Iraqi worshippers risk their lives to celebrate Christmas in church (good for them)

TImes Online UK ^ | 12-26-05 | Stephen Farrell

[emiller]

IRAQIS gathered for Christmas behind Kalashnikovs yesterday. Midnight Mass was cancelled because of bombing fears and curfews, but the country’s rapidly dwindling Christian minority turned out in their thousands for early morning services. Protected under Saddam, Christians once numbered between 600,000 and 700,000 in Iraq, but church officials say that about half have now fled, especially from the south, where militias linked to Iraq’s ruling parties have waged a three-year campaign to Islamise the country at gunpoint.

The worst attacks were by insurgents in central and northern Iraq in August last year, when bomb attacks on four churches in

[emiller]

We just don't appreciate how good we have it here.

[SteveMcKing]

Is this some leftwing attempt to show the new Iraq hates Christians, and they were better off under Saddam?

Because that's the dems' current talking point.

[vimto]

No, I don't think it is lefty 'spin'. The fact is that the Christian communities in Iraq have been persecuted badly recently. I fully support the troops in Iraq, but there were bound to be problems attached to the liberation and the Christians have not come off well. The Barnabus Trust supports this view. Many Christian families (those that could) have emigrated and their homes taken over by muslims.

The Christians thought that the allied troupes (being 'Christian') would look out for them. That hasn't happened (probably because to side with the Christian population would have been politically dangerous and ultimately would have put the Christians at even greater risk.

All this is not the fault of the Allied forces (that would be your Democratic spin) it is just the the usual modus operandi of muslims to victimize Christians when the chance arises and we should not be very surprised at what has happened.

Appalled yes, surprised no.

Kind regards.