The 16-year-old attacker who attacked the bishop of the Assyrian community with a knife during a mass in the western suburb of Wakeley continues to be treated in hospital. The bishop is recovering. “I tell him: you are my son, I love you and I will always pray for you. Whoever sent you to do this, I forgive him too,” Mar Mari Emmanuel said.
“I recover very quickly. There is no reason to be concerned or worried,” Mar Mari Emmanuel said in an audio message released on Thursday (see below).
He was attacked by the 16-year-old during a mass broadcast live on the internet in the western suburb of Wakeley. “Religiously motivated extremism” is a possible motive for the crime; the police have already classified the crime as an “act of terrorism”.
The bishop and priest survived
The bishop and at least one priest underwent surgery after the crime and survived only by luck, according to police. At least one finger of the young attacker is said to have been cut off – how exactly this happened is still unclear.
The video released by the church (Mar Mari Emmanuel’s statement can be heard from about minute 3):
Rioting after attack
Following the attack, chaotic scenes erupted outside the church, where a crowd of hundreds of angry people quickly gathered alongside rescuers and police officers. The situation escalated and riots broke out.
Even ambulance personnel had to barricade themselves in the church for hours because they were threatened by the crowd. According to Webb, some of the rioters were not parishioners at all, but had simply rushed to the church to cause a disturbance.
The police are looking for rioters
More than fifty police officers were injured on Monday evening as they tried to regain control of the angry crowd. The executive called on the public to help locate the rioters. For example, one person involved had a very striking tattoo on his upper body, but he ‘cowardly covered his own face’ during the unrest.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
