Chaldean Bishop: daily life in Baghdad goes on
Attacks against foreigners and Iraqis are originating from outside Iraq
The head of security for petroleum supplies, Ghazi al Talaban, was killed this morning while travelling to his workplace in Kirkuk. The victim is cousin of Jalal Talabani, leader of the Kurdistan Patriotic Union. This is the third assassination of an authority figure in an escalation of violence that is characterizing the approach to June 30, when power will be transferred from the Coalition to the Iraqi government.
Last Saturday, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, Bassam Qubba was killed; the following day the minister of Education, Kamal al Jarrah, was assassinated.
The killing of al Talaban comes a day after the attack on the oil pipeline of Kirkuk; in preceding days, there had been attacks on the pipelines of Basra and Khor al-Amaya. According to experts, two-thirds of crude oil exports risk being blocked for at least 10 days. Such an outage could cost Iraq 60 million dollars a day.
AsiaNews asked a Chaldean bishop how Iraqis see the current situation of increasing uncertainty and violence. Monsignor Jacques Ishaq, age 66, is Archbishop Emeritus of Arbil and Patriarchal Vicar General for Cultural Affairs. In his capacity as Director of the Inter-confessional Theological Faculty, he is in contact with Christian and Muslim figures. While describing the efforts made for a normal existence by those he calls the "silent majority", he stresses that all these attacks "are coming from outside" and are aiming to block the modernization and the development of Iraq.
Msgr Ishaq, why was the Kurdish representative attacked?
Not only Kurds are being killed, but also Shi'ites and Sunnis; those who collaborate with the Americans even laundry workers and those who do not collaborate; those who work in the electrical energy sector; those who oversee the pipeline. All those elements that are working for the normalization of the situation in Iraq are being targeted. I think all this is happening to block the country's development. Iraq has immense economic potential; it can became a modern and rich state. There are people who have interests in impeding all this. There is a foreign influence: this is clear; we Iraqis have never fought against each other. These attacks, the car bombs: they are coming from outside Iraq.
Yet there's talk about hatred toward the Americans, toward foreigners...
Yes, foreigners are being targeted, but you can find American soldiers who are helping the people, who play with the children: not all Iraqis hate them. Certainly everyone wants the end of the occupation, independence, but we do not want to kill Americans.
Newspaper reports say that the foreigners are hated, but this is not the general rule. The silent majority is not behaving this way. Those who shout are more visible. And, as we've seen, not only foreigners are targeted: so are Iraqis. University professors, engineers, scientists have been killed. All the population wants is for this nightmare to end: an independent Iraq, but most of all they want the security, electricity, tranquillity they need to get on with their life.
How is daily life in Baghdad?
Each morning I drive myself to the Babel Theological Faculty, a 20 km trip. Around me, there are milions of people going to work. We all know that we could run into an attack, car bombs, snipers. Despite this, everyone does his duty by going to work. I go to Babel College, to the office of the Oriental Star (Editor's note: editorial centre of the Chaldean Church). The streets are full of cars and traffic, people are going to the market. Baghdad has a 60 km diameter. There are attacks, but daily life goes on. Including Mass: churches on Sunday are full. I serve the Saint George Parish and our community's life goes on. We are able to hold catechism classes for children who are preparing for their First Communion. The only thing is that everyone avoids going out at night. But those who work at night go out all the same. Life goes on despite everything: it must go on.
What are the obstacles faced by the Church in day-to-day life?
Christians aren't facing any particular obstacle: we have the same difficulties as everyone else, but we try to carry on. I always go around dressed in my cassock, wearing my crucifix and am well received. The security problems regards everyone, it touches everyone: Christians and Muslims, we are all united in the same problem. There is absolutely no hatred between Christians and Muslims, between Iraqi citizens. But, then again, in day-to-day life, there are no divisions between Iraqis.
Is there hope for Iraq?
Everyone hopes the security improves, because we can't go on like this. We Iraqis all hope that things normalize. We are aware that, by the end of the month, the situation could worsen, there will be more attacks, but at the beginning of July, things could change.
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