July 24, 2014
A large number of Muslim Civil Society Activists and MP Shrouq Abaiji met in Mar Gorgis Church holding banners written on it: "I'm an Iraqi, I'm a Christian" to express their solidarity with Christians in Mosul. They expressed their readiness to receive the displaced families and assist them, and condemned this crime against humanity. The gathering was attended by His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael I Sako, who addressed them in his speech, saying: "Thank you for your solidarity and unwavering stance with us in this ordeal. This is a crime against humanity and against Iraq. How can defenseless innocent people be uprooted of their homes just because they were Christians? How can someone permit the looting of their homes and their money? We are shocked and in pain and worried. I am speaking to the conscience of every human being whether a believer in God or not to yell loud and condemn such evil actions and thoughts. This is against Islam and Muslims and defamation of Islam. Your solidarity with us is strength, good sign and hope. You are the future. Thank you."
The gathering was attended by several media. The Activists' representative said in his speech: "We have gathered today just to say a single word: We are here and in our hearts a sadness and tear for all displaced Iraqis, Shia and Sunni, Christian and Yazidis, Shabak, Sabian Mandaeans, Turkmen and Arabs. All of these carry the same "Personal Identity Card" that we carry.... We demand the Iraqi Government and the civil society organizations and international organizations to move quickly to save the refugees... Finally, we must mention the slogan: "I'm an Iraqi, I'm a Christian" that was introduced because the forces of darkness had considered the Christians as a religious minority. So we must stand with our brothers on Earth and in Heaven, united to this common enemy who does not know a tolerant decent law without defiling it, or a legal law that they had not violated, thus they don't belong to humanity anymore."
