Innocents are killed in our beloved country Iraq on a daily basis. They are slaughtered in their own homes, universities, schools and on the streets only because they are Christians.

Who has a good conscience can remain silent when crimes are committed against human beings and no one is punished?! This is the case of the Iraqi Christians whose hearts are bleeding and no one is ready to console them.

In this bitter and critical situation, the Syriac Catholic Patriarch Youssef III Younan gave an interview to Tele Lumiere during the program Challenges with Charbel Zwein, discussing the Iraqi situation. His Beatitude has already taken a stance, sending a letter to the Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki urging the government to act, protect the Christians and to fully take control of the security in Mosul, where killing the innocents is allowed without any deterrence. Patriarch Younan asked why the security forces in Iraq are unable to protect the Christians: Why don't these targeted innocents possess weapons to defend themselves, rather than being slaughtered like sheep?

Today, the situation in Mosul and all Iraqi areas is the worst. We need security forces more than ever, helping the Christian minority to remain attached to their land so that the city never empties, otherwise coming back will be difficult if security and life are destroyed.

Patriarch Younan called people again through Tele Lumiere to have hope and asserted that whoever kills in the name of religion and God is criminal. The Iraqi people are intelligent and kind and the state should preserve this richness. His Beatitude mentioned as well the importance of dialogue between religions in order to accept others and build a civilized country.

We, the Eastern Christians went through various conditions; we were persecuted, killed and displaced. We are the children of martyrs. But today, we are living in a world open to communication. We must transmit our cause to the entire world, admitting that these acts are unacceptable and unjustifiable. A minority is targeted because it belongs to a different religion. However, we should always feel hope as St Paul said: Let your hope keep you joyful.

Yesterday, the funerals of a man and his two sons took place at St Bahnam and Sarah Syriac Catholic Church, Karkouch after they were killed in their own home at Mosul.