ICC Note: A Christian family killed in Baghdad over this past weekend has caused many other Christian residents grave concern. Many, including Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako, point to a lack of security measures as contributing to this violence. Iraqi Christians are viewed by extremists as being easy targets because of the way Christians live their faith.

03/16/2018 Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat) – Lack of security measures is the reason behind the killing of a Christian family in al-Mashtal district of the new Baghdad area, said Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the world Mar Luis Rafael Sacco.

“With great sadness and sorrow, we receive painful news about the assassination of people to take their money, or for the purpose of taking revenge,” said Patriarch Sacco, adding that a man and his wife, both doctors, and mother, were killed in “cold blood”.

The Patriarch considered the killing an evidence of a flawed security system.

He called on the government “to take all necessary measures to protect the citizens and their property, to prosecute the perpetrators and bring them to justice and punish them harshly to reassure citizens.”

Patriarch Sacco called upon religious, educational and media bodies to promote a culture of peace and coexistence.

Iraqi Ministry of the Interior did not issue any clarification on the incident, but security sources said on Saturday, that a doctor and two members of his family were stabbed with knives, after gunmen stormed into his house. The attackers also stole some money and expensive items from the house.

The family targeted consists of Christian doctor, Hisham Shafiq al-Maskuni, 61, a native of Baghdad, his wife Shaza Malik, and mother Khairiya Dawood, who were stabbed to death on Thursday evening in Baghdad’s eastern neighbourhood of al-Mashtal.

For his part, head of al-Warka parliamentary bloc Joseph Sylawa, denounced the security authorities’ silence regarding the horrific murder of the family.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sylawa indicated: “I do not have detailed information about the incident so far,” adding that it is likely that the incident was done for criminal purposes, but he didn’t rule out that the purpose could be done to scare the Christian entity of the Iraqi society forcing them to leave the city.

“I am surprised by the silence of the Interior Ministry on the subject, and not providing any clarification,” pointed out Sylawa.

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