Blood of the Martyrs: Christian Man Tortured, Beheaded in Kirkuk

By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/23/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

He was 29 years old, a husband and the father of three young children

On Monday, May 16, 2011, a 29 year old Christian husband and father of three children was kidnapped by Islamic militants in Iraq. His mutilated body, showing signs of extreme torture, was found by a bridge. His head had been severed and his eyes gouged out.

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KIRKUK, Iraq (Catholic Online) - Last Friday, a 29 year old Christian husband and father of three children was kidnapped by Islamic militants in Iraq. A ransom of the equivalent of $100,000 US was demanded.

On Monday, May 16, 2011, his mutilated body, showing signs of extreme torture was found by a bridge. His head had been severed and his eyes had been gouged out.

The heroic Archbishop of Kirkuk, Louis Sako, praised the heroism of this Christian man and the continuing strength and faith of the Christian community in Iraq.

He strongly condemned the evil noting the growing hostility toward Christians in Iraq, "In all these years, I have never heard of a single Christian converting to Islam, despite the many threats."

He indicated that many Muslims regularly seek to convert to the Christian faith but noted "I am not allowed to baptize them. There is no religious freedom!"

In an impassioned plea he addressed the perpetrators whom he called, "those who were capable of committing such an inhuman act".

He asked them to consider Mr Issa's widow and the children that their eveil act had left as orphans noting, "If there is no human justice, sooner or later, there will be divine justice."

The Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Erbil, Bashar Warda told Aid to the Church in Need that the "murder was meant to intimidate Christians so that in the future they will more readily pay ransom demands."

He indicated his strong suspicion that Islamist fundamentalists were behind the horror noting "that in some mosques hatred towards other faiths is still preached".

However, holding a minority position is Syrian Catholic Archbishop, Boutros Moshe of Mosul. He suspects the act was committed by criminal gangs seeking to extract money.

Representatives of "Aid to the Church in Need" (ACN) are visiting Iraq to evaluate the plight of the Church. They report a growing discouragement among Iraqi Christians.

The sentiment was captured by one priest who told them, "The Muslims speak to us constantly about a 'peaceful coexistence', but then when something happens, violence does not seem to be condemned by Muslim clerics."

Archbishop Bashar Warda Warda told Aid to the Church in Need that since the invasion of Iraq almost 600 Christians have been killed, 66 churches have been attacked and two convents, a monastery and a Church based orphanage destroyed.

Hundreds of Christian families fled to the north at the end of 2010 after the attack on Baghdad's Syrian Catholic Cathedral on October 31 where 58 people were killed and more than 70 others injured.

The Church, Our Lady of Deliverance, has become a symbol of the blatant hatred of Christians among Jihadist Muslims in Iraq and the heroic virtue of the Iraqi faithful.

The faithful had gathered for Mass when terrorists invaded the Church, killed the priest and held the worshippers hostage for four hours before they were freed in a rescue mission.

In the timeless words of the early Church father Tertullian, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Let us pray for the dear suffering Christians in Iraq, the land of the martyrs.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Iraq, Martyrs, beheading, Jihadis, anti-Catholic, muslims, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 26 Comments

m.
1 year ago
God bless the person, who has made that video and posted here.

That is the right way, to tell the truth and not to look away.
Penny
1 year ago
Oh God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; they have laid Jerusalem in heaps. The dead bodies of your servants they have given as food for the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to those who are around us. How long Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your wrath on the nations who do not know You, and on kingdoms that do not call on Your name.For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place. Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low. Help us oh God of our salvation, for the glory of Your Name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your Name's sake! Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?' Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You; according to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are appointed to die; And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach with which they have reproached You, Oh Lord. So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations. AMEN
PSALM 79
Dear Father, let Your will be done, through Christ our Lord. AMEN
john
1 year ago
As the persecution of Christians intensifies and more matyrs are made for the faith..the enemy is only adding more hot coals and ashes upon their heads.These things were foretold by Christ..the persecution of Christians which will only get worse.The days of evils reign is getting very short and the devil knows it.
vance
1 year ago
Well, this is Islam for you. Their actions tell what a Satanic cult they are. I pray that God brings a heavy hand of justice on these satanic monsters.
JSC
1 year ago
What can we do? We just can't "do nothing".
andrew
1 year ago
If it boils down to a paltry ransom, it's time Muslims are made aware of the princely ransom that Jesus paid for every sinner, not omitting these "Islamic militants".
Bob S.
1 year ago
This is merely a case of a snake being a snake. Why is anyone surprised when the snake bites YOU!
Let me explain. There is no such thing as a peace loving muslum. We welcome them into our country, to enjoy freedom from religious persecution and when their numbers reach the majority, those members of "the religion of peace" turn into the snake they had always been. The islamic religion promotes the lies to everyone who isn't muslim in order to further the religion.
Their goal is to convert everyone to the islamic religion and if they refuse, its death.

Wake up! They are coming for YOU next! What will you do then?
robert matzinger
1 year ago
This is just another example of the Muslim "war on the Christains" in Islamic countries. Muslim clerics generally say nothing as they do not condemn these murders. Muslins themselves generally say little to nothing as they also do not condemn these attacks and murders upon Christains. There is no outrage or condemnation in the international community nor from our president or his administration. We must pray fervently for the safety of our Christain brothers and sisters as there today is no safe place for them in an Islamic country.
veronica
1 year ago
This Man did not die in vain,we see he is a Martyr,and an example for all of us in these Days.Thank GOD for his courage,for the courage of the Archbishop,the Priests, Religious,and the People.Hold firm ,for GOD will never leave us Orphans.
parkerjoe
2 years ago
They hate christians because of what the United States stand for. Israel is in Northern Iraq supplying arms and training to their military to control oil in the middle east. Just as some Americans blame the Muslims, the Muslims blame the US for taking advantage of their countries. It's all economics. A man who can kill another man is not of God and look at all the blood the US has on their hands. Stop this hate. Stop the money mongers of this world and we can have peace.

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