The
following excerpts are from AINA.org:
As
fighters from the Islamic State group rampage across northern Syria
and Iraq, a group of priests are racing against time to save what's
left of the region's Christian heritage. Dominican Order priests have
already managed to get many precious artifacts and manuscripts safely
to Erbil in Kurdistan.
Reports
of massacres and beheadings of Christians and other minority groups
have scared thousands into fleeing the jihadists' advance. In a
region regarded as the cradle of civilization, it's no surprise that
the rapid advance of the militant fighters has alarmed those looking
to preserve the region's heritage.
The
Dominican Order [also known as the Order of Preachers] - a Roman
Catholic religious order founded 800 years ago - has deep roots among
Christian communities in northern Iraq. For decades, Najeeb Michaeel
- an Iraqi priest belonging to the Order - has worked to collect and
preserve precious manuscripts. Now with the rise of the Islamic State
group, his work has become all the more important.
Read
more by clicking below:
Priests Race to Save Manuscripts From Jihadists in Iraq