More New Martyrs

From The Telegraph a couple of days ago:

The last day of Qaraqosh’s time as a Christian town, a time almost as old as Christianity itself, began with a mortar shell at nine in the morning.
It came through the roof of Melad and Marven Abdullah’s house on Wednesday, killing them instantly. Melad was nine; his cousin, Marven, four. The mortar struck Marven in the head as it landed. They found his arms and feet, crushed against the wall, but nothing else.
The family’s next-door neighbour, Enam Eshoo, had popped in to deliver some fresh drinking water; she too died where she fell.
The day ended with an order to evacuate. Within a couple of hours, the city’s tens of thousands of inhabitants were crowding the road to Kurdistan, fighting with troops manning checkpoints, trying to find shelter where they could.
The streets of the capital Erbil’s newly Christian suburb, Ainkawa, swelled by exiles from ten years of punishing terror and oppression in northern Iraq, are now full of stunned and helpless people. They are camping on the floors of church halls, in a building site, in the street. An old woman was sleeping in a flower bed. Another begged for help.

Yes, it's a few days old but a gripping read.  And things have not changed for the better.  I'm pretty sure Rorate Cæli is due an "h/t" for this link but I've actually forgotten where I harvested it.  In any event, Rorate has done more to keep us informed about the new Christian martyrs of the Middle East than anyone else I'm aware of.

To be sure, WSJ has several fine articles this weekend about the ongoing persecutions of the "religious minorities" in Iraq.  They seem principally worried about Yazidis, although later on there is mention of another persecuted minority. Begins with a "C" I think.   Chris- something.

V.That there may be peace to thy Church and to the whole world,
R. We entreat thee, O Lord.
    -Evening Prayer