Iraqi Christians protest slayings, Pope concerned

At least 1,000 minority Christians, many holding olive branches, marched in protest near the restive city of Mosul yesterday to urge the Iraqi government to act decisively after a series of killings.

At least eight Christians have been killed in the last two weeks in the turbulent northern city, 390 kilometres north of Baghdad, prompting Pope Benedict to appeal yesterday for Iraq's Christians to be better protected.

Two of those attacked had gone missing, their bodies later found dumped in the street with gunshot wounds. Others were shot dead in the street, near their homes, or at their place of work.

Some 683 Christian families, or 4,098 people, fled Mosul between February 20 and 27 following the attacks, a United Nations report said yesterday.

The murders came just weeks before Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election, which has the potential to help cement an end to seven years of war or plunge a still-divided country into a new cycle of violence.

"I appeal to the civil authorities to complete every effort to give security again to the population, and in particular, to the most vulnerable religious minorities," the Pope said in his weekly blessing from Vatican City.

Priests in religious vestments led the protest procession in the Christian town of Hamdaniya, 35 kilometres east of Mosul.