Iraqi Christians Persecuted

An estimated twenty or perhaps even more Christians were killed in Iraq in September 2004. I say perhaps even more because it matters who is counting. Some people might count some of those who died as Christians and some might not. What matters is the opinion of those who do the murders. And, when Christians die the secular media often does not care to report they are. If they did we might be amazed at the percentage of those dying that do profess Christ.

We have heard reports that Iraqis are now using the word “jew” as slang for American soldiers, but local Muslim Iraqis are making connection between local Iraqi Christian communities and the Americans. They are taking revenge on them because they are “Christians like the Americans.” The provisional government is abetting the problem because it is requiring citizens to register either as Kurds or as Arabs. Since many Christians are ethnic traditional believers with a long ancestry (Christian Aramaic) apart from either of these this causes a problem. This discriminatory practice alone causes many to miss out on funding that they would otherwise be able to get to repair their communities.

            Christian women in Iraq are being forced to wear Islamic head cover; children and young men are being kidnapped for ransom. Christian leaders have been threatened that their group needs to die in larger numbers. Approximately 30,000 Iraqi Christians have fled to either Syria or Jordan neither of which is known to be particularly hospitable to Christianity. Others have fled into the Kurdish controlled northern part of Iraq.

            The U.S. State Department has a long history of ignoring the persecution of Christians wherever it may occur in the world. That is probably why there is no administrative group included in the Transitional Administrative Unit where those who are cultural Christians could have their concerns looked out for. Five bombs ripped through churches in Baghdad on the 16^th of October. Though it is a criminal act to make Iraq unstable, doubt exists that Islamic authorities are very concerned over this despicable act even though fatal attacks on 5 churches in August shows a trend.