Radical Muslims attack two churches Iraq: demand catholics post condemnation of pope's words

Asia News ^ | September 25, 2006

[NYer]

The atmosphere in the city is very tense. Recently, Muslim militias threatened the Catholic bishop and priests that unless they publicly condemned the address of the pope at the University of Regensburg within 72 hours, Christians would be killed and churches burned down.

[livius]

But in recent days, Orthodox communities distanced themselves from the words of the pope, putting up posters outside their churches expressing their disagreement with him.

Dhimmification marches on. There's nothing to disagree with, as I'm sure most Orthodox know full well. What these folks don't understand is that if we don't all hang together (as Ben Franklin said), we shall surely all hang separately.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Can this be true about al-Sistani? If so, the Holy Father's very risky gambit may be turning and splitting at least part of the Umma. I hardly know what to believe or to dare to hope for. I feel ashamed of myself for neglecting my Rosary. God bless Benedict XVI!

[Nihil Obstat]

Recently, the Secretary of the Nunciature in Baghdad, Mgr Thomas Halim Abib, met religious representatives of Islam and offered them an Arabic translation of the words of the pope, so Muslim leaders would be able to understand the true meaning of what was said.

prayers for the Monsignor's safety. God bless him and the Iraqi Christians.

[NYer]

Orthodox ping!

[Jaded]

It's not like attacking churches in Iraq is anything new, with or without the Pope's speech.

[muawiyah]

The entire leadership elite among the Ayatollahs who rule Iran spent 20 or more years in exile in France, living it up, drinking demon rum, debauching women not their wives, injecting hard narcotics, consorting with Christians, and so forth.

Besides, they are Shia, not Sunni.

Don't mean a thing!

[metmom]

Why should Catholics condemn something anyone said that is true? The muslims are just proving it so. They should apologize for the truth?

[Traianus]

SEND THEM SAMIR GEAGEA to TEACH THEM SOME "BASIC ELEMENTS OF SELF DEFENSE & SURVIVAL"....

[TomasUSMC]

This is what does and will continue to happen when our brave troops are given KGC warfighting rules and THEN told to prop up a government whose constitution states

NO LAW SHALL CONTRADICT ISLAM.

We need to stop paying and bleeding for Islam. Democracy nor Freedom can co-exsist with islam.

[Kolokotronis]

The "Orthodox" this article is referring to are the Assyrians who broke with the ancient Patriarchates, including Rome, over the condemnation of Nestorius. They, among other things, objected to the term Theotokos, preferring Christotokos, so you can see how early that split came. They are not really Orthodox as any of us understand the term. They broke off around 431.

I think you will find that the attitude expressed by +Christodoulos of Athens best represents the position of those Orthodox Churches which have any real freedom of action.

[livius]

I agree, I think the larger Orthodox Churches definitely know what the stakes in this are. Interestingly, one of the things that enabled Mohammed to take over was the plethora of small "local" churches that were only loosely connected to the whole, as a result of the many heresies that circulated through the Christian world at that time (and the backdraft of the major heresy, the Arian heresy). I hope the Assyrians think twice before they declare their allegiance to the wrong side!

[kosta50]

Article: Orthodox communities distanced themselves from the words of the pope, putting up posters outside their churches expressing their disagreement with him

Livius: Dhimmification marches on

The question is which Orthodox? Oriental or Eastern? But what is much more important is that not a single Muslim leader made any attempt to curb the ire of the militants. Where are our friends and allies among "moderate" Muslims? Not a single public statement demanding an end of ongoing rant, not a single voice of moderation.

Why? Either they agree with the militants, or they are scared of their own. I would say both. Every Muslim in his heart cannot be a Muslims and have room for a Christian. Islam forbids it! "Make no friends with Christians and Jews..." says the book of the moon god. How can anyone be a Muslim in his heart and soul and not obey that?

Self-styled Bosnian Muslim ex-president Alija Izetbegovic wrote in his famous "Islamic Declaration" (republished in 1990, just prior to the ourbreak of the Bosnian civil war) that there can not co-exist a peaceful relationship between Islamic and non-Islamic communities precisely for the reasons mentioned above. Those who talk about "moderate" Muslims and possible co-existence know nothing about Islam.

[livius]

Kolokotronis has some information in his post above about that particular church, which I wasn't aware of. I think the vital thing is not to let the Muslims split us up, because that is one of the ways they have conquered before. Granted, Christian disunity has long been a scandal and should have been healed long before now, particularly among the Orthodox and the Catholics, but it's now becoming something that is going to threaten our very existence.

[Coleus]

the religion of peace alert.

Catholic Churches have been attacked by muslims for centuries, it has nothing to do with what a pope said or what an emperor said over 500 years ago. They just hate Christians.

[cpforlife.org]

As I mentioned in a Freepmail to you recently.....

[NRA2BFree]

The atmosphere in the city is very tense. Recently, Muslim militias threatened the Catholic bishop and priests that unless they publicly condemned the address of the pope at the University of Regensburg within 72 hours, Christians would be killed and churches burned down.

Just another peaceful threat from the religion of peace!!!

[NYer]

It's not like attacking churches in Iraq is anything new, with or without the Pope's speech.

It's getting worse ... far worse. It's only a matter of time before all christians are driven out of these holy lands.

[Kolokotronis]

"Interestingly, one of the things that enabled Mohammed to take over was the plethora of small "local" churches that were only loosely connected to the whole, as a result of the many heresies that circulated through the Christian world at that time (and the backdraft of the major heresy, the Arian heresy)."

An excellent observation, L. I might add that one of the fundamental reasons why Mahammedanism spread so quickly across North Africa was on account of the damage done to The Church there by Donatism, a very, very long lived heresy which crops its head up even to this day. As +Isidore of Pelusium wrote: "Just as the fishermen hide the hook with bait and covertly hook the fish, similarly, the crafty allies of the heresies cover their evil teachings and corrupt understanding with pietism and hook the more simple, bringing them to spiritual death."