Baghdad (AsiaNews) – The Christians of Telleskuf are demanding an apology from the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, northern Iraq, after a bodyguard of Peshmerga attacked a priest last week. On April 16, the community of the town - not far from Mosul and the neighbouring semi-autonomous province of Kurdistan – held a protest calling for a public apology (see photo) from the Kurdish government, which depends on the peshmerga,: Local sources told AsiaNews – “A priest is considered a real authority and any offense against him is against the Church itself. "
The episode dates back to April 15 – according to online agency Ankawa.com - when Father Thomas Faris Yacoub, on his journey home, passed near the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (the formation of Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, ed). "At that moment I saw a guard throw a plastic cup full of water into the next room - says the priest - I asked him why he did it, seeing the place had just been cleared to reopen at the weekend" .
The response was swift and came from a fellow soldier, who began to insult and slap Fr. Faris, until the other peshmerga intervened to stop him. After the attack, one of the officers on duty made the priest enter the barracks to calm him down and apologize. Two hours later - Fr. Faris himself tells - The commander of peshmerga in person, with a small delegation, went to his house to make an apology and ensure that the guilty soldier would be tried by a special court.
The soldier attacked the priest despite being fully aware of who he had in front of him, because the priest was wearing his clerics. The fact has provoked a public outcry among the inhabitants of Telleskuf, but the situation has not degenerated thanks to the immediate apology from the top commanders of the Peshmerga.
With the peaceful demonstration last Friday, but the Christian community has sought to stress its indignation and concern for an act considered "isolated, but very serious."