Islamic State forging unity among Christians

The Syriac Orthodox archbishop of the Iraqi city of Mosul said attacks by Islamic State (IS) terrorists have helped forge bonds of unity with Catholics and he is in regular contact with Iraq’s Catholic bishops, writes Ellen Teague.

“This tragedy made us walk towards unity,” said Archbishop Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf of Mosul. “IS chased the [Mosul] Christians indiscriminately, so why should we make differences? … IS took everything from us, but our faith.” He added: “Today in Iraq we are working as one Christian Church.” Archbishop Daoud has been lecturing in France and Belgium about the situation of Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs) in Iraq. His congregation and other Mosul Christians have been displaced to northern Iraq for nearly two years.