Anti-Christian Violence in Iraq

From the Catholic News Agency's daily email:

Radical Muslims destroy two Christian Churches in Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq – The most important historic and artistic church of the Chaldean Catholic’s, the See of the Chaldean Bishop, was completley razed to the ground today by armed Muslim gunmen in Mosul, as was an Armenian Catholic church. Worshippers were evacuated by the gunmen before they bombed the churches. There were no casualties, Reuters reports.

Many of Iraq’s 750,000 strong Christian population live in Mosul, whose total population 1.2 million.

Christians, who make up 3% of Iraq’a population have been attacked several times in the past few months.

This is not the first time that churches have been targeted. Five Baghdad churches had been bombed on Oct. 16 at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and two Christians were killed in the bombings of two churches in Baghdad on Nov. 8.

Many of Iraq’a Christians, mostly Chaldean Catholics have fled Iraq for neighbouring Jordan and Syria in recent months owing to the systematic violence perpetrated against them from Mulsim extremists.

Muslim leaders have condemned the violence, trying to quell Christian fears that they are being routed from the country.