IRAQ: Church leaders in Mosul and Nineveh Plains condemn hateful sermons of Sheikh al-Shamaa
NINEVEH PLAINS and MOSUL, Iraq – Several bishops and heads of churches in Mosul and Nineveh Plains issued a statement denouncing the unacceptable remarks made by some platforms and social media sites in which Christianity is offended and discord is sewn among the people of Iraq and between Christian communities.
In the statement, the church leaders expressed their condemnation of the statements made on Sheikh Muhammad al-Shamaa’s website that offends Christians.
“Sheikh al-Shamaa’s Facebook page promotes fundamentalist and Salafi currents. Such remarks sow discord between religions and components of the same people,” the statement added, condemning such sermons that break the national cohesion and incite sectarianism between the people of Mosul and Nineveh Plains.
In their statement, they also called for unity, strength, and perseverance in the fight against terrorism in the region. They also spoke of the need to limit the activities of extremists who use religion to spread hatred and return humanity to an age of ignorance.
The statement also noted that Christians will not be encouraged to return to their homes after hearing such sermons that use the same terms used by terrorist groups to insult Christians, such as, “Nasara, kafara (infidels), crusaders, etc …”
“Houses of God, including mosques, are supposed to spread peace, love, and brotherhood among religions and peoples. If such shameful voices have not been silenced, we will call for an urgent world press conference,” the statement concluded.