Abducted in Iraq by Bishop Saad Sirop Hanna, University of Notre Dame Press, 184pp, £25
On Sunday November 17, 2007, after he had finished celebrating Mass, Bishop Saad Sirop Hanna was driving back to the local seminary when two cars surrounded his vehicle and forced him to pull over. Assailants rushed towards his car, dragged him out and bundled him into their vehicle. This was the beginning of a gruelling ordeal.
For the next 27 days the bishop was cut off from everything and everyone he knew and loved – from his family, friends and congregation. For four weeks he endured the deprivations – both physical and psychological – of captivity, and the pain of not knowing if those he loved knew whether he was alive or dead. His fate remained uncertain, and he was aware he could be killed at any time.
When he was alone, Bishop Sirop’s thoughts were submerged by a chaotic flood of feelings and memories, his mind reaching a state of extreme emotional disintegration. He asked God: “Why? Have I not done all that you asked of me? Have I not helped my people any time I could? Why would you put me here? What is the reason?”
The invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the bungled eight-year occupation that followed, undoubtedly radicalised many Iraqis and pushed them towards resistance amid the upheaval spreading across Iraq. A wave of unprecedented cross-sectarian terror was ignited, with the main Sunni and Shia groups driven to exterminate each other. Both viewed the American-led invasion as a Christian crusade, and Iraqi Christians as its supporters and collaborators. The persecution of Christians took the form of bombings, kidnappings and the killing of men and women. The elderly and children were not spared. Those unable to join the Iraqi diaspora to Europe and America often fled to sister communities in northern Iraq and neighbouring countries.
Iraqi Christians have no tribal structure, depriving them of the blood ties that bind other Iraqis together in times of trouble. As such, they never formed self-defence militias, even though post-war Iraq offers little reward to those who turn the other cheek.
After the fall of Saddam’s secular regime, Iraq was governed by a constitution which proclaimed Islam as the official religion. According to this, “no law may be approved if it is in contradiction with Islamic law”. Islam affirms a strong relationship between religion and state, and all non-Muslims are treated as second-class citizens. Muslims are eager to convert non-Muslims because Islam makes exclusive claims to be the one true religion for all.
Often, Bishop Sirop’s kidnappers would refer to him as a “sheep”. But despite being held in solitary confinement, and despite the ordeal of being transported several times in the boot of a car in the furnace heat of the Iraqi summer, Bishop Sirop survived.
His relationship with one of his abductors, Abu Hamid, was his one piece of luck. Hamid’s duties included bringing food to the prisoner, and in quieter moments he also exchanged a few words with him. Abu Hamid twice risked his own life, in buying medicine for the bishop and by loosening his handcuffs, indirectly giving him the opportunity to escape captivity. At one point, Hamid pleaded with the kidnappers to stop assaulting the bishop.
Bishop Sirop proved that no one could take away his faith, regardless of the merciless beatings he endured. It is amazing how he kept his spirit strong throughout his ordeal, and that he was brave enough to risk escape.
Reeling from their failure to force the bishop to convert to Islam, his kidnappers seethed. This was reflected in the ferocity of their beatings, using cables and sticks. The fervent nature of his resistance shocked them, but there was nothing they could do to overcome it.
Bishop Sirop’s endurance in the face of unimaginable suffering and his long days in solitary confinement make for a compelling tale. His story demonstrates the extraordinary resilience that humanity can show in the most extreme circumstances.
Robert Ewan is a British-Iraqi author and journalist
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.