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Now <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/iraq" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq</a>’s Christians face two further unthinkable realities: that Christmas this year is all but cancelled, and that few among them will stay around to celebrate future holy days.</p> <p>It has been the worst of years for the country’s Christians, with thousands fleeing in the past month and more leaving the country during 2010 than at any time since the invasion nearly eight years ago. Christian leaders say there have been few more defining years in their 2,000-year history in central Arabia.</p> <p> <a title="20102412_captioned_memorial_murdered_christians by Gorillas Guides, on Flickr" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/5287899085/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto 5px" height="276" alt="20102412_captioned_memorial_murdered_christians" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726im_/http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/5287899085_689e1097d8_o.jpg" width="460"/></a> <p>The latest exodus follows a massacre led by al-Qaida at a Chaldean Catholic church in central Baghdad on 31 October, which left about 60 people dead, almost 100 maimed and an already apprehensive community terrified. Since then, the terrorist group has targeted Christians in their homes, including family members of those who survived the attack.</p> <p>In Baghdad, as well as the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, Christmas services have been cancelled for fear of further violence. Church leaders said they would not put up Christmas decorations or celebrate midnight mass. They told families not to decorate their homes, for fear of attack after al-Qaida reiterated its threat to target Christians earlier this week.</p> <p>"Now more than 80% of Christians are not going to the churches," said the head of Iraq’s Christian Endowment group, Abdullah al-Noufali. "There is no more sunday school, no school for teaching Christianity. Yesterday we had a discussion about what we would do for Christmas. We took a decision just to do one mass. In years before we had many masses."</p> <p>Noufali’s church was closed and barricaded in 2005 when violence was consuming Baghdad. Many others had stayed open since then. Until now. In the wake of the attack on the Our Lady of Salvation church, at least 10 churches are believed to have been closed. At others, congregations are down to a handful.</p> <p>Iraq’s Christian population has halved since the ousting of Saddam Hussein. But in the past two months, the rate of departure has soared. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is reporting high numbers of registrations by Christians in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. And in Iraq’s Kurdish north, the number of refugees is overwhelming.</p> <p>Christians have been arriving since the president of the Kurdish regional government, Massoud Barazani, offered them protection and refuge days after the massacre.</p> <p>Kurdish officials say at least 1,000 families have taken up the offer. Noufali believes the number is far higher. He says the Kurds have been warm and welcoming, but fears that moving there does not offer his community a long-term solution.</p> <p>"We have seen in Kurdistan that they have no ability to accept the Kurdish students in the universities," he said. "There are not enough chairs in the university for them. They must have opportunity to learn and work. The problem is not just security."</p> <p>In Lebanon, the plight of Iraq’s Christians is being carefully scrutinised. Father Yusef Muwaness, of the Council of Catholic Churches in the Middle East, said: "We understand the shock [the Iraqis] are enduring. We want them to know that they won’t be left alone.</p> <p>"There are ancient issues at work. These people [al-Qaida] are killing because of a fatwa. There has not been a mufti who has stood up and said this is wrong."</p> <p>Lebanon’s Christians once held a demographic majority. Emigration and a brutal civil war has whittled numbers away. Amin Gemayel, a former Lebanese president and now patriarch of many of the country’s remaining Christians, believes far more could be done by Muslim leaders to ensure that the exodus is not total.</p> <p>"The Christians were very nationalistic," he said. "They are part of the foundations of this area. We can’t understand such extremity then passivity from the leaders. When the region is completely cleansed of other religions (apart from Islam) it will be a surrender to the fundamentalists."</p> <p>In the Chaldean archdiocese in Baabda, above Beirut, Father Hanna has been receiving Iraqi families fleeing their homeland. "I would go back there to give a service in front of one person, if I had to," he said. "But even that may not be possible now. Since 1 November, we have seen 450 families register here. Many more have gone to the UN."</p> <p>Among those who have stayed in Iraq and tried to build a new life in the north, there are mixed feelings. "Three days after the church attack I left my house (in Baghdad) and came to the KRG," said Georges Qudah, 30, a pharmacy assistant. "At the main checkpoint I said we are a Christian family, and they said we are welcome to stay as long as we want. I feel safe and comfortable here, but the problem is how to live. The council here has given us blankets and beds, but housing is very expensive."</p> <p>In Baghdad, there are few signs of the joy of Christmas.</p> <p>"There is no hope here anymore," says Noufali. "No one can believe they [the Christians] will stay. Christmas came with two messages, peace in the world and hope for the people and we need these two things for our life in Iraq. If there are no more Christians here, I am certain Iraq will become a more dangerous country."</p> <h3>Christianity in the Middle East</h3> <p> Freedom of worship for Christians varies greatly across the Middle East. <p>In Lebanon, where about half the population are Christian, believers are allowed to practise their faith without fear of persecution. The Maronite Church is the largest, most politically active and influential denomination, holding 34 of the 64 Christian seats in the Lebanese parliament.</p> <p>In Jordan, Christians are free to profess their faith, build churches, schools, hospitals and universities. They attend mass and there are public celebrations of religious festivals and ceremonies. They experience less discrimination and more freedom than fellow believers in Egypt and Iraq. There is a similar portrait of stability and freedom in Syria, where Christians comprise up to 10% of the population.</p> <p>Evangelising bvy Protestants in Jordan has prompted a crackdown on churches, visas and summer camps. Attempting to convert Muslims is illegal, but there is no law against proselytising to other Christians and some Catholic and Orthodox groups have complained of energetic wooing from Protestants. It is this evangelising that has offended authorities, keen to avoid religious zealotry of any sort.</p> <p>What Saudi Arabia lacks in violent persecution it makes up for in outright intolerance. There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, which counts a million Catholics in its population. The country allows Christians to enter for work purposes but severely restricts the practise of their faith.</p> <p>Christians worship in private homes and there are bans on religious articles including Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings and items bearing religious symbols. The religious police bar the practice of any religion other than Islam. Conversion of a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy and carries a death sentence if the accused does not recant. Still, Christians in Saudi Arabia are positively blessed compared with those of Iraq. <strong>Riazat Butt</strong></p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/23/iraq-christian-exodus-christmas" class="external" target="_blank">Christian exodus from Iraq gathers pace</a> | by Martin Chulov in Baghdad |  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.guardian.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="external">The Guardian</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11577"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/09/association-with-occupying-powers-makes-christians-targets/#respond" title="Comment on Association with occupying powers makes Christians targets">No Comments</a></span> Posted on October 9th, 2010 by Mohammed Al-Hamadani</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/09/association-with-occupying-powers-makes-christians-targets/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Association with occupying powers makes Christians targets">Association with occupying powers makes Christians targets</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arabs/" rel="tag">Arabs</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/armenians/" rel="tag">Armenians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassination/" rel="tag">assassination</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassination-attempts/" rel="tag">Assassination attempts</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assyria/" rel="tag">Assyria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assyrian/" rel="tag">Assyrian</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assyrians/" rel="tag">Assyrians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basra/" rel="tag">Basra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholic-church/" rel="tag">Catholic Church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-church/" rel="tag">chaldean church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-minority/" rel="tag">christian minority</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-population/" rel="tag">christian population</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-killing-of/" rel="tag">Christians - 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Their businesses are targeted by extremists. Their leaders are kidnapped and assassinated. The Christian minority in Iraq, once a community left in peace to prosper, continues to be under threat from a campaign of persecution which has forced as many as 500,000 Christians to flee the country.</p> <p>During the reign of Saddam Hussein, the estimated 1.4 million Christians – many of them Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians, with small numbers of Roman Catholics – were generally left alone if they didn’t oppose the government and they lived in relative peace with the country’s Sunnis and Shiites. </p> <p>Some, such as Tariq Aziz, Saddam’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister, rose to the highest levels of power.</p> <p>Things changed after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq toppled Saddam’s regime. Christians became a target of violence when Islamist groups and ordinary Muslims angered by the military action began seeing them as the enemy, associating with them with the "crusaders" – the invading armies of the United States and Britain.</p> <p>Tensions over their religious ties with the West and their differing beliefs to the strict Islamic majority, which had been simmering for years, spilled over as the occupying forces dug in.</p> <p>"Iraqi Christians became caught up in the overlapping violence and multiple conflicts unleashed after 2003," Dr. Kristian Ulrichsen, an Iraq expert at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told Deutsche Welle. "They became exposed to the similar patterns of kidnappings, extortion, beheadings, rape and forced taxation that affected all other communities as the erosion of central government control left a security vacuum that was exploited by organised and opportunistic criminality and anti-occupation resistance groups." </p> <p>"In addition to this, Christians specifically were targeted by Church bombings and assassination attempts owing to a perceived association with the aims and intentions of the occupying forces."</p> <h3>Association with occupying powers makes Christians targets</h3> <p>In 2004, insurgents launched a coordinated bombing campaign targeted churches in Baghdad. In 2007, after Pope Benedict XVI made comments perceived to be anti-Islam, nationwide attacks on churches hit an all-time high and a priest in the northern city of Mosul was kidnapped and later found beheaded. In January 2009, 40 Iraqi Christians were killed and approximately 12,000 fled their homes.</p> <p>In February this year, at least 10 Iraqi Christians were killed by unknown gunmen in Mosul as the country was preparing for the March 7 elections. The escalating violence ahead of the ballot led to hundreds of Iraqi Christians taking to the streets in a number of protests, chanting slogans such as "Stop the killing of Christians."</p> <p>During the years since the invasion, life for the Christian minority has become beset by danger. The waves of violent attacks against churches, businesses and homes have forced more than half of the Christian population to flee for their lives, according to statistcs from the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Those churches which remain standing are mostly empty, their congregations long gone or too afraid to attend.</p> <p>"The Christian minority in Iraq has been reduced to a shadow of its former self," said Ulrichsen. "Up to two-thirds of the pre-war community has been displaced or forced to flee the country. Although conditions in Iraq have improved somewhat since 2007, the security situation remains intensely fragile and prone to reversal, and the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes has been very slow and halting."</p> <p>"There’s a real possibility that 2,000 years of settlement by Christian communities in Iraq is in danger of near-total extinction." </p> <h3>US withdrawal leave Christians’ fate in Iraqi hands</h3> <p>As the United States steps up its military withdrawal from Iraq, the Christian minority is forced to look at the Iraqi security structure for protection. However, the prospect of being protecetd by the Iraqi police and armed forces fails to instill any confidence in the Christian minority.</p> <p>"The greatest concern about a US pullout is that extremists will exploit any lapses in security and attack vulnerable groups, including Christians," Samer Muscati, an Iraq expert from the Middle East division at Human Rights Watch, told Deutsche Welle. </p> <p>"Although the Iraqi government publicly condemns violence against Christians and other minority groups, it has not taken measures to bolster security in areas where minorities are particularly vulnerable to attacks, and it has not thoroughly investigated attacks," he added. "Iraqi security forces rarely apprehend, prosecute and punish perpetrators of such attacks, which has created a climate of impunity."</p> <h3>Christians search for ways to protect themselves </h3> <p>One muted proposal to protect the Christian minority involves the creation of an autonomous province on a neglected area of land located to the north and west of Mosul, called Ninawah Plain, which would act as a sanctuary.</p> <p>While advocates of the idea say it wouldn’t stop the violence against Christians in the large, high-risk cities of Mosul, Baghdad, and Al-Basrah, it would give the Christians a place where their needs could be met, their beliefs supported and their security guaranteed.</p> <p>The proposals suggest that Ninaweh Plain would an autonomous administrative region in which the Christian minority could govern themselves and would be free to participate in the federalist system which is developing in Iraq.</p> <h3>Creation of autonomous region plagued by problems </h3> <p>However, the idea of an autonomous region for the Christian minority in reality looks unviable. </p> <p>"The image of a real autonomy is unrealistic," Nizar Hanna, director of the Assyrian Democratic Movement’s Baghdad office, told Deutsche Welle. "Up to now, there are no concrete plans which show how this would work. Even in the Kurdish constitution, they have the right to autonomy in the areas where they are the majority but nowhere is this the case. Besides, there are no areas in which only Christians live. Shabak, Yazidis, Kurds and Arabs also live there." </p> <p>"To an extent a safe haven for Christians exists in Iraqi Kurdistan," Kristian Ulrichsen said. "Thousands of internally displaced Iraqi Christians have moved there. Although viable on humanitarian grounds, the creation of a specific region for Christians would be a short-term measure that does not offer a longer-term solution to the reconstruction of Iraqi society and the reintegration of its communities."</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6052335,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-world-4025-rdf" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi Christians fear escalating persecution as US forces withdraw | World | Deutsche Welle | 09.10.2010</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-9591"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/05/iraqi-christians-under-fire-telegraph/#respond" title="Comment on Iraqi Christians under fire – Telegraph">No Comments</a></span> Posted on April 5th, 2010 by Diya al din</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/05/iraqi-christians-under-fire-telegraph/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraqi Christians under fire – Telegraph">Iraqi Christians under fire – Telegraph</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ainkawa/" rel="tag">Ainkawa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/american-war-criminals-gw-bush/" rel="tag">American War Criminals (G.W. Bush)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/american-war-criminals-paul-bremer/" rel="tag">American War Criminals (Paul Bremer)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/archbishop-louis-sako/" rel="tag">Archbishop Louis Sako</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholic-church/" rel="tag">Catholic Church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-refugees/" rel="tag">christian refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christianity/" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-in-iraq/" rel="tag">christians in iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/edward-stourton/" rel="tag">Edward Stourton</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/erbil/" rel="tag">Erbil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing/" rel="tag">Ethnic Cleansing</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-christians/" rel="tag">iraqi christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" rel="tag">Kirkuk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nineveh/" rel="tag">Nineveh</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" rel="tag">Refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tariq-aziz/" rel="tag">Tariq Aziz</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tony-blair/" rel="tag">Tony Blair</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Half the refugees fleeing Iraq are Christian, dramatically reducing a presence that pre-dates Islam. Edward Stourton reports.</p> <p>Fr Rayan Paulos Atto showed me an elaborately decorated bronze and glass case mounted on the wall near the altar of his airy modern church in Erbil. It was a reliquary, a showcase for displaying a relic of a saint or martyr – the sort of thing you might find gathering dust in the sacristy of some venerable Italian basilica.</p> <p>Fr Rayan’s reliquary contains a miniature icon of the Virgin which is spattered with tiny droplets of blood – the blood of his closest friend, a priest gunned down on the steps of his church in the name of Islam. For Christians in Iraq today the possibility of martyrdom is an ever present reality, not a historical curiosity. </p> <p>The campaign of violence against Christians is one of the most under-reported stories of Iraq since the invasion of 2003. And it could change the country’s character in a fundamental way; by the time the dust finally settles on the chaotic current chapter of Iraq’s history, the Christian community may have disappeared altogether – after 2,000 years as a significant presence. About 200,000 Iraqi Christians have already fled the country; they once made up three per cent of its population, and they now account for half of its refugees. </p> <p>Erbil, in northern Iraq, has become a magnet for Christian refugees who are too poor to leave Iraq or do not want to abandon their country. It is the seat of the Kurdish Regional Government, which treats the Christians well; it is safe; and there is an established Christian community to welcome them. Many of them gravitate towards the traditionally Christian suburb of Ainkawa. </p> <p>Ainkawa is a 15-minute drive from the centre of Erbil, and on the way there, with Fr Rayan at the wheel, we passed the motorway exit to Mosul. Mosul – the biblical city of Nineveh – is only 50 miles from Erbil, but it remains a fearsomely violent place and it was there that Fr Rayan’s friend lost his life. </p> <p>The two of them had met in Rome, where they were both studying theology. Fr Ragheed Ganni, who was a little older, showed him the Roman ropes, and they formed a close bond that endured when they returned to parishes in Iraq. </p> <p>Fr Ragheed began to receive threatening letters from Muslim extremists telling him to close down his church, but he refused to do so. The gunmen simply turned up at the end of mass one Sunday and shot him, together with three of his sub-deacons. I asked Fr Rayan whether he would be willing to take on a job in Mosul now. "Sure, why not?" he replied in measured tones. "I would do it. I think being a martyr is something very special". </p> <p>Almost every day refugee families turn up from Mosul or Baghdad asking for Fr Rayan’s help in starting a new life. And with them they bring stories of the continuing horror they have left behind. The latest trend in Mosul is young men and women being stopped on the street and asked for their identity cards – and shot if their names reveal their Christian origins. "They used to ask for money first," Fr Rayan said. "Now they just kill them right away." </p> <p>Ainkawa quickly reveals itself as a Christian neighbourhood; beer, spirits and white wedding dresses are displayed in the shop windows along the main street. The suburb has grown like Topsy since it became a haven for Christian refugees; Fr Rayan grew up here and can remember the days when it was little more than a farming village. About 1,000 families lived in Ainkawa at the time of the invasion; since then the number has increased six-fold. </p> <p>New housing is being thrown up all over the place to accommodate the influx. Many of the streets where refugees have been settling are scruffy, half-built developments on the outskirts. Families who have left prosperous businesses and comfortable homes behind in Baghdad have opened jerry-built convenience stores to serve their neighbours. </p> <p>A woman running a vegetable stall told me that she and her husband left Baghdad after 36 years when their church was bombed. She went back recently to investigate whether she was entitled to a food allowance from the government, but fled again because a group of young men knocked on the car window and threatened her for not wearing a headscarf. A family in the neighbouring street said they had fled Baghdad after their nephew was shot dead as he left church after a prayer meeting. A middle-aged man explained stoically that his son had been kidnapped and never heard of again. "He would have been 25 now," he said. "It would be very expensive to find out what happened to him, and I don’t have any money." His second son is in the United States. </p> <p>Fr Rayan took me to Ainkawa’s oldest church, St George’s. It has a cool, whitewashed interior, and its domes are supported on massively thick pillars. No one knows quite how old it is; there is a stone with an inscription recording the rebuilding of the church in the seventh century, but Fr Rayan believes the first church on the site was established in the third or fourth century. It would have been a centre of Christian life long before St Augustine turned up in Canterbury, and probably pre-dates the birth of the Prophet Mohammed by several centuries. </p> <p>The antiquity of Iraqi Christianity was brought home to me during Vespers at St Joseph’s, a big new church in the centre of Ainkawa. The prayers were in Aramaic, the language that Jesus would have spoken. </p> <p>Church tradition holds that Christianity was brought to Jewish communities here by the apostles Thomas and Thaddeus, and it is certainly plausible that Christianity put down its first roots in the area while St Paul was on his early evangelising journeys to Greece and Rome. There is good historical evidence that Christianity had established itself in what was then Mesopotamia by the early second century. </p> <p>Christianity’s fortunes under Islam were mixed. There were periods in the early centuries of Arab rule when Christian scholars and doctors played an influential part in the life of the Abbasid caliphate, and a ninth-century patriarch writes of monks being despatched from what is now Iraq to evangelise in China and India. </p> <p>Christians were persecuted and sometimes massacred during the turbulent period that lasted from the late 13th century until the early 16th century, and were forced to live as second-class citizens under the Ottomans. But Christian communities survived, and even under Saddam Hussein their place in Iraqi society was secure: his notorious foreign minister, Tariq Aziz, was a Christian, and in Ainkawa there is a memorial to the Christian young men who died in Saddam’s war against Iran. </p> <p>Little of this rich history is widely known in the West. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is a passionate advocate on behalf of the region’s Christians. "The level of ignorance about Middle-Eastern Christianity in the West is very, very high", he said. "A good many people think the only Christians in the Middle East are converts or missionaries. I have heard some quite highly placed people, who ought to know better, saying that." </p> <p>I asked Dr Williams about the two politicians who took us to war in Iraq: Tony Blair and George Bush were the most enthusiastically Christian leaders we have had for many years. "The Christianity both of them were shaped by is, on the whole, a very, very Western thing," he said. "I don’t sense that either of them had very much sense of the indigenous Christian life and history that there is in the region." </p> <p>Iraq’s Christians blame Western ignorance for many of their problems. Louis Sako is the Chaldean Archbishop of the Northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk: the Chaldeans are the largest of Iraq’s Christian denominations. He is scathing about the Western missionaries he says came piling into Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the American invasion looking for converts. </p> <p>In Baghdad alone, he told me, 30 new churches opened up shop, "with money, with books they were handing out to people on the street. I think this is provoking people. A Muslim cannot change his religion. It is not allowed. And they think they are here as missionaries to gain Muslims for Christianity." </p> <p>The Chaldeans are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and Louis Sako has been instrumental in persuading Pope Benedict to convene a special synod on the plight of Christians in the Middle East this October. In a pamphlet he has produced to bring the issue to the world’s attention he writes: "Iraq is our homeland – we have been here long before the arrival of Islam. We are an indigenous people, not some colonial entity from somewhere else." </p> <p>But he says that, since the invasion, many Iraqi Muslims have come to see Christians as exactly that – a colonial entity. Christianity has become associated with the West, and therefore with the Occupation. </p> <p>The factors behind the eruption of violence against Christians are complex. Canon Andrew White, the redoubtable vicar of Baghdad, has watched the process from the start: he first came to the Iraqi capital in the late Nineties to reopen the city’s one Anglican church, St George’s, which had been closed down after the first Gulf War. </p> <p>He, too, points a finger at western ignorance of Iraq’s religious ecology. He recalls an early meeting with Jerry Bremer, the pro-consul sent by George Bush to sort out the chaos in Iraq in 2003. "I said we have to deal with the religious leaders and sectarian issues nowe_SLps Bremer said to me, ‘Oh, don’t worry about that. This isn’t a religious country at all. It is very secular.’ " It did not take long for Ambassador Bremer to change his mind. When they met again, he told Andrew White: "I can’t even deal with water and electricity because religion keeps getting in the way." </p> <p>Canon White has a weakness for loud bow-ties. He is a giant of a man and cuts an incongruous dash as he strides around the heavily fortified compound of St George’s in his crisp blue blazer, a gun-toting Iraqi police officer seldom far from his side. "At the end of October, there was a major car bomb attack here," he remarked airily, "164 people were killed. And David [here he gestured at one of his Iraqi assistants] had to pick up all the arms and legs and hands and bits of body." </p> <p>That bomb was probably aimed at a nearby government building rather than the church. One of the reasons Christians have suffered in Iraq is simply that they have been caught up in the general violence like everyone else. But another is certainly that, as a religious minority, they are especially vulnerable in a society that has fractured along sectarian religious lines. </p> <p>Rowan Williams thinks the collapse of the historically good relations that Iraqi Christians enjoyed with their Muslim neighbours reflects a wider trend in the Middle East. "If you speak to a great many Muslims in the Middle East," he said, "you will hear them saying: ‘Until a couple of decades ago, our version of Islam was one that was happy to co-exist, but we suddenly find heavily funded, very active, very aggressive, very primitive Islamic groups coming in and telling us that we have never really been Muslims at all, and re-shaping the whole of our relations with the rest of the community.’ " </p> <p>Andrew White knows what that trend means on the ground. Last year, he agreed to baptise 13 Iraqi Muslims who wanted to join his church. Within a week, 11 of them, he told me, had been killed. </p> <p>I asked Rowan Williams whether he thought we might see Christianity disappear from the Middle East altogether in our lifetime. "I am sad to say that I think it is a possibility," he said, "and a possibility that appals me." </p> <ul> <li>Edward Stourton presents ‘Iraq’s Forgotten Conflict’ on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday at 8pm </li> </ul> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7550048/Iraqi-Christians-under-fire.html" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi Christians under fire – Telegraph</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8981"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/06/%d9%85%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%8a%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%ad%d9%82%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a7/#respond" title="Comment on مطران الموصل: المسيحيون يمارسون حقهم الشرعي بمنح أصواتهم لمن يرونه مستحقا">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 6th, 2010 by Diya al din</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/06/%d9%85%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%8a%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%ad%d9%82%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a7/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to مطران الموصل: المسيحيون يمارسون حقهم الشرعي بمنح أصواتهم لمن يرونه مستحقا">مطران الموصل: المسيحيون يمارسون حقهم الشرعي بمنح أصواتهم لمن يرونه مستحقا</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aki/" rel="tag">AKI</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-of-mosul/" rel="tag">Bishop of Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-church/" rel="tag">chaldean church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-flight-from-mosul/" rel="tag">Christian flight from Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/election-day-violence/" rel="tag">Election day violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul-ethnic-tensions/" rel="tag">Mosul - ethnic tensions</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p dir="rtl" align="right">قال رئيس أساقفة الموصل المطران أميل شمعون نونا، إن الكنيسة لا تمتلك أي توجه سياسي معين أو تفضيل لشخصية أو قائمة ما، بل أن جل ما يهمها هو خير البلاد بشكل عام، وفق تعبيره . <br/>وأضاف مطران الموصل في مقابلة أجرتها معه وكالة (آكي) الايطالية للأنباء الجمعة أن المسيحيين شأنهم شأن بقية أطياف المجتمع، يمارسون حقهم الشرعي بمنح أصواتهم لمن يرونه مستحقا لهذا، بحرية تامة وبدون أي توجيه أو ضغط من قبل أية جهة كانت، حسب قوله . <br/>أما بشأن الجو العام للانتخابات والتوقعات المستقبلية فقد أشار المطران نونا إلى أنه يصعب كثيرا التكهن بالنتائج لتعدد الجهات المتنافسة وتميزها ، لكن الشعب العراقي بأسره يعول على هذه الانتخابات، آملا أن تؤدي إلى تحسن أوضاعه.</p> <p dir="rtl" align="right"><strong>روابط ذات علاقة: <span dir="ltr" align="left"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/05/iraq-bishop-welcomes-greater-security-ahead-of-poll/">Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll | Gorilla’s Guides</a></span></strong></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8959"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/05/iraq-bishop-welcomes-greater-security-ahead-of-poll/#respond" title="Comment on Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 5th, 2010 by Mohammed Ibn Laith</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/05/iraq-bishop-welcomes-greater-security-ahead-of-poll/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll">Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aki/" rel="tag">AKI</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-of-mosul/" rel="tag">Bishop of Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-church/" rel="tag">chaldean church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-flight-from-mosul/" rel="tag">Christian flight from Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/election-day-violence/" rel="tag">Election day violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul-ethnic-tensions/" rel="tag">Mosul - ethnic tensions</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Mosul, 5 March (<a title="AKI" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=3.1.82235436" class="external" target="_blank">AKI</a>) – As Iraqis prepared to vote in nationwide elections at the weekend, the head of the Chaldean church in the northern city of Mosul welcomed increased security for Christians ahead of the polls. Monsignor Emil Shimoun Nona, told Adnkronos International (AKI) that there had been a "net improvement in security in the past few days" due to a curfew introduced for the election and other security measures. </p> <p>Pope Benedict XVI recently expressed his concern about violent attacks on Christians by extremists in Iraq. </p> <p>Three Christians were killed in Mosul last week and two women were raped. The victims included a father and son who were killed in their home. At least eight Christians have been murdered since mid-February. </p> <p>"Now the army and the police are knocking on our doors from time to time to be sure that we are doing well," the bishop told AKI. </p> <p>Nona said the church did not have any preference about the election outcome but looked forward to an improvement in the quality of life in Iraq. </p> <p>"The church has no particular political orientation or any preference for a given person or list (of candidates), " he said. </p> <p>"The only thing that interests us is the general well-being of the country. Christians like other members of our society are exercising their right to vote for whoever they believe deserves it, in total freedom and without any directive or pressure from anyone." </p> <p>The Mosul bishop said it was difficult to predict the outcome of the vote. </p> <p>"The Iraqi people are counting on this election and hoping for an improvement," he told AKI. "The situation has become extremely complex and people have had enough of the tension." </p> <p>He said following recent attacks, 800 Christian families had fled from Mosul to surrounding villages and most of them were waiting until after the election before they returned home. </p> <p>"This election will help to bring about a return to normality in the country, so that people can return to their daily life and the church can go forward with its mission." </p> <p>Last week’s brutal killings were the latest in a spate of murders targetting Christians ahead of Sunday’s election, which is being seen as crucial test of democracy in a country wracked by sectarian strife. </p> <p>It is not clear if the spikebis in attacks against Christians is an attempt at voter intimidation by factions involved in a violent territorial and power struggle between Kurds and Arabs in Mosul or another attempt by Al-Qaeda to derail the election. </p> <p>Christians number around 250,000 to 300,000 in Nineveh province, of which Mosul is capital. </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=3.1.82235436" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Bishop welcomes greater security ahead of poll – Adnkronos Religion</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8913"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/03/%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%86%d8%ad%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%b3%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%83-%d8%b2%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%b3%d8%b7-%d8%ad%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86/#respond" title="Comment on مسيحيو العراق: نحن أسماك زينة وسط حيتان مفترسة">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 3rd, 2010 by Suheila Jamil</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/03/%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%86%d8%ad%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%b3%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%83-%d8%b2%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%b3%d8%b7-%d8%ad%d9%8a%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to مسيحيو العراق: نحن أسماك زينة وسط حيتان مفترسة">مسيحيو العراق: نحن أسماك زينة وسط حيتان مفترسة</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arbil-erbil/" rel="tag">Arbil (Erbil)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-minority/" rel="tag">christian minority</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-refugees/" rel="tag">christian refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>شهدت مناطق تواجد المسيحيين في العراق هجمات من مسلحين في الآونة الأخيرة أجبرت أعدادا منهم على الهجرة نحو مناطق أكثر أمنًا كأربيل ودهوك، حيث يتهم السكان المسيحيون وأحزابهم تنظيم القاعدة والمسلحين القريبين منه بالمسؤولية عن الهجمات التي قتلت عدداً منهم، خاصة في محافظة نينوى التي تشهد توترا قومياً بين العرب الذين يسيطرون على مجلس المحافظة والأكراد الذين يتهمون الحكومة المحلية بالاستحواذ على السلطة والسعي لضم مناطق يرون انها كردستانية خاصة في أطراف المحافظة.</p> <p>عبد الرحمن الماجدي من عين كاوه (أربيل): زارت إيلاف  مدينة عين كاوه القريبة من مدينة أربيل حيث يقطنها الكثير من المسيحيين. وتعتبر من الأحياء الراقية والآمنة في إقليم كردستان والعراق بشكل عام منذ سنوات، بسبب الخصوصية التي اكتسبتها هذه المدينة المسالمة، فتوجهت معظم البعثات الأوربية والأمم المتحدة لفتح مكاتب لها فيها.</p> <p>فوفرت لها حكومة اقليم كردستان حماية خاصة لها. ساهمت باستمرار الاستقرار الأمني فيها حتى الان مع مغاردة الشرطة منها، فبدت كأنها منطقة متفق على تركها بعيدة عن الصراعات السياسية المسلحة منذ عام 1996 حيث شهدت دخول قوات الحرس الجمهوري التابع لنظام صدام حسين بعد أن كانت تضم مقر المؤتمر الوطني العراقي بزعامة أحمد الجلبي منذ بداية التسعينات من القرن الماضي فاعتقلت بعض عناصر المؤتمر وقتلت آخرين.</p> <p>وهي مدينة كلدانية قديمة ورد اسمها في كتب تاريخية مختلفة منها كتاب ابن العبري (مختصر تاريخ البلدان). تقع في شمال غرب مدينة أربيل. وتبعد عنها بنحو أربعة كيلومترات. ويقدر عدد سكانها بـ 20000 نسمة؛ غالبيتهم العظمى ينتمون إلى الكنيسة الكلدانية الكاثوليكية. بالإضافة للآشوريين والسريان الذين يتوزعون خارج عين كاوه أيضا في دهوك ونينوى والسليمانية وكركوك وديالى وبغداد والبصرة ومناطق أخرى من أربيل التي كان لهم وجود فيها منذ مئات السنوات.</p> <p>شوارع عين كاوه النظيفة تغص اليوم بصور المرشحين من المكونات المسيحية السياسية الآشورية والكلدانية والسريانية التي تتنافس على خمس مقاعد برلمانية وفرتها الكوتا البرلمناية الخاصة بمقاعد الأقليات بعد أن طالب القادة المسيحيون بـ 15 مقعداً فحصلوا على خمسة فقط، يرون أنها لا تتناسب مع عددهم كأكبر الأقليات الدينية العراقية، وفق تأكيد القيادي في حزب بيت النهرين عامر حزيران خلال حديثه مع إيلاف في مكتب حزبه في عين كاوه.</p> <p>ما يميز المسيحيين العراقيين إصرارهم على عدم الانجرار للعنف مهما حوصروا بمسلحين فغدوا في المعترك السياسي العراقي أشبه بأسماك زينة بين حيتان مفترسة، حسب تشبيه أحد ناشطيهم السياسيين. لكن اشتداد الهجمات المسلحة التي استهدفت، في محافظة نينوى مؤخراً، مسيحيين أجبرت بعض الأفراد منهم على العمل كحراس في بعض المناطق يتقاضون أجورهم من حكومة إقليم كردستان العراق، ليساهموا مع عملوا كحراس أو شرطة في حماية بعض البيوت في بعض المناطق. وفتحت لهم ولسواهم أبواب الإقليم لاستقبال أي عائلة مهجرة، وفق ماصرح به به لإيلاف رئيس ديوان رئاسة إقليم كردستان فؤاد حسين.</p> <p>الوضع الأمني الهش الذي يعاني منه المسيحيون في الموصل جعل مواطني عين كاوه يلقون بالمسؤولية على الأحزاب المسيحية والحكومة العراقية لعدم توفيرها الآمن لمواطنيهم.</p> <p>وبعض القادمين منهم من العاصمة بغداد نحو عين كاوه للاستقرار والعمل يصر على عدم الاشتراك في العملية الانتخابية مفضلاً ترك معترك الانتخابات للساسة يتصارعون فيه من أنصارهم حسب ما قاله صباح الذي أوضح لإيلاف أنه تعرض في لبغداد للخطف وإن احد إخوته مازال مخطوفاً دون أن يسعى أحد لإطلاقه. وهو يخشى حتى من التصريح باسمه الكامل تجنباً لأي طارئ في المستقبل فيما لو عاد لبغداد.</p> <p>لكن بائع صاحب البقالية في الشارع الرئيس بعين كاوه توني جورج يرآ ان خير من يمثله هو رئيس الوزراء الأسبق إياد علاوي الذي قال أنه سيصوت له بسبب تجاهل الساسة المسيحيون للاهتمام بمشاكل الشعب المسيحي في العراقي، حسب تعبيره.</p> <p>ويصر سرمد على أن البقاء في عين كاوه أفضل من العودة الخطرة للعاصمة بغداد التي تركها قبل ثلاث سنوات حيث "لا عمل ولا  أمل ولا أمن، فلماذا أعود؟" أما مشاركته بالانتخابات فلم يحسمها بعدد لأي قائمة مفضلا انتظار يوم الانتخابات ليقرر وقتها.</p> <p>أنصار الأحزاب المسيحية موزعون بين ثلاث مكونات رئيسة هي الآشوريون والكلدان والسريان. ويشاركون في الانتخابات ضمن خمس مكونات سياسية بينها ائتلاف واحد هو ائتلاف عشتار الديمقراطي يضم حزب بيت النهرين الديمقراطي والحزب الوطني الآشوري والمنبر الديمقراطي الكلداني، إضافة إلى قائمة الرافدين وقائمة اور الوطنية وقائمة مجلس الشعب الاشوري الكلداني السرياني وقائمة المجلس القومي الكلداني.</p> <p>ويتنافسون على خمسة مقاعد مخصصة للمكون المسيحي في خمس محافظات هي اربيل ودهوك وبغداد وكركوك والموصل ضمن قائمة واحدة لعموم العراق. ويغلب على معظم الأحزاب المسيحية أنها أحزاب علمانية أقرب للقومية منها للدينية.</p> <p>ويأمل قادة هذه الأحزاب في تغير الخارطة السياسية العراقية في الانتخابات المقبلة ليتخلص العراقيون من التعريفات الطائفية والدينية والقومية ليبقى التعارف الوطني فقط. وهي أماني قد تكون بعيدة المنال نظرا للواقع العراقي الهش سياسيا، والواقف على مفترق طرق ستحدد اتجاه مستقبل البلاد أفضلها التوافق السياسي الذي يتخوف أن يتحول لتوافق طائفي كما كان في السنوات الماضية.</p> <p>عضو المكتب السياسي لحزب بيت النهرين الديمقراطي عامر حزيران يقول إن المكونات المسيحية ومعها الشخصيات لمستقلة المتنافسة على الكوتل المسيحية متفقة على اللقاء بعد إعلان نتائج الانتخابات للتوصل لصيغة موحدة تحدد التحالفات الخاصة بهم.</p> <p>وفيما يخص عمليات القتل التي يتعرض لها مسيحيو الموصل يبين  حزيران أن المسؤولية تقع على عاتق الحكومة العراقية أولا والحكومة المحلية في الموصل ثانياً. حيث يتنازعان فرض السيطرة المنية على المدينة بقسميها الأيسر والأيمن للنهر.</p> <p>ويحمل القيادي المسيحي تنظيم القاعدة مسوؤلية هذه الهجمات التي تستغل الخلاف بين السلطات السياسية في نينوى خاصة بين المحافظ والأحزاب الكردية التي لم تدخل مجلس المحافظة وفشلت كل الوساطات للجمع بينهما ضمن صيغة توافقية لحكم المدينة.</p> <p>ويضيف حزيران أن هناك اجندة لدى هذه الجماعات المتشددة دينيا لتفريغ الموصل أولا من المسيحيين ثم اليزيديين ثم الأكراد وهكذا لمناطق أخرى. موضحاً أنهم بدأوا باستهداف المكونات الدينية (مسيحيين ويزيديين).  تمهيداً لتهجيرهم خارج العراق.</p> <p>وقال أن اليومين الماضيين شهدا توزيع منشورات في المناطق المسيحية ف الموصل واطرافها تطالب المسيحيين فيها بتغيير ديانتهم. ونفى حزيران تلقي الأحزاب المسيحية أموالا من دول خارجية. مضيفاً أن هناك تبرعات تصلهم من مسيحيي الخارج في أميركا وأوربا إضافة لحصة من ميزانية إقليم كردستان مخصصة لجميع الأحزاب المجازة في الإقليم.</p> <p>واستبعد وجود أي دعم من قبل الكنيسة سواء في عين كاوه، التي تتوزعها عدة كنائس كبيرة، أو خارجها لأي حزب مسيحي، مستطردا بان هناك رجال دين حزبيون كما في حزبه حزب بيت النهرين الديمقراطي حيث يضم قساً ضمن صفوفه، موضحاً أن هذا القس سيصوت بالتأكيد للحزب الذي ينتمي له. وكذلك الأمر بالنسبة لبقية الأحزاب.</p> <p><strong>المصدر : </strong>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.aliraqnet.net/news_view_3696.html" class="external" target="_blank">مسيحيو العراق: نحن أسماك زينة وسط حيتان مفترسة – العراق نت</a></p> </p></div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8812"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%86%d8%ac%d9%85-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%81%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad/#respond" title="Comment on المونسنيور نجم: خطة متطرفة لطرد المسيحيين من العراق">No Comments</a></span> Posted on February 24th, 2010 by Khalil Ibn Hussein</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%86%d8%ac%d9%85-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b7%d8%b1%d9%81%d8%a9-%d9%84%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to المونسنيور نجم: خطة متطرفة لطرد المسيحيين من العراق">المونسنيور نجم: خطة متطرفة لطرد المسيحيين من العراق</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-georges-camoussa/" rel="tag">Bishop Georges Camoussa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-of-mosul/" rel="tag">Bishop of Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-killing-of/" rel="tag">Christians - killing of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing/" rel="tag">Ethnic Cleansing</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/franco-frattini/" rel="tag">Franco Frattini</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/italian-foreign-minister/" rel="tag">Italian Foreign Minister</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/italy/" rel="tag">Italy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/monsignor-philip-najim/" rel="tag">Monsignor. Philip Najim</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul-ethnic-composition/" rel="tag">Mosul - ethnic composition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/murder/" rel="tag">murder</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pope/" rel="tag">Pope</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pope-benedict-xvi/" rel="tag">pope benedict xvi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-freedom/" rel="tag">religious freedom</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-minorities/" rel="tag">Religious minorities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vatican/" rel="tag">Vatican</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote> <p>الفاتيكان (24 شباط/فبراير) وكالة (آكي) الايطالية للأنباء – قال القاصد الرسولي للكلدان في أوروبا المونسنيور فيليب نجم بشأن أحداث العنف الأخيرة ضد المسيحيين في العراق، إن "ثمة خطة وضعت من قبل القوى الأصولية والمتطرفة الإسلامية لطرد جميع المسيحيين من هذا البلد"، وفي "هذا الاتجاه تسير الهجمات التي لا تحصى على الطوائف المسيحية في العراق" وفق تعبيره .  <br/>وفي تصريحات له لوكالة (آكي) الايطالية للأنباء اليوم الأربعاء، أشار المونسنيور نجم إلى أن "الكنيسة في العراق لا حول لها ولا قوة تجاه ما يحدث، ولا يسع الأساقفة إلا أن يدعو المؤمنين للمشاركة في الحياة العامة في البلاد والانتخابات، مقدمين شهادة لإيمانهم"، ولكن "المسيحيون جزء من تاريخ العراق، ساهموا في بنائه، ويمتلكون علاقات وثيقة مع المسلمين"، وعلاوة على ذلك فإن "العديد من أعمال العنف موجهة ضد السنة والشيعة أيضا، والهدف الأساسي منها شيوع الفوضى، ومن ثم بناء دولة ذات أغلبية واحدة، لكن العراق مكون من أعراق وثقافات متعددة" حسب قوله .  <br/>ولفت القاصد الرسولي الكلداني إلى أنه "من الضروري أن يتدخل المجتمع الدولي، فالعالم بأسره ينتظر نتائج الانتخابات العراقية المقبلة"، لكن "إن لم تُحترم حقوق الإنسان وسلامته، فلا يمكن للعملية السياسية أن تُبنى"، وختم بالدعوة إلى أنه "من المهم أن يكسر المجتمع الدولي حاجز الصمت الذي يلف بالمذبحة التي تتعرض لها الأقليات المسيحية" في العراق .</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>المصدر : </strong>  <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.akhbaar.org/wesima_articles/index-20100224-85674.html" class="external" target="_blank">المونسنيور نجم: خطة متطرفة لطرد المسيحيين من العراق – akhbaar.org موقع الأخبار</a></p> </p></div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8806"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/iraq-vatican-voices-concern-at-christian-attacks/#respond" title="Comment on Iraq: Vatican voices concern at Christian attacks">No Comments</a></span> Posted on February 24th, 2010 by Mohammed Ibn Laith</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/iraq-vatican-voices-concern-at-christian-attacks/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Iraq: Vatican voices concern at Christian attacks">Iraq: Vatican voices concern at Christian attacks</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-georges-camoussa/" rel="tag">Bishop Georges Camoussa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bishop-of-mosul/" rel="tag">Bishop of Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a 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Philip Najim</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul-ethnic-composition/" rel="tag">Mosul - ethnic composition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/murder/" rel="tag">murder</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pope/" rel="tag">Pope</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pope-benedict-xvi/" rel="tag">pope benedict xvi</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-freedom/" rel="tag">religious freedom</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-minorities/" rel="tag">Religious minorities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vatican/" rel="tag">Vatican</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Rome, 24 Feb. (<a title="AKI" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=3.1.51991497" class="external" target="_blank">AKI</a>) – Pope Benedict XVI and the entire Vatican are deeply concerned about the continuing attacks on Christians in Iraq, a Catholic cleric told Adnkronos International on Wednesday. Mons. Philip Najim, the Vatican’s representative for Chaldean Christians in Europe, said the attacks are being organised by extremists and are aimed at driving out Christians. </p> <p>"The Pope is very worried about the plight of Christians in Iraq and he has said so many times and has repeated that the rights of this community must be respected," said Najim. </p> <p>"These are well organised acts by extremist groups and Islamists aimed at driving Christians out of Iraq." </p> <p>His comments came as the funerals of three Christians killed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul took place, including those of a father and son who were killed at their home. </p> <p>The Bishop of Mosul, Georges Camoussa, said it was the first time such a "vile act" had been committed against Christians in their own homes. </p> <p>The killings were the latest in a spate of murders of Christians ahead of Iraq’s key general election on 7 March, which is being seen as crucial test of democracy in a country wracked by sectarian strife. </p> <p>It is not clear if the spike in attacks against Christians is an attempt at voter intimidation by factions involved in a violent territorial and power struggle between Kurds and Arabs in Mosul or another attempt by Al-Qaeda to derail the election. </p> <p>Christians number around 250,000 to 300,000 in Nineveh province, of which Mosul is capital. </p> <p>Najim called on nations to intervene to protect Christians in Iraq. </p> <p>"This is important. The world is waiting for the results of the election. But if human rights and personal safety are not ensured, there can be no political progress. </p> <p>"So I appeal to the international community to break its complete silence on the massacre of Christians," he said. </p> <p>Earlier on Wednesday, Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini said a ‘manual’ will be issued in the next two months to all European Union ambassadors to give guidance on ’sensitive’ countries’ treatment of religious minorities, especially Christians. </p> <p>"There is a risk of persecution. We are obliged to act, not just make declarations," Frattini told Catholic daily Avvenir</p> <p>He said he was planning to hold an international conference on religious freedom in Italy "this year".</p> <blockquote></blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=3.1.51991497" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq: Vatican voices concern at Christian attacks – Adnkronos Religion</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8803"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/christians-feel-heavy-loss-in-iraq-war/#respond" title="Comment on Christians feel heavy loss in Iraq war">No Comments</a></span> Posted on February 24th, 2010 by Khaled</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/24/christians-feel-heavy-loss-in-iraq-war/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Christians feel heavy loss in Iraq war">Christians feel heavy loss in Iraq war</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/disputed-areas/" rel="tag">"disputed" areas</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assyrians/" rel="tag">Assyrians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/attacks-on-clergy/" rel="tag">Attacks on clergy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bartala/" rel="tag">Bartala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bartala-district-east-mosul/" rel="tag">Bartala district east Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bartella/" rel="tag">Bartella</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cardinal-delly/" rel="tag">Cardinal Delly</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldeans/" rel="tag">Chaldeans</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-population-decline-of/" rel="tag">Christian population - decline of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-killing-of/" rel="tag">Christians - killing of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/deutsche-presse-agentur/" rel="tag">Deutsche Presse Agentur</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dpa/" rel="tag">DPA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hammurabi-human-rights-organisation/" rel="tag">Hammurabi Human Rights Organisation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdish-bloc-ninawa-fraternal-list-vs-hadba/" rel="tag">Kurdish Bloc (Ninawa Fraternal List) vs Hadba</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ninawa-governorate/" rel="tag">Ninawa (Governorate)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ninawa-plain-project/" rel="tag">Ninawa Plain Project</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pascale-warda/" rel="tag">Pascale Warda</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shabaki/" rel="tag">Shabaki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%82%d9%88%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%86/" rel="tag">منظمة حمورابي لحقوق الانسان</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Baghdad – Ask Cardinal Emmanuell Delli III, patriarch of the Chaldean church in Iraq, about the murder and flight of Christians from the country and he will respond that the Chaldeans are people of peace, a people with no militia. </p> <p>He also makes note of the fact that terrorists kill not only Christians, but also Muslims. </p> <p>Some Christians in Iraq, however, think that conciliatory statements are not enough to stop the exodus of the Christian minority living along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. </p> <p>They no longer want to turn the other cheek, but would rather pressure the government and protest their situation in order to raise awareness of it outside Iraq. </p> <p>‘We all love the cardinal. He is like a gem in his red robe. But something drastic must happen soon before Christians disappear for good from this country,’ said human rights activist Pascale Warda, a former displacement and migration minister. </p> <p>Warda is an Assyrian Christian who lives in one of the most heavily guarded areas of Baghdad. Although she has a French passport, she does not consider exile a solution. </p> <p>‘We have to mobilize people in the streets of Iraq. And if that doesn’t work, then we will organize demonstrations in France and Australia,’ she said. </p> <p>About 1.5 million Christians lived in Iraq when the United States launched the invasion in the spring of 2003 to bring down the regime of dictator Saddam Hussein. Today, according to unofficial estimates, they number about 750,000. </p> <p>More than 730 Christians have been killed since the US-led invasion. The stark figures don’t provide a human face – the dead include a young man on his way to university and the owner of a housewares store, both killed in early February. Most Christian victims die in the capital, Baghdad, or in Mosul in the north where they are mixed up in the frontline of a power struggle between Arabs and Kurds. </p> <p>Among the Christians who have been killed are 12 clergymen who now are revered by their parishes as martyrs. Some of the slayings of students, pharmacists, doctors and priests are attributed to al-Qaeda terrorists. But who is responsible for the other killings? According to the Hammurabi human rights organization, more than 70 per cent of the murders of Christians were never explained. </p> <p>Most Iraqi Muslims have no complaints about their Christian neighbours. Some of them send their children to Christian schools, which have good reputations. But when it comes to protecting their buildings and churches, hardly anyone feels responsible. </p> <p>On Christmas Day when members of the Shiite Shabak community in the town of Batallah near Mosul tore down the Christmas decorations at an Assyrian Christian church. They complained about the celebration of Christian festivities during the Shiite mourning month of Muharram, which had started a week before Christmas. </p> <p>To Warda it was particularly shocking that in the latter incident the Shiites were armed and they drove police vehicles – the ominous combination of intolerance and power that has convinced so many Iraqi Christians to flee their homeland. </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/features/article_1536089.php/Christians-feel-heavy-loss-in-Iraq-war-Feature" class="external" target="_blank">Christians feel heavy loss in Iraq war (Feature)</a> – By Anne-Beatrice Clasmann – <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.dpa.de/" class="external" target="_blank">Deutsche Presse Agentur</a> – <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/" class="external" target="_blank">Monsters and Critics</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-8312"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/15/louis-sako-synod-of-middle-east-churches-mission-and-a-return-to-dialogue/#respond" title="Comment on Louis Sako: Synod of Middle East Churches: mission and a return to dialogue">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 15th, 2010 by Fatima Jameel</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/15/louis-sako-synod-of-middle-east-churches-mission-and-a-return-to-dialogue/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Louis Sako: Synod of Middle East Churches: mission and a return to dialogue">Louis Sako: Synod of Middle East Churches: mission and a return to dialogue</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/archbishop-louis-sako/" rel="tag">Archbishop Louis Sako</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/asia-news/" rel="tag">Asia News</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholic-archbishop/" rel="tag">catholic archbishop</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholic-church/" rel="tag">Catholic Church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-catholic/" rel="tag">chaldean catholic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/chaldean-church/" rel="tag">chaldean church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-arab-contribution-to-region/" rel="tag">Christian Arab contribution to region</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-ecumenism-need-for/" rel="tag">Christian ecumenism - 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equality before the</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lebanon/" rel="tag">Lebanon</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east/" rel="tag">Middle East</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/migration/" rel="tag">migration</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/palestine/" rel="tag">Palestine</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-education/" rel="tag">religious education</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vatican/" rel="tag">Vatican</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%e2%80%8e/" rel="tag">الإسلام‎</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 0.5em 0px 1em 2em; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 360px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p>According to the Archbishop of Kirkuk (Iraq), one of the main driving forces behind the Synod, to save the Christian presence in the Muslim Middle East, a renewal of the identity of the original Church is needed: not as a cultural and "ethnic" group, but a mature adhesion to the faith. We need more unity among Christians, divided into countless groups and traditions. And a mature dialogue with Islamic communities, showing them the important contribution of Christians in the past and present history of Arab culture. </p> <p><strong>Editor’s Note:</strong> Louis Sako is the Archbishop of Kirkuk</p> </p></div> <p>Kirkuk (<a title="AsiaNews" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Synod-of-Middle-East-Churches:-mission-and-a-return-to-dialogue-17345.html" class="external" target="_blank">AsiaNews</a>) – Christians in the East are decreasing in numbers due to wars, migration, low birth rates, the expansion of Islam and divisions within the community itself. The threats and pressures to sell land and houses, bought by Muslims and with the support – including economic – of fundamentalists, suggests that the Christian presence in the Middle East is destined disappear.    </p> <p>The Synod of the Churches of the Middle East can help us avoid this fate if we go to the roots of the crisis.  </p> <p>The early Church (which was Middle Eastern) was close to people and presented the Gospel message conforming to the culture of the people, proclaiming the faith in their own language, so that the message was attractive and effective. The prophetic role of the Church was manifest and worked in the truth and from it, people were able to derive meaning for their lives and a sign of great freedom and dignity. For this reason, many converted and decided to embrace Christianity.    <br/>Today, the Christian presence is a cultural one, a historical and tradition-bound presence, an ethnic identity according to the millet system, which is a perfected form of the Institute of Islamic dhimma [the pact of "protection" for non-Muslims, which made Christians and Jews second class citizens - ed.] The Apostolic Churches, however, have lost the enthusiasm of their origins in the work of witness: the role of prophecy, love and zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel to others.    </p> <p>The future of the community depends on several factors, two of which are of fundamental importance: the relationship between Christians, i.e relations between the different Churches and the relationship with Muslims.  </p> <h3>The relations between Christians    </h3> <p>Christians today need to promote, in a continuous and influential manner, a culture of love and dialogue, openness and diversity. Current divisions leave a strong and negative mark on their presence and their testimony. The relationship between the various churches is going through difficult times and seems to move backward.    </p> <p>The Church is the community of believers who look to Christ and testify to the announcement of Good News, which is continuously renewed. The Church can not merely limit itself to being a sociological, ethnic or cultural entity… Preaching the Gospel means welcoming the Good News with the commitment to live it and correcting erred behaviour. Baptism becomes the culmination of the journey of faith. This should be done not only with the elite, but also with simple people.      </p> <p>Most churches in the Middle East are small churches and live with an identity crisis because of their dual membership (i.e.: ethnic identity of a political, social and cultural nature and the one linked to the universality of their mission). And groups of evangelical churches: do we call them churches in the nominal sense or are they rooted or tradition?      We need a serious self-criticism and to reconsider our reality and our mission. The future depends on our cooperation, our service and our witness. We are one family, we must overcome the barriers that divide us. We are united in the Word of God, we have the same profession of faith, despite the differences in form, and generally, the same sacraments. We must strive for mutual enrichment and deepen all the peculiarities of our faith in God’s love, forgiveness, the joy that comes from welcoming.    </p> <p>We all need to be patient and learn to read history, to assess the facts impartially without emotion. The real strategy is to work together Christians of Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. Even the Christian political parties are divided and in conflict, they must unite to support the Christian presence, otherwise our fate will be of wailing and lamentation in front of our land.    </p> <h3>Dialogue with Islam    </h3> <p>Today the affirmation of political Islam is clear. It has made this religious identity the central one in the Middle East. This identity has overshadowed the Arab nationalist ideology (the umma) and political participation derives from the principles of Islam.    </p> <p>Together Christian churches and not isolated, must talk to face this reality and establish rules of civil coexistence.    </p> <p>Dialogue with Islam is the only civilian rule, effective for interacting with everyone, taking into account all that has been achieved over the course of history especially during the periods known as the Ommiad (7th – 8th century) and Abbasids (8th – 13th  century).    </p> <p>Christians have an obligation today to offer theological approaches to the faith in a new and understandable language, the line of biblical theology rather than in a classic, philosophical language.  </p> <p>In this dialogue, they must be allowed to demonstrate the contribution they have given to the Arab and Islamic civilization, the history of these regions is not entirely Muslim, but pluralistic, and make sure it is recognised that the Christian Arab factor is a source of enrichment rather than depletion . They must clearly state that they had no relation with the Crusaders when they invaded the East; nor with the colonial powers that invaded the Arab countries without taking the national charter into account; nor with the occupation forces in Iraq and Afghanistan; they have always supported the cause of the Palestinians. These points are very important at the level of Muslim public awareness.    <br/>Dialogue is the only way to resolve differences and restore security and stability. The opening up of Christians, their qualifications and skills may be useful for Muslims. For this we must encourage:    </p> <p>a) adoption of new programs of religious education, based on tolerance and acceptance of others, refraining from all forms of violence.    </p> <p>b) ensure that all are equal before law with equal rights – without any discrimination of race, religion or sex – which creates trust and improves coexistence, strengthening the sense of responsibility of each individual.    </p> <p>c) a commitment to promoting and encouraging solidarity with the poor and marginalized, whatever their race, colour or religion, overcoming injustices and wrongs.   </p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130127010726/http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Synod-of-Middle-East-Churches:-mission-and-a-return-to-dialogue-17345.html" class="external" target="_blank">VATICAN – MIDDLE EAST Synod of Middle East Churches: mission and a return to dialogue</a> by Archbishop Louis Sako – <a 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