Christian Exodus From Iraq Gathers Pace - Churches Empty & Christmas Decorations Are Put Away

[Turborama]

Christian exodus from Iraq gathers pace

Churches empty and Christmas decorations are put away after al-Qaida renews deadly threat


A shrine to Christians killed at the Our Lady of Salvation church
in Baghdad in the autumn. Al-Qaida has renewed threats against
Iraq's Christians.

Martin Chulov in Baghdad

Their cathedrals stand silent and their neighbourhoods are rapidly emptying. Now Iraq'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.

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.

The latest exodus follows http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/01/baghdad-church-siege-survivors-speak">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.

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.

"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."

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/23/iraq-christian-exodus-christmas

How'd that "Crusade" work out for ya, Georgie boy?

[strategery blunder]

1. I lived in Jesusland for the first four years of the Iraq War.

I tried explaining that this would be the fate of Chaldean Christians, now that the US had destabilized the country and terrorists that had largely been kept out of Iraq under Saddam had relatively free reign to terrorize the country. Of course, I knew said fundies could care less about those who "weren't saved."

The blind eye that those so-called "Christians" turned toward the suffering of their brethren in Iraq was absolutely appalling. Bu$h could do no wrong. Christians, what Christians? They're all muslin' heathens. :grr:

Of course, I recognize that the suffering the US inflicted upon Iraq is much broader than the Chaldean Christian community, but the fundies don't/didn't care because the Iraqi population is brown.

[Turborama]

2. Yes

But I think we could also change that to the present tense...


The blind eye that those so-called "Christians" turn toward the suffering of their brethren in Iraq is absolutely appalling. Bu$h could do no wrong. Christians, what Christians? They're all muslin' heathens.

[strategery blunder]

3. I used the past tense because I no longer live there.

Thus, while I doubt they've changed their beliefs, my having to deal with them is definitely in the past tense. :)