Nous vous transmettons la plus récente
lettre d’une de nos sœurs dominicaines de la Congrégation de Ste. Catherine de
Sienne en Irak en vous demandant de bien vouloir continuer vos prières et vos
actions pour aider à ces frères et sœurs, si terriblement opprimés par ISIS. Vous trouverez à la suite de la lettre un
bref résumé de son contenu en français.
August 23rd 2014
Dear all,
We continue to share our daily struggle with you, hoping that our
cry will reach the world. We are like the blind man of Jericho (Mark 10:
46-52), who had nothing to express himself, but his voice, asking Jesus for
mercy. Although some people ignored his voice, others listened, and helped him.
We count on people, who will listen!
We entered the third week of displacement. Things are moving very
slowly in terms of providing shelter, food, and necessities for the people. There
are still people living in the streets. There are still no organized camps
outside of schools that are used as refugee centres. An unfinished, three story
building has also been used as a refugee centre. For privacy reasons, families
have made rooms using UNHCR plastic sheets in these unfinished buildings. These
places look like stables. We all wonder, is there any end in sight? We
appreciate all efforts that have been made to provide aid to the displaced
people. However, please note, that providing food and shelter is not the only
essential thing we need. Our case is much bigger. We are speaking about two
minorities (Christian and Yezedis), who lost their land, their homes, their
belongings, their jobs, their money, some have been separated from their families
and loved ones, and all are persecuted because of their religion.
Our church leaders are doing their best to solve the issue. They
have been meeting with political leaders, with the President of Iraq and
Kurdistan, but initiatives and actions of these political leaders are really
slow and modest. Actually, all political meetings have led to nothing. Until
now, there has been no decision made about the current situation of the
displaced minorities. For this reason, trust in the political leaders has
diminished, if it exists, at all. People cannot tolerate it anymore. It is too
heavy of a burden. Yesterday, a young man expressed that he would rather die
than live, without dignity. People feel that their dignity has been stripped
from them. We are being persecuted because of our religion. None of us ever
thought we would live in refugee camps because of that.
It is hard to believe that this is happening in the 21st
century. We wonder what is exactly happening. Is it another plan or agreement
to subdivide Iraq? If this is true, by whom and why? Why are the events of
dividing the Middle East, that happened in 1916, being repeated now? At that
time it was a political issue and innocent people paid for it. It is apparent
that there are sinfully, cunning people dividing Iraq, now. In 1916, we lost
seven of our sisters, many Christians died, and more were scattered. Is it just
circumstance we face this division again, or is it deliberate?
However, the struggle is not only in the camps, with the displaced people.
What has happened in our Christian towns that have been evacuated is even
worse. The IS forced out of their homes those who did not leave their towns up
to the night of August 6th. Yesterday, seventy-two people were
driven out of Karakosh. However, not all of them arrived; those who arrived
last night were in miserable condition. They had to cross Al-Khazi river (a
tributary to the Great Zab) on foot because the bridge had been destroyed.
There are still quite few on the side of the riverbank. We do not know when
they will make it to Erbil. It depends on the situation and negotiations
between the Peshmerga and the IS. There are some people who went to fetch the
elderly and the unable to walk. One of our sisters went to bring her parents,
and told her story. Another woman, said that she was separated from her husband
and children, and she knows nothing about them; they are probably among the
others who are on the other bank, or they might be among the hostages taken by
the IS. Also, a tree-year old daughter was taken from her mother’s lap, and she
also knows nothing about her. We do not know why the IS are sending people out
of Karakosh, but we have been hearing from those who just arrived, that IS are
bringing barrels into Karakosh and the contents are unknown.
In addition, we know of four Christian families who are stuck in
Sinjar for over three weeks; they are probably running out of food and water.
If they do not get help, they will die there. At the present, there is no
contact with them, and there is no way to negotiate with the IS.
As for our community, we know that our convent in Tel Kaif is being
used as an IS headquarter. Also, we know that they had entered our convent in
Karakosh. Those that recently arrived have stated that all the holy pictures,
icons, and statutes are being destroyed. Crosses have been taken off the top of
churches and they have been replaced with the IS flags. That is not only in
Karakosh and Tel Kaif. In Baqofa, one of
our sisters heard the situation was calm, so she went back with few people, to
get her medicine. She found the convent had been searched; everything was open
and strewn across the rooms. The minute
they entered the convent, three bombs hit the town. They left immediately.
Apart from what is happening to the Christians, yesterday, Friday
the 22nd, a Shiite suicide bomber and gunmen attacked Sunni mosque of Abou Mussab in
village under Iraqi government control in Diyala province leaving 68 dead. It
is heartbreaking to hear about people get killed while praying. In terms of
Media and news release, this massacre overshadowed what is happening to the
Christians in Nineveh Plain. We are afraid that our struggle will become only our own affairs,
and it will not have impact on the world anymore.
At last, we have to say that people are losing their patience. They
miss everything in their hometowns: churches, church bells, streets, and
neighborhood. It is heartbreaking for them to hear that their homes have been
robbed. Although they love their towns, most people are now thinking of leaving
the country so they can live in dignity and have future for their children. It
is hard to have hope in Iraq, or to trust the leadership of the country.
Please, keep us in your prayers.
[Comme l’aveugle de Jéricho qui n’avait que
sa voix pour demander miséricorde, nous
continuons à partager notre expérience de la situation que nous vivons en Irak avec
l’espoir que nos voix arriveront à ceux qui peuvent nous aider.
Nous en sommes à la troisième
semaine de déplacement et les choses bougent très lentement quant à la
distribution du nécessaire pour tous ces gens qui n’ont rien. Plusieurs vivent dans la rue puisqu’il n’existe
pas encore de camps organisés ; les écoles servent de centres pour les
refugiés. Il y a un bâtiment à moitié
fini que l’on sépare en « appartements » en utilisant des toiles de
plastique fournies par l’UNHCR. Nous
sommes reconnaissantes pour tous les efforts faits pour nous soulager, mais
nous réalisons que la situation est beaucoup plus large : les chrétiens et
les yazedis ont tout perdu et on les persécute seulement à cause de leur
religion.
Nos chefs d’église
font de leur mieux pour trouver une solution.
Ils ont rencontré les Présidents irakien et kurde, mais les résultats
sont lents et modestes. Jusqu’à présent, rien n’a été décidé à propos des minorités
déplacées. À cause de cela, les gens
perdent confiance que les leaders politiques arriveront à trouver une
solution. Hier, un jeune homme a dit qu’il
préférait la mort à cette vie sans dignité, une dignité qu’on a dérobée aux
gens, simplement à cause de leur religion.
Nous nous demandons ce qui se passe
vraiment : est-ce un plan pour diviser le pays ? Les évènements de 1916 en Moyen Orient
sont-ils en train de se répéter aujourd’hui ? En 1916, nous avons perdu sept de nos sœurs. Plusieurs chrétiens sont morts ou bien ont
fui.
La situation dans les villes évacuées
est pire que celle dans les camps des déplaces.
L’EI a forcé l’évacuation de ceux qui étaient restés dans leurs villes
jusqu’au 6 août. Hier, 72 personnes ont dû
quitter Karakosh. Ceux qui sont arrivés étaient
en condition misérable. Ils avaient
traversé l’Al-Khazi à pied puisque le pont avait été détruit. Plusieurs sont restés sur l’autre rive et
leur arrivée à Erbil dépend des négociations entre les Peshmerga et l’EI.
Quelques personnes sont allées chercher les personnes âgées et ceux qui ne
pouvaient pas marcher. Une de nos sœurs nous
a raconté comment elle est allée chercher ses parents. Une femme ne sait rien de son mari et de ses
enfants qui pourraient être otages des ISIS.
Une petite de 3 ans a été prise sur les genoux de sa maman. L’EI renvoie les gens de Karakosh et nous
entendons qu’ils y apportent des tonneaux, dont nous ignorons le contenu.
Nous connaissons 4 familles chrétiennes
qui enfermées à Sinjar pendant plus de 3 semaines ; si elles n’arrivent
pas à se procurer de l’eau et de la nourriture, elles y mourront. Nous n’avons
aucun contact avec elles et il est impossible de négocier ave d’EI.
Notre couvent à Tel Kaif est devenu
un centre pour l’EI. Ils sont entrés
dans notre couvent de Karakosh et y ont détruit tous les objets religieux. Ils ont remplacé les croix sur les églises
avec des drapeaux EI. Une de nos sœurs,
croyant que la situation à Bagofa s’était calmée, y est retournée avec des gens
pour chercher ses médicaments. On avait
fouillé le couvent, et aussitôt leur arrivée, trois bombes sont tombées. Ils ont quitté immédiatement.
Hier le 22 août, un kamikaze shiite
et d’autres soldats ont attaqué la mosquée sunnite d’Abou Mussab dans un
village contrôlé par le gouvernement irakien dans la province de Diyala. Ils ont tué 68 personnes. Ce
massacre horrible a pris l’attention du monde. Nous craignons que notre lutte dans la Plaine
de Ninive ne devienne que notre problème et que le monde n’y prête plus
attention.
Il faut dire que les gens perdent
patience. Il leur manque tout ce qu’ils
ont dû quitter et c’est dur d’apprendre que leurs foyers ont été volés. Plusieurs pensent quitter le pays afin de
pouvoir donner un avenir à leurs enfants.
C’est dur de garder de l’espoir et de maintenir sa confiance en les autorités
du pays.
Veillez bien continuer à prier pour nous.]
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