandoned their homes and fled towards the autonomous Kurdish region, deserting one of Christianity's earliest centres.
    It was from a Mosul mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" in 2014, spanning northern Iraq and eastern Syria. The recapture of the city would mark the effective defeat of the Iraqi wing of that domain.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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