Christian-Muslim conference condemns attack on church in Iraq
Participants of the Christian-Muslim consultation.
Christian and Muslim leaders and scholars meeting at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, site of the World Council of Churches (WCC) central offices today issued a joint statement of condemnation for the criminal attack on the Church of Our Lady of Najat (Sayidat al-Nejat) in Baghdad this past Sunday, 31 October.
Fifty-eight people were killed after gunman seized hostages in the churches and government security services later stormed the church to end the siege.
The group is participating in a 4-day international consultation on “Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future.”
In the statement the group expressed “condemnation of all acts of violence that target places of worship and other sacred places, defile them, or threaten the safety and security of worshippers.”
The group called on “the United Nations and its Security Council and all groups that call for just peace, and especially Iraqi officials, to intervene for the purpose of putting an end to all terrorist attacks aimed at degrading the Iraqi people, irrespective of their religious affiliation, and defiling Christian and Islamic sacred places.”
A press conference will be held at the Ecumenical Centre on Thursday, 4 November at 4:30 pm.
More information on the consultation
