You might have heard in the news that bombings are part of the daily life in the post-war Iraq. As a matter of fact, people anticipate it and would be wondering have they not heard anything alike that day! Recently, when Iraqis say they want to know about the news, they actually mean they want to know about the BOMBS in Iraq and who they targeted that day. Although many Iraqis, regardless of their religious denomination, have been targeted by daily road-side bombs or any other random act of terror, minorities have been affected the most. And that's the topic of my post.
It is very sad to hear that people get killed based on their spiritual belief in Iraq nowadays. I know it is a fact, but we're now living in the 21st century, where this issue should no longer be considered a critereon for attacking innocent lives. It is also true that such incidents have previously occurred at some point in the so-called "developed country's" history, but they realized that seeking religious differences and fighting over them would get them nowhere! They learned a lesson! a precious one! That's when they became great!
In iraq today, 4 churches bombed killing 4 people and injuring 21 (BBC). That's not the first time it has happened! Churches have been bombed before in 2005, 2006 and 2007!
Now, the quesiton is "why?" It's Iraqi Christians who attend those churches. they're a minority and they have not the slightest effect in the current government's decisions!
Do those terrorists want them to leave Iraq? maybe! But that's not going to happen anytime soon. It's true many have already flee to neighboring countries, Europe and the states, but many are also still there. And they will stay there as they have always been in Iraq for 200o years!
Conclusion? They are Iraqis and they have lived throughout all the ups and downs of Iraq. They contributed to its prosperity and peace. Enough with the allegations that they are Pro-west and Pro-American! The west became Christian after Iraq! Assyrians and Chaldeans(Iraqi Christians) are old tribes that inhabited mesopotamia a very long time ago and even when they acquired Christianity, they have added their customs and cultural values to it, resulting in a rather unique form of Christianity that doesn't perfectly resemble the west!
So, yes, these people are Iraqis no matter how hard those terrorists try! They are part of this society and will never be cut out from it by these fierce actions.
This is a message to some people who like to question the historical background of Christians in Iraq. And we all know that the majority of Iraqis are saddened by such terrible actions, but it is always good to remind oursleves and the world that we are a country of different ethnicities.
Yes, we have all coexisted for a long time in the land of two rivers, and it is time to revive this concept again. the concept of respecting each other aside from religious belief. That's when we can start to really believe in ourselves as a people capable of advancing while defending ourselves from all the devastating ills other countries might impose on us.
Fadi Al-Asadi
first, thank you for the invitation to join the blog. I have been reading some of the blogs you posted and I really like them. I think we hear a lot about Iraq in the news, but, it never touches on the many issues affecting the Iraqi people in their daily lives besides political relations with the US. I like how you are informing the reader about important issues, but that you also are able to convey the feelings of the Iraqi people and your own feelings. Please keep on writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cristina! This blog is started by my friend Ali and I and the aim is to enlighten people about the issues of Iraq and have them know more about the real picture. The one that the media doesn't show!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that we're capable of doing that!
Fadi, Who is defending Iraqi Christians? Do they have any support?
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing this subject.
Sak, Iraqi Christians, being a minority, don't have a militia that would face other prominent religious ones in Iraq nowadays. That's why they are the most disadvantaged when it comes to the current unstable situation.
ReplyDeleteYet, the government has done a good job in responding to those very last bombings by protecting churches in Baghdad and the Christian towns in northern Iraq (mostly Mosul).
Currently, Iraq is still in the process of fighting terrorism while recovering from the past traumas. Hope is still there.
Thank you for your participation.
Fadi, Since they are so vulnerable, do you think Iraqi Christians would be wise to emigrate? I was surprised to learn that their patriarch turned down Germany's offer to accept Iraqi Christians. What was his motivation?
ReplyDeleteSak,
ReplyDeleteWhether it is wise for Iraqi Christians to emigrate or not is a matter of personal choice after all. I think it is a case-by-case deal.
Some Iraqi Christian families who have the potential to live in a foreign country actually emigrate and they could adapt somehow easily due to their credentials.
On the other hand, there are some families who don't know any foreign language and are not able to learn or cope with the new society. In this case, mostly these people would rather stay in Iraq (although they usually seek to live in relatively safe neighborhoods) than emigrate. Some of the latter leave Iraq and come to foreign countries where they suffer and become a burden on this country's government.
In Iraq, there is Chaldeans(a form of Roman Catholicism), Assyrians, Syriac Orthodox and Syriac Catholic. The Patriarch of Chaldeans ( the one I think you are referring to) actually doesn't have an official authority to either accept or turn down offers for protection from other countries. I think that he condemned this simply because he was afraid that Iraq's minority diaspora would leave it without Christians, who actually where inhabitants of this area even before Islam. Was that wise? I don't think so. Because he shouldn't say no in time when he can't provide protection for them.
Still, I don't really know if the German offer has ever been put into effect.