Despite Fear of Attacks Baghdad Christians celebrate
birth of Christ
BAGHDAD (AFP) - This year, Baghdad's
Christians are celebrating the season of peace and goodwill discreetly
and in fear of further attacks on their churches, in a climate
of rising violence in war-torn Iraq (news - web sites).
Pastor Nabil Sara at the Baptist Evangelist
Church in the northeast of the Iraqi
"There will only be one service,
on December 25 at 8:00 am," he said, sitting
Christians have been hit by a series
of attacks since the fall of Saddam regime last year, with 10
people killed and 50 wounded when bombs targeted churches in
Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul in August.
Makeshift bombs again exploded outside
five Baghdad churches in October, this time claiming no victims.
But at the Baptist church, Jenny Muaffaq
insisted shootings, car bombings and curfew regulations will
not stop her celebrating the birth of Christ.
"People don't have the festive
spirit but I will celebrate Christmas whatever it takes,"
she said.
"All my friends tell me that they
will take part in Christmas masses," enthused her friend,
Maha Hadda.
"Normally we organise events at
clubs or at home. This year, that won't be possible. How can
you feel safe (going home) at night, with everything that's
In the same church, Salem Aziz, 71,
looked downcast. His grandson has decided to emigrate to Sweden,
and his nephew was kidnapped and then "released, fortunately,
in return for money," he said.
Muslims "are also kidnapped, but
we are seen as vulnerable, so they take advantage," he said
with sadness is his voice.
Some 700,000 Christians live in Iraq,
accounting for three percent of the mostly Muslim population
of 24 million.
Emmanuel Delly, the patriarch of Iraq's
Chaldeans, the country's largest Christian community, has rescheduled
Christmas Eve mass from 10:00 pm to
But it seems unlikely that the earlier
time will have any impact on Iraq's increasingly empty pews.
On Sunday evening, a flock of barely
50 faithful attended mass at the huge church of Saint Mary, in
the Mansur district.
"I'm not afraid, but look at how
many we are today. Even the children's parties have been cancelled,"
said Fenar Yussef, 24.
Shopkeepers with Christian clientele
also wonder if this is really the season to be jolly, with few
people thinking about decking their homes in decorations.
"We're selling a lot less Christmas
trees than last year. People aren't in a
"This time last year I
had sold 500 trees, this year only 100," said Hassan Sadeq,
purveyor of plastic Christmas trees imported from China.
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