Half of All Christians Have Fled Iraq Since 2003, Says Baghdad Bishop

[sabra]

http://www.aina.org/news/20060806134127.htm

Half of All Christians Have Fled Iraq Since 2003, Says Baghdad Bishop

LONDON (CNS) --- Half of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, said the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad.

Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad said that before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christians in the predominantly Shiite Muslim state. Since then the overall number has dropped to about 600,000, he said.

"What we are hearing now is the alarm bell for Christianity in Iraq," the bishop said. "When so many are leaving from a small community like ours, you know that it is dangerous -- dangerous for the future of the church in Iraq."

The bishop said 75 percent of Christians from Baghdad had fled the capital to escape the almost daily outbreaks of sectarian violence.

[pinto]

1. I think one overlooked marker in Iraq is the number of those

who have the means and have left. It crosses religious lines and seems to be primarily a factor of available resources (money to leave), connections (family elsewhere) and personal skills (employability in a new country. I saw a graphic about the number of physicians who have left Iraq on DU somewhere yesterday and it's was pretty telling.

I grew up in a neighborhood in New England with lots of Lebanese and Syrian families who left their countries when they could - professionals, paraprofessionals, established tradesmen - in the 70's and 80's. A great loss for their countries - and for themselves to hear the stories of separation and loss - but a choice made willingly for the future of their families.

[0007]

2. What does Baghdad Bob say?

[varun]

3. This should infuriate the fundies in the Repug party...

why are they still supporting the war?

[Odin2005]

4. The fundies don't care about Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

They consider them "idol worshipers."

[brentspeak]

5. The thing is, middle-eastern Christians might hold theological beliefs

as close as possible to the original Christians of the first century. That goes especially for the Syrian orthodox Christians, as Paul set up the earliest churches in that area. You won't find many Syrian Christians who believe in the literal interpretation of Revelation (ie. the Rapture), let alone a literal interpretation of any part of the New Testament. The Book of Revelation in particular has always been viewed as somewhat dubious by members of the Orthodox Christian community.

[xchrom]

6. liturgical christians don't accept revelations

as anything but metaphor and allegory. and we know it was a message for christians in nero's time.

[CatholicEdHead]

7. Correct, we are as close to the devil as you can get

I wear that as a badge of honor around those people.

[maddezmom]

8. kick

[ECH1969]

9. Half of all Christians have fled Iraq since 2003, says Baghdad bishop

Half of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, said the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad.

Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad said that before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christians in the predominantly Shiite Muslim state. Since then the overall number has dropped to about 600,000, he said.

"What we are hearing now is the alarm bell for Christianity in Iraq," the bishop said. "When so many are leaving from a small community like ours, you know that it is dangerous -- dangerous for the future of the church in Iraq."

He said the only thing keeping people going was hope because "the country is rich but lacking stability. Once the stability returns, the country will rise up again."

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0604409.htm

[Supersedeas]

10. wonder why--do they have a problem with freedom???

[Ragin_mad]

11. How will they convert everyone to Christianity

if they are all leaving ?

[Tight_rope]

16. My thoughts exactly!

Who will be there to convert the immortals? :shrug:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. Wow.... I wonder if I can get Bush to invade Alabama?

:toast:

[n2doc]

13. Yeah that "christianization of Iraq" project is going smoothly

Just like all of the other Neocon dreams.....

[eissa]

14. Sad

Please don't confuse Iraq's Christian community with whack jobs like Falwell and his ilk. The Christians of Iraq -- Chaldeans/Assyrians -- are the indigenous people of that region and their abandonment of their homeland (forced or willingly) is probably the beginning of the end for that community.

My own family in Baghdad is desperate to get out. They were able to live under Saddam's brutal dictatorship, but they cannot handle the randomness of the violence now, not to mention the lack of security, electricity, basic necessities, etc.

[LanternWaste]

18. for what it's worth, your family is in my thoughts

There's a lot of confusion these days between Christians and Falwell-christians; in the U.S. as well as the mid-east. I get lumpe as a falwell-christian more than I care to admit.

As an aside: for what it's worth, your family is in my thoughts

[eissa]

19. Thanks!

I'm feeling quite helpless as there really is no chance of getting out -- who is accepting Iraqi refugees these days?! I had originally suggested that they get to the Canadian embassy in Syria and ask for a humanitarian visa into that country, but with the influx of Lebanese escaping into Syria, that seems unlikely now.

[bronxiteforever]

15. really sad that this is covered in the catholic News service

The MSM will duck and bury the story. Along witha one day coverage of the mess of the fundie government we installed there. 319 Billion dollars paid by Shrubco for a radical antiUS government that persecutes Christians, gay and intellectual Iraqis.
Good job GOP-you are a failure to the republic.

[IndyBob]

20. The source of rage

for me is the deserter in chief's utter lack of competance. Or should I blame his discredited neocom handlers.

I have no doubt Saddam was a first class SOB, and good riddance. But to lie our way into a war, where the blood of 10s of thousands of Iraqi civilians and 2500+ US soldiers is wasted in a massive neocon wargasm, at a cost of $1/2 trilion - only to have some whacked out Koran-thumping nutjobs put in charge - is enough to make me literallly sick.

[Critters2]

17. I know an Assyrian pastor (at an Assyrian UCC church here)

who has been concerned for some time about conditions for Christians in Iraq. He says both Christians and women--of whatever faith--have lost freedoms under this new "democracy". Makes me furious!

:argh: