“Iraq needs a comprehensive solution,” the bishop said, urging that special help be given to “minorities, including Christians, who have done much to build Iraq.”
“Cooperation among all in order to achieve peace and security in Iraq and the Middle East” must be one of the first steps, Bishop Warduni continued. “If this were happening,” Christians would not be leaving the region.
“We call for the creation of a special international tribunal to shed light on the killings of Christian martyrs such as Archbishop Faraj Raho of Mosul (killed in 2008), and others. We want everyone to know the truth,” Bishop Warduni said.
He urged Italian lawmakers to put pressure on the governments of countries where Christians are a minority to ensure greater protection of their rights against the actions of extremists. “The danger is that this continues to spread throughout the world. We want the U.N. to be more decisive when it comes to defending the rights of man,” he said.
He also warned against the growing Islamization of Iraq, a country where “Christians are free to worship but not to fully profess their faith.
“The time for words is over, it is now time for concrete action,” the bishop concluded.