Moussalli family challenged IS, saved 2 ancient manuscripts

NEWS DESK

The Iraqi family, despite being aware of the risk they might be exposed to in case IS mercenaries would know that they concealed books that date back to hundreds of years such as murdering, killing or arresting them, their determination and will were stronger than the practices of the mercenaries.

After al-Mosul has been liberated, the family handed over the two manuscripts to the representative of the Chaldean community in Erbil Paulus Thabet Meko. The family preferred to not be identified for fear of the sleeping cells that are still existed in the city.

Paulus Thabet Meko made clear to the English Asiya news how the family got those books according to what has been told by the family and said, “One day, the man saw a truck throwing some garbage in an area within al-Mosul while he was in the area looking for some wood to cook the food and heat his house and he found two manuscripts written in ancient Syriac script.”

“He was afraid when he handed over them because he knew that he could be killed if his identity was discovered,” the Chaldean priest said. He also noted that the Iraqi person told him that he was looking for a reliable Christian priest or cleric to hand over the manuscripts to him, and added, “After he handed over them, he said that he want to go to the area shoveled by IS perhaps he would find some other manuscripts under the rubble.”

The representative of the Chaldean community said that after the Iraqi person handed over the books, he said, “Goodbye” after giving me the manuscripts. He wanted to send me a message, “Not all the people in al-Mosul advocate IS, many people consider the Christians as brothers and they are ready to put their life at risk to save the Christian texts.”

For more than four years, IS has controlled al-Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq. During their reign, they burned the buildings, destroyed the churches, burned the books and banned music, art and books.

D.H

ANHA