Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Network

Home

SOCM-Forum

Fr. Boulous Iskander Beheaded in Mosul

Father Boulos Iskander, vicar of the St. Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church in Mosul was brutally decapitated in Iraq. He was kidnapped by a fanatic Islamic group on Sunday (08 October 2006) apparently in protest against H.H. Pope Benedict's recent speech. They forced the community in Mosul to write 30 large posters denying what His Holiness had cited about Mohammad, the prophet of Islam. Although the community complied with the demand, the fanatics killed the priest.

The Bishop of Mosul H.E. Mor Gregorios Saliba Chamoun received the news of the tragedy during a session of the Holy Synod of Universal Syriac Orthodox Church in Damascus. Mor Gregorios immediately left Damascus to return to Mosul to be with the faithful at this very difficult time.


	Source: Arab Times Daily

The decapitated body of Fr. Iskander was found Wednesday evening in an industrial area of the city. His arms showed signs of torture.

"He was a good man and we all shed tears for him," said Eman Saaur, a 45-year-old schoolteacher who said she attended Iskender's church regularly. "He was a man of peace."

Relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the unidentified group that seized Iskander on Sunday had demanded a ransom and that his church condemned a statement made by Pope Benedict XVI last month that ignited waves of anger throughout the Muslim world.

Before Iskander was kidnapped the church already had put up signs condemning the statement and calling for good relations between Christians and Muslims, his relatives said.

Relatives said the priest's oldest son had been in contact with the kidnappers on mobile telephones. He negotiated the ransom payment down to US$ 35,000 and had agreed to pay, but contact abruptly ceased Tuesday night.

Fr Iskander was laid to rest at Mosul's Syriac Orthodox St Ephrem Church. More than 500 people attended a memorial service on Thursday.

"It was a tragedy," said Hazim Shaaiya, 60, who had come to the memorial service to pay respects. "Father Amer Iskender was a peaceful, kind and religious man."

Iraq's highest Sunni religious authority, the Ulema Council, called the priest's death "a cowardly murder". In a press release, they said that the Orthodox priest was well known for "his nationalist views and opposition to the occupation".

"The Ulema Council," the statement said, "condemns this cowardly killing and will not forget those who are behind this crime, committed by people who want to deprive the country of every religious and national symbol that can hold Iraq together by trying to start a religious war between sons of the same nation".

Source: http://www.soku.org/

Through his brutal death, Fr Boulos Iskander joins the ranks of the innumerable martyrs of the Syriac Orthodox Church. May the Lord give his servant good remembrance and protect the faithful in Iraq from their merciless persecutors.

Obituary from dayroyo Hanna to the martyr of our brother and priest Paulos Iskan

With frightening we heard of the martyr of our brother and Brother Paulos Iskander in Mosul. We pray to god and in memory of the murdered one, for his sacrifices to be accepted in grace and to enter to heaven. His prayers and intercessions shall attend us before God. For his survivor (family and relatives) we pay for them to be blessed, to overcome the sorrow and live an in God trusting future life.

The cowardly murder fulfils us all with deep sorrow. He was kidnapped by an unknown Islamic group. His ransom was posted at either $250.000 or $350.00. Although their request was done, the fanatics killed the priest.

The reason for this crime is the hateful reaction to an alleged insult to Allah by Pope Benedict XVI in his presentation at the University in Regensburg. No one who isn't wilful would interpret his quotation as an insult.

They (the committers) neither want to understand, nor to take notice that the quotation wasn't meant to be insulting at all. They cultivate prejudices and follow their lack of judgement. They are not prepared to enter into a critical dialogue between religions. Only on such a ground, such depravations can grow. There is no excuse for this.

The act draws conclusions from the mentality of the criminals. They are ensnared, ignorant and attend their masters' orders without any reservation, which manipulate them in order to this tremendousness deeds.

He, who murders, breaks God's rules. This violation of the right of existence, doesn't find any vindication, neither for Christians in the holy bible, nor for Muslims in the Koran. Whosoever kills innocent beings makes indecent advances to God's Creation and attends Satan. The reference to the Holy Scriptures, whether bible or Koran, are unapologetic about these deeds. They come from Satan.

We are in high dudgeon about people who got carried away with these dishonourable and inhuman deeds, under reference to God's word. The committers „do not know what they are doing." Luke 23.34.

Our brother gave himself over to his believe in God and his love to Jesus Christ and his neighbours. Therewith he followed the many witnesses of our church and Christendom, as predicted by our Lord Jesus Christ. (Mt. 24, 9- 14, 17- 22; Mk 13, 9- 13; Luke 21, 12- 19)

According to the apprenticeship of our church fathers (Didache, 16, 3- 5) we can read: "For in the last days the false prophets and corrupters shall be multiplied, and the sheep shall be turned into wolves, and love shall be turned into hate.

For as lawlessness increased, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray. And then the world-deceiver shall appear as a son of God; and shall work signs and wonders, and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he shall do unholy things, which have never been since the world began. Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved by the Curse Himself."

Our Lord Jesus Christ thought us: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." In this faithful hope we bow before our sacrificed brother priest Paulos Iskander.

Zel Bashlomo Kohno Myaqro u slutoch haman

Dayroyo Dr. Hanna Aydin
Syrian orthodox church in Germany
Translated by: Hmara

Source: YAUNO Magazine