Michigan Church Saddam built prays for his ouster

Indian Express ^ | March 27, 2003

[NYer]

Church Saddam built prays for his ouster

As war rages, terror alarms go off daily

Latwp

Detroit, March 26:

Sacred Heart Church on Seven Mile Road is the church Saddam Hussein built.

In 1980, Reverend Jacob Yasso flew to Baghdad and met with Hussein, who wanted to help Iraqi Christians who had come to America. That year, Hussein sent $1.5 million to cover the church’s debt and build a social hall and day-care centre.

Last Friday, 450 parishioners gathered at Sacred Heart for a service.

They prayed for Hussein’s overthrow. They also prayed for a miracle — that loved ones who disappeared in Iraq during the dictator’s reign would be found alive after the war. Father Yasso says more than half of the parish’s 1,200 families have missing loved ones in Iraq.

The 70-year-old Iraqi-born priest says he decided Hussein was ‘‘evil’’ in the years following his meeting with the ruler, as newcomers to his church told their stories about the regime. ‘‘I shook his hand in 1980,’’ he says. ‘‘Now, he is the devil.’’

Until recently, many of Detroit’s Chaldeans and Muslims feared speaking out against Saddam, frightened of reprisals against relatives in Iraq. Now, emboldened by the war, they’re more vocal. Several groups say they plan to seek a full accounting of their missing loved ones after the war.

They envision open trials, input from US law groups and Internet databases cataloguing the missing. Reports that Saddam’s regime is putting up strong resistance haven’t dimmed the Chaldeans’ hopes. ‘‘Saddam will be out,’’ they say. ‘‘Maybe he’ll be elusive, like bin Laden, but he won’t remain in power.’’

[NYer]

Now, emboldened by the war, they’re more vocal. Several groups say they plan to seek a full accounting of their missing loved ones after the war.

It is absolutely frightening to see the length with which the hand of Hussein has reached.

[NYer]

They also prayed for a miracle — that loved ones who disappeared in Iraq during the dictator’s reign would be found alive after the war.

May their prayers be answered.

[Happy2BMe]

It is also amazing the difference 23 years can make.

Had Saddam not strayed down the path of tyrant and mutilator of his own people, his dictatorship would still be in power.

Morale of story: Don't murder your own people (or anyone else).

[Desdemona]

This is sickening. Why the world cannot see Hussien for the monster he is is a great mystery.

I hope these people are alive.

[gcruse]

Hmm. No good deed goes unpunished. ;)

[Bobby777]

‘‘I shook his hand in 1980,’’ he says. ‘‘Now, he is the devil.’’

NOW Saddam is the devil? he wasn't then?

apparently this guy didn't take a look at the 1979 video, widely distributed by Saddam Hussein himself to generate fear, of Saddam calmly reading out the names of his friends he no longer trusted, to be taken out and shot immediately or never heard from again ... in any case, they were never seen alive again ... Saddam sheds crocodile tears, lights up a cigar and continues to read more names ... taking it all in the Tariq Aziz ... and this was a year before he "shook Saddam's hand" ... the show the videotape on PBS ...

[Gang of Five]

Just think what could have been done for Iraq and the region if all of the money Saddam Hussein has spent on wars against Iran, the Kurds in northern Iraq, the Kuwaitis, and the Arab Shia in southern Iraq had been been spent on infrastructure (schools, roads, etc.) instead. I recently saw an estimate that he has spent in the neighborhood of $500 BILLION (with a "b") on his military adventures. He apparently wants to be remembered as "Saddam the Great" and spoken of with historic Arab military leaders. He could have had his wish, if only...

[livius]

I recently saw an estimate that he has spent in the neighborhood of $500 BILLION (with a "b") on his military adventures.

I was watching war coverage this afternoon and they mentioned that Saddam has built a huge fiber-optic communications system all across the country - for his military. Meanwhile the people rely on food handouts.

[Rocko]

Bump.

[Genesis defender]

And just think of the lifestyle of the average Kuwaiti citizen. Something similar could have been a reality for many Iraqis had Hussein not been in power.

[gettingreal]

...where two or more are gathered in His name...

[happygrl]

Maybe he didn't see the video because he was in the U.S. The article states that the pastor flew from the U.S. to Iraq to meet with Saddam. In this country, he was seen as the standard Middle Eastern strongman in 1978.

I never saw the video, did you ?

[happygrl]

Amen to that. I pray that there will be some lost loved ones alive (Michael Speicher, from the U.S. for one) and that the testimony will shock the world, just as the revelatins of the holocaust did.

[Bobby777]

yep ... it's running on PBS ... it's about 1/2-way or a little more through ... there's about 60-90 seconds of video (roughly) that PBS shows ... it's a collage of several of their specials on the Gulf War and Saddam ...

Reportedly Saddam wanted it distributed ... nonetheless, if the guy had any ties in Iraq I'm sure news traveled far and wide ... any U.S. politician that ever considered putting Tariq Aziz in power instead of Saddam needs to see Tariq's tacit approval by his attendance ... while Saddam weeps, one of the guards standing next to him weeps too ... they're such sensitive guys ... not ...

[happygrl]

Thanks for the thumbs up.

I will look for this on PBS. Sounds like something worthwhile.

Tarik Aziz is Saddam's token Christian, so he can show the world how progressive he is.

For his soul's sake, Aziz would be better commiting suicide than shilling for Saddam.

[Bobby777]

I think there's two mutually exclusive terms regarding Tariq Aziz ... one thing would not allow him to be Saddam's right-hand man all these years ...