Posted on 06/09/2004 7:42:31 AM PDT by A. Pole
The long-predicted exodus of Christians from Iraq has begun.
Facing a June 30 deadline for transfer of power, a temporary constitution that reads, in Article 7, that Islam is the "Official Religion of the State," and the most recent humiliation for the community -- the failure to receive even one position on the Executive Council and only one ministry post, the Ministry of Emigration -- the Christians of Iraq are voting with their feet.
"On a recent night the church had to spend more time on filling out baptismal forms needed for leaving the country than they did on the [worship] service," says Amir, a deacon at a local church who does not want his full name published. "We have been flooded with parishioners desperate to leave the country, and as they cannot get an exit permit without a baptismal certificate from the church we have been swamped with requests. ... In recent days nearly 400 families as far as we can tell have filled out baptismal forms to leave the country. Our community is being decimated."
Most of the Christians in Iraq are Assyrians -- people who claim to be the original inhabitants of Iraq. The Assyrians were the people of Nineveh -- present-day Mosul -- the city to which God sent the biblical Jonah.
Because they are Christians and seen as allies of the West, the Assyrians have long been subject to persecution. The Assyrian Church, known officially as the Assyrian Church of the East, is the oldest continually existing church in the world. Assyrians are the only people in the world who still speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Christ.
During the Assyrian genocide, in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, it is estimated that nearly two-thirds of the Assyrian people were slaughtered.
According to figures from the previous regime, there were 2.5 million Assyrian Christians in the country with an estimated 3.5 million outside the country for a worldwide total of as many as 6 million, many of whom would return to Iraq if they had a future.
"We thought the Americans were going to bring us freedom and democracy," said 31-year-old Robert. "Instead, they are promoting Islam. We do not understand it. ... We love the Americans! We are so grateful for them removing Saddam and giving us back our freedom. We do not want their effort to be a failure if the dictatorship of Saddam is replaced by the dictatorship of Islam."
Robert continued: "The American-funded TV station, Al Iraqia, broadcasts Muslim programs four times every day and for two hours each Friday but nothing for the other religions. The recent inauguration of the new government was opened by a Muslim mullah reciting a long passage and a prayer from the Koran, but none of our priests were invited. Why do they do this? Why do the Americans promote Muslims? They need to promote equality and democracy and freedom, not Muslim dictatorship."
He lamented: "What happened to the American promise to help [Iraq] become a democracy that would be a place for all to live? This is our homeland! We are the original people of Iraq! We should not have to leave."
The community is working on two projects -- one to establish a 24-hour nationwide hotline to provide security for daily acts of intimidation that is much of the cause for the panic among the Iraqi Christians. The other is a nationwide network of "safe houses" to take care of the community, when -- as they believe -- following the handover of sovereignty to Iraq, the country will descend into chaos and civil war.
"We are having to take care of daily cases of harassment of Assyrians by Muslims," says one priest. "I just got back form helping one of our parishioners who was falsely accused by a neighbor and was about to be arrested. I had to go and sort it all out. ... Our women are accosted on the street and intimidated to start dressing according to Islamic tradition, our businesses are being burned, and the constant harassment is because of the attitude of appeasement toward Muslims."
In addition, a proposal for an Assyrian Regional Government based on Article 54 of the Transitional Administrative Law is being circulated in Iraq and in Washington in a last-ditch effort to persuade the community to stay.
"We want to stay. This is our homeland," the priest said. "But if we do not have a place where we can go, if we will be persecuted daily by Muslims again we cannot stay. We are appealing to the world to help us -- to guarantee us an area where we can be protected, where we can live in peace and where we can worship in freedom."
Ken Joseph Jr. is an Assyrian and directs Assyrianchristians.com. He is writing a book on his experience in Iraq entitled I Was Wrong. United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of UPI, a sister news organization of Insight.
Essentially the same list, lot's of places.
http://www.fact-index.com/s/st/state_religion.html>Fact Index
Catholic Nations
Nations which recognize Catholicism as the official religion:
Argentina
Bolivia
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Holy See
Paraguay
v Protestant Nations
Nations which recognize a form of Protestant Christianity as their official religion:
Vanuatu
Samoa
United Kingdom
Islamic Nations
Nations which recognize Islam as their official religion:
Afghanistan
Algeria
Bangladesh
Comoros
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Malaysia
Maldives
Oman
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Tunisia
Buddhist Nations
Nations which recognize Buddhism as their official religion:
Bhutan
Burma
Thailand
Hindu Nations
Nations which recognize Hinduism as their official religion:
Nepal
Your "expertise" was revealed when you assumed that Syria is under Islamic law.
Sorry, who takes over the country becomes responsible for the outcome.
Good example, Sir!
Add Lutheran Sweden and Finland and Orthodox Greece.
I understand where you're coming from but I'm not going there. I believe W will be remembered in history as one of the greatest leaders against terror. A free Iraq will stand as a monument to America right smack dab in the Middle East.
You are right, Christians are better off is Syria than in other Arab countries, but that is not saying very much.
Whenever a first world nation tries to make some aspect of Christianity official (let alone make it the state religion), everyone throws a hissy fit.
Betray the Kurds and the Christians...no biggie to this neo con administration the children being raped , tortured and murdered for their faith in the Sudan has never been a priority...
Imagine what they have in store for Israel....
They keep our borders wide open for all sorts of terrorists, narco terrorists, the mexican army's drug dealers and smugglers, violent criminals, marxists from central and south america as well as China....and even the islamo-fascists we are allegedly at war with...
Meanwhile asking the nation to give the govt. even more police power....this while filling the nation with criminals of every sort...
Then given the limitations of poltical correctness they limit their 'enforcement' to mostly 'white folks'
New World Odor.....the smell of democrats and neocons...
Ronald Reagan would never have approved no matter how often they want to wave his image as though he would....
imo
Finland, Greece, Holy See, Iceland, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Paraguay, Peru
Yes the godless people of 6000 years ago some became Jews and some became Christians. But, what is that got to do with who to blame 2000 years ago? Does any one say that the Hebrews should have stayed godless? Why is it possible for you to think that the godless Assyrians should have never become Christians? No one was talking about what happend 2000 years ago! We are talking about the year 2004, and the US action or lack of in Iraq. Don't confuse the issue.
When did I say that I was against facts?
Don't get snippy!
Yes, and that is the crux of the discussion on this thread, that democracy alone is not sufficient, but a Constitutional limited government which identifies inalienable rights, with limits on power, is necessary. The preference for a changeover of leadership which is instituted by our Constitution, recognizes the innate tendencies of human beings to retain power, ala FDR who did not recognize the precedent set by Washington.
It is sad that these people are being persecuted, but leaving Iraq is for the best. They are welcome in this country.
You need to join the Taliban jihad. Only Moslem fanatics are full of hate, and blanket condemnation of whole people and whole nation as you do. I see that you did not know, or chose to ignore the fact that half of lebanon that you want to kill are Christians. Why do you hate the Christians so much? They have never flyown airliners in our World Trade Center! You are simply a foaming at the mouth bigot!
In the long run you are right: a constitutional government is always optimal. However, it is often necessary for a primitive society to go through a period of benevolent dictatorship before it can adopt constitutional government. Constitutional government requires certain instutions, such as rule of law, and civil habits, such as respect for private property, that a primitive society lacks. Hence it is necessary for such institutions and habits to be imposed by force by someone like Ataturk or Pinochet or the Shah.
In addition, the long-run constitutional government need not be a Republic. For some societies, a constitutional monarchy is preferable.
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