for them, as news emerged Sunday, July 10, that at least 20 people were injured in a bomb attack in Turkey, while dozens more were again killed in explosions in Iraq.
Referring to the terrorists who bombed London Thursday, July 7, the pope told the faithful at Vatican City Sunday, July 10 that he hopes God will touch their hearts. "We pray for the people killed, for those injured and for their loved ones. But we even pray for the attackers: Lord, touch their hearts," the pontiff said, addressing crowds in St. Peter’s Square after his weekly Angelus blessing.
He appealed to the attackers to end their campaign of violence. "To those who foment feelings of hate and carry out such revolting terrorist acts, I say: God loves life, which he created, not death. And I say, stop, in the name of God."
Bombs ripped through London’s transport system on Thursday, killing at least 50 people in the deadliest attack on the capital since World War Two. Three Islamic groups have claimed responsibility for the blasts, which officials said bore the hallmarks of the Islamic militant al Qaeda network, Reuters news agency said.
"BARBARIC ACTS"
On the day of the London transport system bombings, the German-born pope condemned the attacks as "barbaric acts against humanity." His latest comments came as since the first time in many months Turkey was the target of a bomb explosion which reportedly injured at least 20 people. The explosion rocked the town of Cesme, a popular seaside resort, some 70km (about 44 miles) from the Aegean port city of Izmir
There were no claims of responsibility for the attack, but there is growing concern about al Qaeda cells operating in Europe, following the London attacks. Turkey is a key NATO country and an ally of the United States.
In Iraq meanwhile, a man strapped with explosives blew himself at an Iraqi military recruiting center in Baghdad as suicide bombers attacked three times in Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 33 people and breaking a relative lull in violence in recent days, the Associated Press (AP) reported from the region.
1,500 KILLED
The attacks reportedly pushed the death count to over 1,500 people killed in violence since April 28, when Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari announced his Shiite- and Kurd-dominated government in a country under attack from an insurgency led by Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority.
At least 14 other people were killed in attacks elsewhere overnight and into Sunday, and the body of kidnapped Iraqi karate association chief Ali Shakir was found floating in the Tigris river southeast of Baghdad, AP said.
Amid the carnage however evangelical churches in Iraq say there is a growing interest in the Christian faith among both Muslims and members of more traditional churches.
"The people are open like never before," said Ghassan Thomas, pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance church in Baghdad in an interview with Christian news agency Compass Direct. "It is because we have no peace. This is how we connect our message to the nation: I preach on the topic, ‘How do we get peace?’ and everyone listens, especially when I talk about the deeper peace that Christ brings," he added. (With BosNewsLife Research, Stefan J. Bos, reports from Iraq and Turkey)
