The Biggest Island of Christianity in the Islamic Ocean

Assyrian International News Agency ^ | 1/21/15 | Doreen Abi Raad

[marshmallow]

On Aug. 6, 2014, after evening Mass on the feast of the Transfiguration, the Christian residents of Qaraqosh, Iraq, were threatened by the Islamic State to convert to Islam, pay a tax or be killed. That prompted the exodus of the city's 50,000 Christians, who fled to Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Qaraqosh, a bed of Christianity since the first century, was totally Syriac Catholic. Syriac-Catholic Bishop Barnaba Yousif Habash of the Syrian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance, based in Bayonne, N.J., is a native of Qaroqosh. He describes his birthplace as "the biggest island of Christianity in the Islamic ocean."

One of the Syriac-Catholic patriarchs, the bishop says, referred to Qaraqosh as "the right eye of the Church." In Aramaic, the language of Jesus, the expression "right eye" means "you are very precious to me."

Bishop Habash is responsible for the spiritual needs of Syriac Catholics in the United States and Canada, covering 18 parishes and totaling approximately 40,000 people.

Bishop Habash traveled to Irbil to spend the holidays with the more than 100,000 displaced Christians who were uprooted from Mosul and Iraq's Nineveh Plain, as well as from Qaraqosh, by the advance of the Islamic State. The exiled Christians are still camping out in tents and uncompleted buildings in harsh winter conditions. Among them are priests, nuns and two bishops.

Bishop Habash's ancestors from Qaraqosh include 16 priests, among them a martyred bishop. At 64 years old, he is the oldest of five priests currently in his extended family, one of whom he recently ordained. In addition, there is a Habash who is a candidate for the priesthood.

Bishop Habash spoke in early January with Register correspondent Doreen Abi Raad at the Syriac-Catholic patriarchate in Beirut, Lebanon......

[Biggirl]

God Bless our suffering brothers and sisters in the Lord!

[yldstrk]

Good find Marshmallow. What an amazing witness. Now if there is something to be done to help this situation, we should do it. As the bishop said, pray.

[I want the USA back]

Where are the “human rights” people? The “amnesty” crowd?

The truth is that the bleeding-heart liberal groups believe that it’s White Christians who are always guilty, and never victims.

[Salvation]

**Qaraqosh, a bed of Christianity since the first century, was totally Syriac Catholic. Syriac-Catholic Bishop Barnaba Yousif Habash of the Syrian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance, based in Bayonne, N.J., is a native of Qaroqosh. He describes his birthplace as “the biggest island of Christianity in the Islamic ocean.” **

Prayers for these Catholics not only in the U. S. and Canada, but also in Lebanon and other places in the Middle East.