Three Iraqi cities cancel Christmas festivities after new jihad threats

Jihad Grinch steals Christmas for Iraqi Christians. "There will be only small Mass in one church in Basra without any signs of joy or decoration and under the protection of Iraqi security forces. We are fully aware of al-Qaida threats."

"3 Iraqi cities cancel Christmas festivities," by Yahya Barzanji and Sameer N. Yacoub for Associated Press, December 22 (thanks to JCB):

KIRKUK, Iraq - Iraqi Christians on Wednesday called off Christmas festivities in three cities across the country as al-Qaida insurgents threatened more attacks on a beleaguered community still terrified from a bloody siege on a Baghdad church.
Church officials in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul along with the southern city of Basra said they will not put up Christmas decorations, have canceled evening Mass and urged worshippers to refrain from decorating their homes. Even an appearance by Santa Claus has been called off.

"Nobody can ignore the threats of al-Qaida against Iraqi Christians," said Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako in Kirkuk. "We cannot find a single source of joy that makes us celebrate. The situation of the Christians is bleak."

Christians across Iraq have been living in fear since a Baghdad church attack in October that left 68 people dead. Days later insurgents targeted Christian homes and neighborhoods across the capital with a series of bombs.

An al-Qaida front group that claimed responsibility for the church siege vowed at the time to carry out a reign of terror against Christians.

The Islamic State of Iraq renewed its threats in a message posted late Tuesday on a website frequented by Islamic extremists....

Christians in Iraq's second-largest city of Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad decided to cancel all celebrations. Saad Matti, a Christian legislator on the Basra provincial council, said the decision was made out of respect for the victims of the Our Lady of Salvation church siege and because of the al-Qaida threats.

"There will be only small Mass in one church in Basra without any signs of joy or decoration and under the protection of Iraqi security forces," he said. "We are fully aware of al-Qaida threats."

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7 Comments

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John C. Barile | December 22, 2010 9:33 AM | Reply

Here's wishing a Black Christmas to Soldiers of Allah everywhere--and to their dhimmi Quislamist collaborators, shills, and recruits; and to the OIC, the Ikhwan, and islamimizers everywhere. Let them reap the whirlwind, and be consumed by its firestorm.

John C. Barile | December 22, 2010 9:37 AM | Reply

[". . . Islamizers everywhere," that is.

Zulu | December 22, 2010 10:18 AM | Reply

Iraq's Christians plan a simple Christmas in the shadow of violence

Only one Baghdad church is celebrating Christmas fully this year, as Iraq's Christians fear a recurrence of the recent murders of their fellow parishioners and are forced to mark the occasion in the absence of over 1,000 families that have fled.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/8216416/Iraqs-Christians-plan-a-simple-Christmas-in-the-shadow-of-violence.html

dumbledoresarmy | December 22, 2010 3:33 PM | Reply

For those Christian readers here who feel depressed and frustrated - one could always make a donation to the Barnabas Fund, which offers practical help to persecuted Christians such as those in Iraq, and also actively lobbies western governments on their behalf, and tries to raise awareness in the church in the west - and in the broader community - about what Islam does to non-Muslim minorities; and they are also warning Christians (not only in the West, but in places like southern Africa), and the wider community, about the Stealth Jihad.

http://www.barnabasfund.org/

Here is their 'latest emergencies' list - if you scroll down, you'll see a number of stories about Iraqi Christians.

http://www.barnabasfund.org/AU/News/Latest-emergencies/

For example:

http://www.barnabasfund.org/AU/News/Latest-emergencies/Iraqi-Christians-murdered-in-their-homes.html

"If you would like to donate to help Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq please send your donation to project 20-227 (Needy Iraqi Christians). This fund is used to help meet a variety of needs for Iraqi Christians...".

A recent email update on the suffering of Iraqi Christians, that I received from Barnabas, said this at the end:

"Please will you circulate this email far and wide, and in particular to policy-makers in Australia, UK, the USA, Canada and other Western countries, and to news agencies".

In other words: they are asking non-Muslims, especially Christians, citizens of the West, to MAKE NOISE. Lots of noise. No suffering in silence!

Susanp | December 22, 2010 7:10 PM | Reply

I have written to my Senators, two very fine gentlemen from the state of Georgia, about the crisis of the Iraqi Christians. I sent them copies of recent postings that expose the dire situation there and have requested an explanation for why our soldiers fought and died to bring 'democracy' to Iraq only to have muslim savages persecute, murder, and drive Iraqi Christians from their homes. I also asked why our remaining troops can do nothing to protect these people or why something cannot be done through diplomatic channels or whatever channels are used in such cases to protect innocent people. I know they are not Americans but somebody's got to help them. I'm waiting for replies.

For what we have invested in blood and treasure in that God-forsaken islamic hellhole, somebody in the United States government could put some pressure on the Iraqi thugs and demand that these Christians be protected from muslim savages. If they cannot be protected, they should be brought to the U.S. if they want to come. What a waste of billions of dollars and precious American lives in that putrid, hopeless, islamic hell on earth. Likewise Afghanistan.

DogWithoutSlippers | December 23, 2010 4:19 AM | Reply

Sickening that American and Freedom Lovers of other helping nations have shed blood for these muslims who hate all non-muslims. Don't we get it? We should leave them to their owns hates and terror to destroy themselves from within!

John C. Barile replied to comment from John C. Barile | December 23, 2010 1:43 PM | Reply

At the beginning of these comments, in ill humour, I mockingly give Christmas greetings, of a sort, to "Soldiers of Allah" everywhere. I spoke these words, pious hypocrite that I am, as a fallen--albeit redeemed--human being; who, in his heart, at bottom, doesn't revel in malice toward enemies real or imagined. So I don't mean, nor have meant, any curse or malediction toward any Muslim. Period.

So, instead of ill-wishing, I give friend and enemy alike whatever blessing a heart broken by loss can give. Amen.

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