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December 20, 2004
A Christmas without celebrations or Christians
Topics: Middle East News and PerspectivesTheAge.com.au. Baghdad, December 21, 2004.
This is a very sad thing for Christians all over the world, and especially for Christians in Iraq. The Islamists have murdered and committed so much violence against Christians in Iraq, that Iraq's 800,000 Christians have all but cancelled Christmas.
Nestled off a bustling shopping avenue in central Baghdad, Babylon Farms offers all the retail trappings of Christmas.
Baskets brim with glitter-dusted ornaments. A 1.2-metre Santa Claus doll towers over the cash register. Rows of decorated trees and plastic red poinsettias line the shop. The only thing missing? Customers.
"All the Christians have left the country," said Saif Sadi, the manager of the store, where sales this season are down 75 per cent.
After a painful year of church bombings, death threats and assassinations, Iraq's 800,000 Christians have all but cancelled Christmas. "Officially, we are not celebrating this year," said Father Peter Haddad, head of the Virgin Mary Church in Baghdad.
Fearing insurgent attacks in this predominantly Muslim country, bishops around the country recently announced they would call off the usual Christmas festivals and celebrations. Some churches will also forgo Christmas Eve Mass, an unheard of step even during the Saddam Hussein regime. Continue reading TheAge.com.au(Australia)
Christians have lived in Iraq for hundreds of years and have had peaceful relations with Muslims for most of that time. After the US-led invasion, insurgents began targeting Christians and accusing them of co-operating with American "infidels." Apparently harassment by Islamists became so bad that many Christian women took to wearing Muslim hijabs. Is this what awaits nations that fail to successfully combat islamofascism?
Posted by Hyscience at December 20, 2004 7:09 PM
I apologise for the double trackback. @@##!! Haloscan. Could you please delete one of them? Thanks, and sorry once again.
Posted by: EdWonk at December 21, 2004 12:32 AM
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