[Heuristic Hiker]

Symbols mean things, but I think as yesterday's sectarian strife in Iraq indicates, they often mean more outside of the U.S. than they do to many Americans.

The symbols, the icons, the church and the worshippers themselves were an affront to these al-Qaida terrorists, but in American, there is another religious institution, a mosque known to many of these same terrorists as the 9/11 mosque. It also is a symbol and an icon to them.

Quoting from the posted article:

"Several survivors said that many of the casualties occurred when the gunmen entered and began firing randomly — at people, church icons and even windows. They described a ferocity on the part of the gunmen, some of them speaking in dialects from other Arab countries, as though the very sight of the church’s interior had enraged them."

[Alberta's Child]

I have a feeling this kind of sh!t never happened when Saddam Hussein ran the place.

[Prole]

Nearly all of Iraq’s Jews left long ago, many harassed by a xenophobic government. Iraq’s Christians have dwindled; once numbering anywhere between 800,000 and 1.4 million, at least half are thought to have emigrated since 2003, their leaders say.

Where are pompous, democrat a-holes like Tom Hanks and Jon Leibowitz on this particular fact?

It is jerks like Tom Hanks who were stating that America went to war with Japan in WWII and recently with Saddam's government in Iraq "because they look different than we do."

The barbarity of Al Qaeda and other Wahhabist followers is what yields the intentional murder of innocent people due to religious differences.

Where are the Hollywood elite and other democrats on this?

[556x45]

I think if you want episodes like this to stop all you need do is rein in Iran. However, no one wants to talk about it let alone stop them.

[phobia-dude]

As we see all the times, when a Western country does something that displeases the Muslims (no minarets, no burka, cartoon depicting Muhammad,...)the Muslim nations through its media/mosques organize to protest that action. Here we have had news of slaughter of 2 million Christian Sudanese, burning of churches in Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, and this latest massacre in the Iraqi church; NOTHING FROM OUR PUBLIC OPINION MAKERS TO GALVANIZE ANGER AND ORGANIZE PROTESTS!

[mas cerveza por favor]

an affiliate of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a homegrown group led by Iraqis, claimed responsibility.[...]

They described a ferocity on the part of the gunmen, some of them speaking in dialects from other Arab countries

Very odd. The report says a "hometown group" claimed responsibility but does not give any associated names or say whether the group is Sunni or Shia. Earlier reports said the police captured some of the gunmen but that is not mentioned here. Witness said the gunmen were "insane" foreigners.

Who bankrolled this operation? The US military should conduct an investigation.

[Allegra]

It's gotten bumpy again this evening...

And I don't mean the weather.