Iraq: church forcibly turned into mosque
Muslim groups attacked two churches in the Dora district of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing guards at one and forcibly turning the other into a mosque. Several security guards were killed at St John the Baptist's in Hay Al-Athoriyeen. St Jacob's in Hay al Asya was vandalized and forcibly turned into a mosque. St Jacob's was attacked before, in October 2004. At the same time as the churches were being attacked, the funeral Mass for Chaldean Catholic Priest Father Ragheed Ganni, was being celebrated in Karamles by Archbishop Faraj Rahho of Mosul amidst tight security. Fr Ganni, 35, a parish priest, and three deacons, were shot dead on 3 June, in front of the Holy Spirit Church in the Nur District of Mosul. Source: Fides/AN