|
A U.S. Missionary Killed In Iraq Shooting
 |
|
A File photo of two missionaries who had visited Iraq
|
BAGHDAD,
February 16 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A Christian
missionary was killed and three others injured in an ambush on their
car near Baghdad on Sunday, February 15.
A
number of gunmen opened fire on the car the missionaries were riding
on their way back from the southern Iraqi city of Babil, eyewitnesses
told Al-Quds press.
The
U.S. military confirmed the attack, saying on Monday, February 16,
that the civilians, all U.S. citizens, were found in a hospital in
Mahmudiyah, 18 miles south of Baghdad, by American paratroopers on
patrol.
"They
were traveling in an Iraqi taxi from Babylon to Baghdad when people in
a white sedan ambushed them with small arms fire," the spokesman
told Reuters.
He
said it was not clear on which day the victims were attacked nor which
religious group they represented.
Since
the U.S. and British forces rolled into Baghdad on April 9, more than
100 Christian missionaries entered the Arab Muslim country.
Shrouded
in secrecy and under the guise of humanitarian aid, American
missionaries, mainly evangelicals, are pouring into the predominantly
Muslim Iraq, fearing the now "open door" may be soon closed
when an Iraqi government takes over power, Daily Telegraph
reported on December 27.
The
goal now is spreading some one million Arabic bibles along with Arabic
religious videos and tracts throughout Iraq, after only 8,000 copies
were circulated in their last missions, the paper added.
Counter-balance
Facing
the flood of missionaries to Iraq, a leading Muslim scholar called for
Islamic relief groups to increase their activities, especially in poor
areas in Iraq.
"These
relief works should be carried out directly, particularly in poor
areas, Kamel Al-Sharif, the secretary general of the International
Council for Daawa and Relief has said on Thursday, February 13.
The
council groups 80 Islamic organizations across the world.
Sharif
said that in quick response to this, some 200,000 dollars were
earmarked for rehabilitating the role of the Iraqi Red Cross.
He
said that Christian missions exploit the cauldron of chaos and anarchy
now prevailing in Iraq to "shake up people's faith" under
the guise of humanitarian assistance.
The
White House, fearing the rise of an Islamic regime after the downfall
of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, announced last year, it wound
not interfere with “proselytizing” in Iraq.
Upon
hearing the White House’s announcement, evangelical charities are
now readying their literature-albeit cautiously, given the hazard of
appearing to be “Christian crusaders", Newsweek had
said.
The
weekly stressed that the International Bible Society has already sent
10,000 booklets created for Iraqis entitled “Christ has brought
peace!”
On
March 28, the Southern Baptist Convention, the U.S. largest Protestant
denomination, and the Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse said
“workers” were on the Iraqi-Jordanian borders ready
to go in as soon as it is safe.
Two
American Casualties
In
the meantime, two U.S. soldiers were killed and five wounded in
separate roadside bomb blasts within an hour of each other in northern
Iraq and the capital Monday, U.S. military officials said.
One
soldier was killed and four wounded in Baquba, 60 kilometers (35
miles) northeast of Baghdad, a spokesman told Agence France-Presse
(AFP).
The
wounded soldiers were all listed in stable condition, although there
was no information on the seriousness of their injuries.
The
bomb hit the soldiers' convoy at 10:00 am (0700 GMT), less than an
hour after a similar device killed a U.S. military policeman and
wounded another soldier in Baghdad.
"A
military policeman, attached to the 1st Armored Division, was killed
and another wounded when a three-vehicle patrol was hit by an
improvised explosive device (IED) at 9:20 am (0620 GMT)," the
spokesperson said.
The
death brought to at least 374 the number of U.S. soldiers killed in
combat since U.S.-led occupation forces invaded Iraq in March 2003,
according to Reuters count.
|
