Violence Against Christians in Iraq a Growing Concern

Source: Associated Press

Violence against Christians in Iraq a growing concern
Increased security is not stopping the violence

BY KIM GAMEL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OCTOBER 9, 2008

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- An Iraqi archbishop expressed concern Wednesday over what he called a "campaign of killings and deportations" against Christians in the northern city of Mosul after police reported seven Christians killed in separate attacks this month. A female suicide bomber also blew herself up near government offices in Baqouba, northeast of the capital, killing 11 people, Iraqi officials said.

The violence in both cities occurred despite U.S.-Iraqi operations launched over the summer aimed at routing Al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents from remaining strongholds north of the capital. Iraqi police in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, have reported finding the bullet-riddled bodies of seven Christians in separate attacks so far in October, the latest a day laborer found on Wednesday.

The others included a clothing store owner, a teenager, two other day laborers, a pharmacy employee and a handicapped man who owns a spare parts store, police said.

Iraqis have their religions listed on government-issued ID cards. "We are worried about the campaign of killings and deportations against the Christian citizens in Mosul," Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20081009/NEWS07/810090447/1009/NEWS07

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They're an ancient community over a thousand years old, and their theology and worship are similar to those of the Eastern Orthodox Church. They would find our American fundamentalists weird and exotic.

Under Saddam Hussein, they were allowed to practice their religion and were exempt from Islamic law.

No one should be persecuted for their beliefs.

Their theology and worship forms ARE similar to the Eastern Orthodox Church, except that their church is loyal to the Pope.

nice

and freedom is on the march.

Just make all the christians wear a fish between their crotch that entered the country to convert the Muslims.

Now a few years ago the Sunni Arabs were out Enemy against the evil Shiites. Now we have allied ourselves with them against Al Queda in Iraq AND the Shiites (And maybe the Kurds, but the Kurd may not know this yet). Civil Wars are fun, as the coalition that make up the sides break up and reform. Remember this is NOT a two way fight, but at least a three way fight (And the Christians Assyrians can be and have been a fourth side in this fight).

What is going on, Mosul was a point of contention between the Sunni Arabs and the Kurds, but the local Turks and Christians seem to be on the side of that fight (With the Turks not pro-Kurd but also not pro-Sunni, being pro-Turkey if anything).

Now the Kurds want Mosul as their Capital, but it is a multi-ethnic city (made more by Saddam who shipped in a lot of Sunni Arabs). Mosul is more Arab then Kurd at the present time, but the surrounding rural area is Kurdish (Except for the Assyrians who control areas of Rural Iraq).

More on Mosul:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosul

More on the Assyrians, the Christians in this part of the World:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrians

Source: AFP

KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq's Christians face "liquidation," the Chaldean archbishop of the northern city of Kirkuk told AFP in an interview, urging Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to guarantee the minority's safety.

Archbishop Louis Sako also called on the US military to do more to protect Christians and other minorities in the face of a rash of deadly attacks that has prompted growing numbers to flee the country.

"We are the target of a campaign of liquidation, a campaign of violence. The objective is political," Sako said.

He said that since the US-led invasion of 2003, more than 200 Christians had been killed and a string of churches attacked, and added that the violence had intensified in recent weeks, particularly in the north.

He said it was now time for Maliki's Shiite Muslim-led government to deliver on repeated promises to do more to protect Iraq's minorities.

"We have heard many words from Prime Minister Maliki, but unfortunately this has not translated into reality," he said. "We continue to be targeted. We want solutions, not promises."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081010/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestchristianskirkuk_081010092934

Good thing Iraq has a strong separation of church and state like we do.

Oh, wait a minute . . . .

Unlike Saddam "Washington" Hussein, they would have dealt with the Muslim wackos in the way that all far-right theocrats should be dealt with and how they would have been dealt with in Afghanistan had the Maoists and the Rambos not fucked everything up. On the Christian side, being a member of a neo-fascist group like Joel's Army should be grounds for execution. If they're anything like other religious groups in the Middle East, however, they'll be much too busy helping the Shi'ites bash the gays to notice where the other gun is pointing.

Mostly Orthodox and Roman Catholic there.