Iraqi Christians Pray for Peace on Sombre Christmas

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041223/wl_nm/iraq_christmas_dc&cid=574&ncid=1473

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Christians won't be celebrating Christmas this year. Midnight mass, the centerpiece of Christmas festivities in Iraq (news - web sites), has been canceled because of night-time curfews.


Few will be showing up to church on Christmas morning, scared that insurgents who have bombed churches, mosques and Muslim religious festivals, will strike again.


"We usually go to midnight mass and then a celebration and then we go home where the family gathers for dinner," said Bushra Gorjis, 31, a cleaner. "This year we are not going to church because everyone is scared of the terrorists."


While Iraq's Christian minority, some three percent of the population, had little power under Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), they were free to worship without the threat of sectarian violence.

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[Flammable Materials]

1. I'm so sorry.

Your blood is on my hands, Iraq, and it brings me to tears.

[Jacobin]

2. Under the secular regime of Saddam, they had a measure

of protection.

When the majority Shiites take control, they will be toast...history...a bloody smudge of a footnote on the page of history writ by the Neo-cons. Of course, why would they care, as long as an enemy of Israel has been vanquished....no, wait, now there will be two Irans!!!! Damn reality, bites the Neo-cons again

[NNN0LHI]

3. I think saying a measure of protection under Saddam is an understatement

Anyone in Saddam's Iraq who even thought about bombing a Christian church would not have been breathing at sundown. Some of Saddam's highest government officials were Christians. Tariq Aziz comes to mind. What does it say when Saddam could protect these people but the strongest military in the world cannot? Hell, they can't even protect themselves. Something is wrong here.

Don

[LynnTheDem]

4. How come we are hearing so much about the Iraqi Christians,

but nothing about all the other Iraqis also praying for peace?

bush really has got a "crusade" going against all non-Christians, hasn't he.

[oldcoot]

5. I have not heard that much about Iraqi Christians

I have heard more about the controversy over whether or not some underpaid retail clerk says "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" than I have heard about the fate of Iraqi Christians since the invasion. It seems that some American Christians feel oppressed if a store clerk says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." I wonder what these individuals would do if they actually faced real oppression.

However, it is possible that some might use this story as an excuse to bash Muslims. However, I would remind such individuals that Iraqi Christians had some religious freedom prior to the invasion and that we are largely responsible for the problems Iraqi Christians are currently facing.

[LynnTheDem]

6. Here in Texas it's all over the local news

The "poor Iraqi Christians" having a shitty Christmas.

Not one word about the poor every other Iraqis. And of course NO mention whatsoever of the FACT that under Hussein Iraqi Christians, as well as Shia, held major posts in the Iraqi government & were allowed far more freedom than they have now and more than most other ME nations.

Not much here about the "Happy HOLYdays versus Merry Christmas" war.

So...is O'Reilly calling for bush's impeachment for saying "Happy HOLIDAYS" three times in his one speech?

Yeah didn't think so. :D

[Igel]

7. Just more collective punishment.

A couple of possibilities: uppity Christians who don't know their place, and do things like display crosses in public or sell alcohol; uppity Christians who have to be brought down because they had power over Muslims they shouldn't have; or the usual "Christians are attacking us, so we will attack Christians"--sort of a anti-Fifth Column manoeuvre or collective revenge, depending on how you justify it. Xians in Aleppo were butchered when the Russians had a victory in the Crimean war, N. African Christians had a rough go of it at various times.

The extremists have a few tried-and-true excuses. But all involving collective punishment.

But here's a cheery thought--at least they have it better than the polytheists.