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Amidst the usual empty statements – from Maliki as well as Biden – and calls for the creation of a Christian city in Ninevah — churches canceled midnight services and Christmas decorations in an attempt to discourage more attacks. Today however about 400 gathered once again at the church to honor those who died:
“Last year, we were all gathering” for Christmas, said Uday Saadallah Abdal. But “this year, I went to the house, and I saw it was empty… I was crying all night, because no one was here any more.”
The 28-year-old said two of his brothers were killed in the attack — one of the priests, Father Thair, and another brother Raed. His mother was also shot three times, and is hospitalised in France.
“I feel that their souls are still there in the church; that is why I came. They encourage me to come here despite all the danger and threats,” Abdal said of his brothers.
In the midst of our celebrations, may we also hear the voices of Abdal’s brothers and find in ourselves a similar courage to end the destruction.
Tomorrow morning, the GorillasGuides team who have been sharing a series of informative posts on Islam – including last week’s discussion of Jesus- will be posting a video Christmas message – I hope you will join me in viewing it.
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Afraid to Celebrate Christmas in Iraq
Religious leaders have advised Christian worshippers to celebrate Christmas only with prayer out of fear for their safety. Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh reports from Baghdad. http://www.newslook.com/videos/278173-afraid-to-celebrate-christmas-in-iraq?autoplay=true
Because “we”, W et al, have torn that country apart…May we hear the reminder that Christmas most of all calls for a season of Peace. Let us find the way.
The two places in the ME where Christianity is faring worst are Iraq and Israel. Christianity, or at least if Xmas tree symbol & buy frenzy are thriving in many other ME countries, according to this morning’s Juan Cole.
No secret why that combination should prevail. Too bad D.C.ers are irony, morally, realism challenged.
The unanswered question is:
Where is the global christian establishment on this? Does Christian Science Monitor have a strong objection. The Billy Graham family seems silent. What about all the theological seminaries that train pastors, do they support the devastation of a branch of the Church? The Shites that we put in power are the persecutors. What responsibility have the christian churches that comprise1/3 of the global religious community taken. Their voices seem so faint that I have not heard anything of substance from them. The pope made some motions earlier this year. http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/2010/11/pope-benedict-prays-for-christians.html
The old wing and a prayer will not stem the slaughter or the plight of millions of refugees created on USG watch. I hope I am missing something.
In other countries the Churh’s various denominations have missionaries…are there a force in Iraq?
Good thread, Siun.
And with this happening now, what’s coming when our troops finally leave…IF they do?
Bush couldn’t unshit the bed, and I don’t think Barack Obama can, either.
Even if he wants to.
I think the Shias don’t have much to do with it, per se, but rather the general U.S.-caused instability which makes all groups scramble for power or escape.
I agree with your general point that U.S. Xtian religious establishment once again has lost all moral authority over Iraq, not to mention their craven approach to Israel.
Some help for Christians in Eygpt… “This fall al-Qaeda in Iraq threatened strikes on Egyptian Christians, but these threats were rejected by the Egyptian government, which has increased security for churches, and by the Muslim authorities in Egypt such as the Grand Mufti.” Thanks for the link!
Up With Paganism, Multi-deism and Goddess Worship. Mono-theism is bound to put peoples at odds with each other. And so it has. No end in sight.
You’re welcome. Quite interesting in the sense that, not only did I not know many of the factoids, I also had not previously thought about religious intolerance in countries politically destabilized by U.S. & Israel, as obvious as that should be.
This past summer I reread the Alexandrian Quartet. No surprise that religious tolerance and commingling in Egypt in the 1930s was quite commonplace but got steadily worse thereafter, owing to Nazism, formation of Israel (both in evidence in the 4th novel) and the long-run consequences thereof.
All of the above, including monotheism. Tolerance, not taking sides, plz.
I’ve argued that in the U.S., atheists are the most discriminated against group. Were it not for the fact that we can ‘pass.’
Were the USG underlying intentions to destabilize the ME or was that an unintended consequence of the invasion?
Mele Kalikimaka, Siun and pups…! *g*
I just posted this…
O Palestinian Shepherd Boy…
*heh* ‘Real men go to Tehran’…! ;-)
I can’t read their minds, but here’s my guess.
1. “They” didn’t think about it too carefully.
2. Either outcome (stability or instability) would be OK as long as U.S. troops got to stay forever. “They” really don’t give a ff.
3. All moral considerations are irrelevant. Hegemony uber alles. After all, what right do the MEers have to sit on top of U.S. oil.
You get the picture. There was/is no plan except to wack ‘em with a big stick & take over their oil. All the rest doesn’t count.
ff would be flying f*ck, right…? ;-)
Edit: And we totally f*cked up our chances to snatch that Iraqi Oil, too, eh…? Mission Accomplished…? D’oh…!
Yes on ff.
And yes on Iraq oil, though the final chapter isn’t written. There’s always bribery, drone attacks or polonium poisonings or whatever on Russian, Chinese, etc. oil execs. And let us not forget bombing the Chinese embassy, should it be required. After all, the U.S. hasn’t tried big intimidation on them for quite a few years. Seems it’s about time.
Well, at least the Archbishop of Canterbury is preaching to the masses again on Xmas…! ;-)
Archbishop of Canterbury calls on rich to ‘shoulder the load’ with the poor
In the Spirit OF Christmas, God knows how many millions of barrels of oil was looted from Iraq and who got it.
The American Military and Contractors were there to assure the protection of the extractors. The collusion of Government and Corporations – That’s Fascism.
As chaos reigned, nobody was able to perform any accounting. Convenient for guys like Dick Cheney and his friends.
Is it the shia or the sunni that hate christians so much?
I don’t know why the spell checker wants the words cap’d? Doesn’t seem to make much sense.
no metering for Iraqi oil right up to and in the year 2009.
six years no metres.
lot of big yachts, jets, and giant ranches being bought compliments the people of Irqaq.
freedom is messy.
Really Israel? Last I heard the Israelis weren’t having much of an issue with Christians. Or is it just that Israel has to be blamed just because?
You might like to check on the problems Palestinian Christians have had just trying to celebrate the Christian holidays.
It is important to remember that the US specifically set about creating tension between various religious groups in Iraq to prevent a unified opposition to the American opposition.