Assyrians on patrol

When World Watch Monitor on the renewed fervor for the creation of a Christian-governed province in Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, we noted how some Christian refugees from the violence of the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” had formed paramilitary units to help Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Now an up-close look at two Assyrian Iraqis . . . Read More

New urgency for an old idea: Nineveh

New urgency for an old idea: Nineveh
An ancient Nineveh gate, east of Mosul.James Gordon / Flickr / Creative Commons   The militant Islamist rampage across Iraq has intensified calls for a Christian “safe zone,” even as it has made the task of achieving it more difficult. The jihadists, who call their movement the “Islamic State,” have . . . Read More

Qaraqosh falls, thousands flee

Qaraqosh falls, thousands flee
Map of IS occupation in Iraq as of August 7 2014. Courtesy of Open Doors International   Armed jihadists of the so-called “Islamic State” took over Iraq’s largest Christian town, Qaraqosh, and nearby Christian settlements early Thursday, forcing thousands of Christians to flee to Kurdish-controlled areas. Statements of anguish and . . . Read More

First time in 1600 years no Mass said in Mosul, Iraq, says Chaldean Archbishop

First time in 1600 years no Mass said in Mosul, Iraq, says Chaldean Archbishop
The Chaldean Catholic Church’s Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, in Kurdish-governed Northern Iraq, is reported as saying that for the first time in 1600 years there was no Mass said in Mosul on Sunday June 15th. This is the city taken over days before by ISIS forces. Reports say the . . . Read More