” “” “” “Father Nawzat P. Hanna was freed last night in Baghdad after two days’ abduction. The news is also relayed by the website of the church of Mar Qardagh at Erbil. Yesterday, mgr. Shlemon Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, a few hours before the release, had stated to SIR that he had spoken on the phone with the priest and had advised to be "cautious and wise". Despite the good news, serious concern remains for the ongoing persecution of the Christians in the country. Speaking with him over the phone from the diocese of Kirkurk, the archbishop Louis Sako said to SIR: “Things are better in Kirkuk, but the Christians in Baghdad and Mosul have a really hard life. There’s no authority, there’s no order. The terrorists are everywhere, and many districts are under their control. News of violence keep flooding in. Hanna has been the seventh priest abducted in Baghdad, and luckily now he’s free. But many had to leave the country and migrate abroad”. “We are really forgotten. And too many voices around are deafening adds mgr. Sako . We keep working for peace,"although we know how fragile it is", and we try to build and fuel a culture of dialogue for a different life to the one we are living. Every day, lots of families in Baghdad and Mosul leave all they have, because they are threatened, forced to leave their cities, and so they can only move out".” “” “
