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Christians thrown to the lions in Iraq
Winnipeg Sun ^ | Decemner 21, 2006 | JOHN GLEESON

Posted on 12/21/2006 4:10:55 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o

While Canada's self-appointed guardians of Christmas dig up new evidence of persecution -- a tree moved down the hall, a greeting without "merry" dutifully attached -- real persecution against Christians is going on daily and is being largely ignored.

Nowhere is the situation as grave as in Iraq.

Since the U.S. invasion in 2003, Iraq's one million Assyrian Christians -- the oldest sect in Christendom -- have been the target of a campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing at the hands of Islamic extremists and Kurdish nationalists. Tens of thousands have fled the country for Syria, Jordan or Turkey.

This year has been the worst since the invasion. Church bombings, car bombings, kidnappings and killings have become commonplace.

In August, 13 Assyrian women in Baghdad were kidnapped and murdered. In October, a 14-year-old boy in Albasra was crucified and stabbed in the stomach in mockery of the death of Christ. Another 14-year-old boy in Baquba was decapitated in his workplace by veiled Muslims chanting "Allahu, Akbar! Allahu, Akbar!" Also that month, a priest was kidnapped, tortured and beheaded, supposedly over the Pope's comments critical of Islam.

Indeed, in the wake of Benedict XVI's September speech, extremists threatened to kill all Christians in Iraq unless the Pope apologized.

Except for a few Christian relief agencies and the Assyrians' own news service, the bloodletting has been virtually unreported -- lost in the sea of carnage that is today's Iraq.

Assyrians themselves are calling on the western world to create a "safe zone" for Christians on the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq (the Canadian-based Council of Assyrian Research and Development has posted a petition at www.cardonline.org). The European Parliament passed a resolution to that effect in April, but so far nothing has been done.

Meanwhile, Christmas has understandably gone underground in Iraq.

Due to "the grave security situation in the country," Iraq's Chaldean patriarch Emmanuel Delly has "appealed on safety grounds to Christians ... to refrain from any public celebrations for Christmas."

Christians hide in their homes and pray in secret. Priests are afraid to appear in public in their clerical robes, lest they be indiscriminately attacked. Schoolgirls have been warned by Muslim extremists to wear the hijab, and boys to dress in a "sombre manner," or face the consequences under sharia law.

Truly a sad fate for a Christian community that traces its foundation back to 33 AD and St. Thomas and where most of the people still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus and the Apostles.

It's ironic, but not really surprising, that the American-led occupation under President George W. Bush would usher in an era of atrocities against Iraq's Christian minority. They were an easy revenge target for the majority Muslims, who have only been emboldened by the U.S. government's apparent disregard for the Assyrians' plight.

With more important geopolitical alliances to forge with the warring Muslim factions and the Kurds, you could say the Americans have thrown the Christians to the lions.

And remember, the same calamity could befall Pakistan's three million Christians, already a persecuted minority, if things were to get really ugly in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Persecution? We don't know the half of it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Gleeson is the editor of the Winnipeg Sun. He can be reached by e-mail at: jgleeson@wpgsun.com Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@wpgsun.com.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: assyrian; assyrianchristians; chaldean; iraq; persecution
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Most people have no idea this was going on. Thank you, lamestream media.

...In August, 13 Assyrian women in Baghdad were kidnapped and murdered. In October, a 14-year-old boy in Albasra was crucified and stabbed in the stomach in mockery of the death of Christ. Another 14-year-old boy in Baquba was decapitated in his workplace by veiled Muslims chanting "Allahu, Akbar! Allahu, Akbar!" Also that month, a priest was kidnapped, tortured and beheaded, supposedly over the Pope's comments critical of Islam...

Wel, I'm sure that showed the world how 'wrong' the Pope was about Islam . . .

1 posted on 12/21/2006 4:10:56 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
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To: SJackson; knighthawk; hail to the chief; Straight Vermonter; NYer; Coleus; narses; Salvation; ...

Ping


2 posted on 12/21/2006 4:22:17 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Pray for us.)
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To: SJackson; knighthawk; hail to the chief; Straight Vermonter; NYer; Coleus; narses; Salvation; ...

Ping


3 posted on 12/21/2006 4:22:21 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Pray for us.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Iraq's one million Assyrian Christians

Was their any attempt to form a Christian Iraqi brigade?

4 posted on 12/21/2006 4:30:56 PM PST by rocksblues (Do unto others as they do unto you!)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Like I said many times; The only solution to the Islamic problem is the ultimate solution; One attack = one nuke on Mecca. Seems harsh? Seems overboard? Give me a better one.

For example England recently revealed that a terror attack will happen most certainly in the next few weeks....Observe:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1756875/posts

What can be done? How can they search millions of people? It`s impossible. This is a war that has no frontline, it is a war with the invisible, a war with the ultimate cowards, therefore it must be taken to the next level; We pass the responsibilty onto them. For ever suicide bomber that explodes himself (or herself) in an allied country, one nuclear bomb will be dropped on the Kaaba in Mecca, and it will happen immediately. When that fails, then we move onto every single country that supports terror, we hit just their heads over and over, and we just keep moving on.

What will happen? These human sh*tbags will think twice. That`s the only way to win. It ended WW2, and it will end this WW as well.

This can only result in victory. The Muzzies either give up the terror sh*t, or they are blown into extinction. It`s the only way. Sooner or later this solution will be realized, although I am 100% certain by then it will be too late.


5 posted on 12/21/2006 4:39:46 PM PST by Screamname (My name is Screamname and I approve this message.)
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To: Screamname
When that fails, then we move onto every single country that supports terror, we hit just their heads over and over, and we just keep moving on.

The oil fields will glow for a long time.
6 posted on 12/21/2006 4:43:52 PM PST by HaveHadEnough
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Jesus told us it would happen, and it has. We, here in the USA, should try to remember that He didn't say "ever where except in the good ole US of A."


7 posted on 12/21/2006 4:58:14 PM PST by thiscouldbemoreconfusing
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To: Mrs. Don-o; 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; ...


8 posted on 12/21/2006 5:05:45 PM PST by Coleus (Happy Chanukkah, Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

[Except for a few Christian relief agencies and the Assyrians' own news service, the bloodletting has been virtually unreported -- lost in the sea of carnage that is today's Iraq.]

May the good Lord and Savior Christ Jesus help the Assyrian Christians and break the teeth of the wicked Islamic murderers of innocent and helpless Christians caught in their evil web of murder and trechery.


9 posted on 12/21/2006 5:21:33 PM PST by kindred (Now is the time for a new conservative political party, the Pubs committed liberalism.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Stories like this piss me off to no end. Beheadings, rapes, and racist actions against Iraqi Christians gets no play in the MSM. But God forbid a page from the koran is torn out or a pig's head his thrown into a mosque, then it's all over the news 24/7!
10 posted on 12/21/2006 5:32:57 PM PST by John Philoponus
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To: Screamname
One attack = one nuke on Mecca.

After that kills maybe one million people and the attacks intensify who is next on your list?

11 posted on 12/21/2006 5:36:58 PM PST by rocksblues (Do unto others as they do unto you!)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Most people have no idea this was going on.

No, quite a few people knew this was going on. But this has only been occurring at this level for the past few years. Wonder why that is.....

12 posted on 12/21/2006 5:39:48 PM PST by billbears (Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. --Santayana)
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To: rocksblues
"After that kills maybe one million people and the attacks intensify who is next on your list?"

Yeah .. I guess you're right ... honey ... gimmee another beer, willya' ... the game's comin' on.

13 posted on 12/21/2006 6:00:08 PM PST by knarf (Islamists kill each other ... News wall-to-wall, 24/7 .. don't touch that dial.)
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To: thiscouldbemoreconfusing
Jesus told us it would happen, and it has. We, here in the USA, should try to remember that He didn't say "every where except in the good ole US of A."

As His lessons told and taught to us, I wish to say Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Christians everywhere must remember it is our belief and burden to bear, as He foretold.

Again, Merry Christmas to all.

FMCDH(BITS)

14 posted on 12/21/2006 6:09:29 PM PST by nothingnew (I fear for my Republic due to marxist influence in our government. Open eyes/see)
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To: Mrs. Don-o
"an easy revenge target for the majority Muslims, who have only been emboldened by the U.S. government's apparent disregard for the Assyrians' plight.",

What is going on is truly terrible. However, why in the he!! is always our fault?

15 posted on 12/21/2006 6:47:19 PM PST by 2111USMC
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To: Mrs. Don-o; dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

16 posted on 12/21/2006 7:01:01 PM PST by SJackson (had to move the national debate from whether to stay the course to how do we start down the path out)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Christian...? Naw, looks Chaldean too me!

17 posted on 12/21/2006 7:11:16 PM PST by UnklGene
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To: Mrs. Don-o

The Kurds would be pretty stupid to let this happen. Christians are their only potential allies against the Sunni and Shia.


18 posted on 12/21/2006 7:15:29 PM PST by Democratshavenobrains
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To: Mrs. Don-o

We should offer the Iraqi Christians citizenship in America.


19 posted on 12/21/2006 7:17:30 PM PST by MinorityRepublican (Everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

"Since the U.S. invasion in 2003, Iraq's one million Assyrian Christians -- the oldest sect in Christendom -- have been the target..."

Wonder what the source of their facts is?
They were targets before the invasion. Iraqis have always slaughtered Iraqis. It just didn't make the news before. And now they have help from the insurgents.


20 posted on 12/21/2006 7:18:01 PM PST by oneamericanvoice (Perfect Christmas gift for Ahmadinejad...a bunker buster deliverd by the Israelis!)
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