If Christianity really were to flourish in Kurdistan; well, we would have all reason to behind the American efforts to protect the Kurds, as their future state would be not a tar baby, but a healthy one.

But this is probably a small matter, only a few converts, with a backlash from islamists still to come.

Posted by: StillBreathing at May 26, 2006 7:29 AM

Oh no! This news must be killing poor Naseem!

Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at May 26, 2006 7:37 AM

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Posted by: Knight4AO at May 26, 2006 8:01 AM

God bless the brave Kurds and may there be many more conversions.

Posted by: Mike_W at May 26, 2006 8:08 AM

They've SEEN the light!!! Great news!!

Posted by: freewoman at May 26, 2006 8:16 AM

yeah poor Naseen, or Naseens... when given freedom, people will leave islam for Christianity. this is really a scary thought for most isalmofacists indeed!

Posted by: Lulu at May 26, 2006 9:09 AM

Wonderful news... But I just get this nagging feeling that the West will let them down, just like it did with the Christians in Lebanon, just as the West has been doing with Christianity in the Middle-East in general.

Posted by: seville844 at May 26, 2006 9:22 AM

It is not true that there are no problems for Christians in the north, in the regions under Kurdish control. Less, perhaps, than in the regions under Arab control. And if, somehow, Kurdish resentment of their treatment by the Arabs can be directed more generally at the Arab supremacism for which Islam is the vehicle, and if the Kurds realize that they were rescued by American Infidels, and their only future hope lies with those Infidels, perhaps the majority of Kurds (not the Ansar al-Sunna variety of the assorted Mullah Krekars whose fanatical Islam trumps Kurdish identity) will come to see that, at the very least, they should protect and not harass the Assyrians, and possibly offer a safe haven, patrolled by the Assyrians or "Chaldo-Assyrians" to use the new term now appearing in some Iraqi Christian publications), and not only to win favor with the Americans, but out of understanding that while the Arabs cannot accept a free Kurdistan (for that would imply that non-Arabs, too, had full rights in the heart of the Middle East. And that is in the end unacceptable to most Arabs -- a feeling that Islma only reinforces), local Christians could support such a state, and could be useful allies, not least in Washington.

Posted by: Hugh at May 26, 2006 9:58 AM

But, but, but aren't Christians "just as bad?"
/sarcasm

Posted by: Carolyn2 at May 26, 2006 10:26 AM

A positive report of good news on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 26, 2006 10:34 AM

Fortunately it's not so unusual that Muslims leave Islam to become Christians;

http://www.exmuslim.com/

Posted by: seville844 at May 26, 2006 10:41 AM

That Kurds are converting to a real religion from that evil cult is good news. But I would imagine, as another poster said above, the Mohamedist reaction is still to come.

Another question is, will we support the Kurds in their efforts to build a sane country? Remember, the West deserted them after the first Gulf War, will we repeat that madness again?

Posted by: Proud Infidel at May 26, 2006 10:47 AM

I think Iraqi's who care about staying in America's good graces better treat their minority Christians well and make sure they're protected. I had been a strong supporter of the Iraq war and it was when I read about the Kurd's preventing the Christians from voting in that first big election, that my support plummeted. Why should I care about Muslim suffering when they are incapable of caring about Christian suffering? What goes around comes around. Much of this war is about the political will required to keep on so Iraqi's who don't want to see their country descend into civil war presumably would desire to remain in the good graces of the average American voter. If the Kurds would provide a "safe haven" (as Hugh says above) for Christians fleeing other parts of Iraq, then American voters like me just might care about the Kurds. But otherwise no - then they can really all go to hell as far as I am concerned should a widespread civil war start. While there might be reasons for supporting the Kurds merely from a tactical pov that's different from actually caring about the people you defend.

Posted by: Caroline at May 26, 2006 11:23 AM

But a Kurdish writer, Marywan Halabjaye, who penned a book this past year entitled: "Sex, Sharia and Women", was recently forced into exile, so the story is mixed, at best.

http://www.kurdmedia.com/articles.asp?id=11809

Posted by: profitsbeard at May 26, 2006 11:29 AM

I read recently in a major newspaper that an estimated 250,000 Muslims have converted to Christianity in Great Britain. Sorry that I can't remember the source. This number accounts for about 1/7 of Britain's Muslims.

I knew a Palestinian woman living in America who, when she married a Christian American, was threatened with death by her family. Her extended family actually gathered and voted whether to have her killed. ONE uncle prevented it from happening.

That such a large number would have left Islam despite the threat to life and limb speaks eloquently of the individual's desire to be free.
When given a choice, millions of Muslims will choose to leave their death cult.

Posted by: DesertDawgN29 at May 26, 2006 11:30 AM

If true, this could be excellent news. It could eventually destabilize the Turkish Kurdistan. Still, most of Kurdistan is still medieval in many ways. I wouldn't get my hopes too high...

Posted by: cruzado at May 26, 2006 12:19 PM

If the Kurds reject Islam and adopt Christianity, it is no doubt because of their racism. Washington needs to condemn this swiftly lest islam lose more soldiers.

/sarcasm

I'm sure Bush will do something to prevent the ROP from shrinking, if not the GOP. As a man with a high regard for islam, this is worrying situation for him.

Posted by: somethingaboutislam at May 26, 2006 12:33 PM

Mohammed says....

They are all apostates. Off with their heads.

Posted by: Brian the Lionhearted at May 26, 2006 1:05 PM

It suddenly occurred to me why the Kurdish people have been so antagonized and subjected to extreme violence in the Middle East: they aren't EVIL!

Long may these good people shine and outlive Islam (the religion of pieces).

Posted by: pythagoras at May 26, 2006 2:02 PM

Great fighters, the Kurds.

I can only see this as a warrior choosing to join the right side of the coming battle. They have the history to prove their intentions on the field.

Great news!!

Posted by: Bayoucoyote at May 26, 2006 2:46 PM

If this group of Kurdish Christians remains a small, the people in Washington I helped get elected won't bother to help them.

If they become a significant group, Washington won't help them for fear of offending someone. (cf. Somalia)

Despite this pessimism, I am happy whenever someone leaves deception and lies for truth.

Ireni pasi.

Posted by: St. David, King of Georgia at May 26, 2006 5:34 PM

Thank God for those brave souls converting. But politically it is suicide. The Christian hating west will just use them as sacrificial lambs to prove they love Islam. Don't do it Kurds until you get your independance. The Christian hating EU and US will bomb you. Become american hating muslims. The US and President Bush will call you great allies in Terror.

Posted by: pissedoffcanadian at May 26, 2006 6:20 PM

St David and pissedoffcanadian

Quite right. The Christian hating West will sacrifice Christians to show that they are compassionate to muslims and islam. Look what has happened to Iraqi Christians - poor misguided souls, thought they would have some protection from coalition troops.

Though this is Good News for the Kurds as individuals, they need to think that Jizya is only paid to muslims and not to Christians. Still it is only a small number - any significant increase of Christians in Kurdistan will pose a threat to the State dept.

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 6:29 PM

DesertDawgN29

I think it was Rev Patrick Sookhdeo (not sure though), who quoted that some 10% of British muslims had left islam and were Christians. 10% works out to around 200,000 muslims - which is about right.

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 6:34 PM

Good posts DP111, never heard the 10% figure before. Finally some good news.

Posted by: pissedoffcanadian at May 26, 2006 6:37 PM

sofia

Thank you for a great post.

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 6:37 PM

Sofia
The more I read your letter, the more impressed Iam.

Will you consider sending your post (modified to some extent), as a letter to the President.

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 7:09 PM

One need not believe in Christ to see that a society that believes in Christ tends in the long run to be a much freer kind of society than one based on the beliefs of Islam:

1)All the main schools of Islamic law prescribe the death penalty for apostasy, as did Mohammed himself in a number of traditions considered sound by most Muslims (See for example, Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, nos.57, 58, 64, 17.) Then read the Bible: Christ did not kill for apostasy; he spoke of joy at the return of the prodigal son.

2)The Qur'an and Muhammed set up theocracy in which law discriminates strongly against non-Muslims so that virtually all of them eventually must convert, emigrate, or wither away. Christ separates the State, the realm of Caesar, from the realm of God.

3)If you check every verse of the Qur'an you will find the book says nothing of the touchstone spiritual experience of 'love,' and when the Qur'an does use the word 'love' what is being spoken of is in fact something more like the pleasure of the divine Potentate and how not to incur the Potentate's (Allah's) wrath. The lead commandment of Islam is to submit, in hope of the rewards of paradise (many of them sensual) and in fear of the tortures of hell, which the Qur'an describes in quite sadistic and terrorizing detail. Muslims do not conceive themselves to be sons and daughters of God, made in his image, and existing in a loving I-Thou relationship with him. Islam conceives the Muslim as a slave of a divine dictator. That is why Muslims in prayer prostrate themselves on the ground, as men used to do in the presence of Near Eastern despots. No need to take my word for all this. Get to know the Qur'an and Hadith. Christ's lead commandment is love. Love, in its most mature sense, cannot exist without freedom, because love comes from the innermost core of a person and thus cannot be compelled. That is one reason Christian communities tend toward freedom (though often in a two-steps-forward-one-step-back kind of process).

4)Islam commands lethal compulsion against non-Muslims (for example, Qur'an chapter 9, verses 5, 29, 73, 111, 123 - notice Chapter 9 is considered by Muslim scholars to be the last or nearly the last chapter of the Qur'an dictated by Allah, and therefore the violence of Chapter 9 is considered by Muslim scholars to cancel the tolerant verses dictated in earlier Qur'an chapters. Where two verses contradict each other, cancellation of the earlier verse by the later verse is declared by Allah in the Qur'an itself, in Chapter 2 verse 106 and Chapter 16 verse 101). Christ says turn the other cheek, forgive endlessly (70 times 7 times), and "my kingdom is not of this world" (so cannot be conquered by force).

Let's hope the Kurds find Christ, or any decent liberal worldview to replace Islam's strongly totalitarian core.

Posted by: traeh at May 26, 2006 7:09 PM

When I said above Qur'an Chapter 9 is the last chapter, I of course was referring to when it was 'dictated by Allah', and I did not mean it is placed last in the book itself. Placement of chapters in the Qur'an is not chronological but rather is determined by length, (the longest chapter was placed as Chapter 1, Chapter 2 is next longest, and so on).

Posted by: traeh at May 26, 2006 7:19 PM

Worth reading

Daring leaps of faith

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20021013-87056473.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20030202001858/http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20021013-87056473.htm

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 7:20 PM

DP111:
I tried clicking on your link but it doesn't seem to work.

Posted by: traeh at May 26, 2006 7:27 PM

Sofia, I agree that the persecuted Church is purified, much like water that is driven underground. The West is spoiled and takes the blood of Jesus Christ for granted, but there are those who love the Lord with their whole heart among those who go to church for the business contacts. The Lord said he would allow the wheat and chaff to grow together until harvet time. Pray for us.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at May 26, 2006 7:27 PM

Sofia, I agree that the persecuted Church is purified, much like water that is driven underground. The West is spoiled and takes the blood of Jesus Christ for granted, but there are those who love the Lord with their whole heart among those who go to church for the business contacts. The Lord said he would allow the wheat and chaff to grow together until harvest time. Pray for us.

Posted by: Carolyn2 at May 26, 2006 7:28 PM

traeh

You are right. I got to the site via google search.

Same article here

http://www.iran-press-service.com/z_htdocs_z/dcforum/DCForumID7/17.html

AND

http://amightywind.com/islam/muslimconverts.htm

Posted by: DP111 at May 26, 2006 7:55 PM

The figures for the number of Muslim converts to Christianity in the UK, given above (about 250,000) look highly exaggerated to me. The real figure seems to be about 3,000 - see:

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/14689.htm

Posted by: wallyUK at May 26, 2006 8:43 PM

There are many possible ramifications from this story.

Christianity of late, has developed an ahistorical infatuation with pacifism. If these Kurdish Christians have to take up arms to protect their lives, against an age old threat to both Eastern and Western Christianity, this new infatuation might get relegated to the ash heap of history, where it properly belongs.

Thus the Kurdish Christians, on the front line against jihadist islam, fighting for their lives, might cause a catalyst of TRADITIONAL thinking about islam and jihad, in the institutional Churches.

It might be the catalyst for Bishops and Cardinals to toss off this political correctness, immerse themselves in history, and after their studies come out and issue a genuine call to arms against jihad.

If only the Pope were to come out and speak the truth about islam, about jihad, about the menace it has been to Christianity and the West.

Lastly, if the muslim neighbors of the Kurds go after them because of the conversions, everyone will clearly see the true nature of the enemy, jihadist, totalitarian islam. The Palestinians and all the other dodges won't work anymore. The true enemy will emerge, in all its hatefulness and evil.

The creatures we're fighting are exterminationists, annihlationists.

Everything the West holds dear, such as liberty, freedom of conscience, artistic creativity, our enemy despises, absolutely despises.

Posted by: Dan at May 26, 2006 9:51 PM

HUGH,

Have you ever read the novel WITH FIRE AND SWORD, by Henryk Sienkiewicz?

I'm reading it now, and I can't help but compare the Cossacks to our present enemies. Men given over to bloodlust and violence.

Posted by: Dan at May 26, 2006 9:53 PM

These new Christians have other threats...i.e. the PKK. The PKK is still active and still in the murder business.

Posted by: SCV at May 27, 2006 1:03 AM

This story is laughable

It starts

"Retired Iraqi Gen. Georges Sada, a former fighter pilot-turned-Christian evangelist, says Kurds are converting to Christianity "by the hundreds" in northern Iraq"

Given that Sada is an evangelist Christian how trustworthy is this? Members of religions , particularly committed ones are wont to inflate numbers of adherents. So what does Sada say next?

" Gen. Sada earlier reported that he had been told that Iraqi pilots, flying private planes, took weapons of mass destruction to undisclosed locations in Syria in 2002."

well of course this PROVES he's trustworthy - he talks about the existence of WMD's in Iraq - hahahahhahah- THAT could never be a lie!!

and guess what - he's suggesting there all now in Syria - that's it George encourage your evangelical bretren in the White House to attack Muslim Syria now - we know that Christians in Muslim lands are NOT a fifth column and are loyal to their Muslim compatriots before their western Christian co-religionists

So who is Mr Sada - the opening paragraph said
"Retired Iraqi Gen. Georges Sada, a former fighter pilot-turned-Christian evangelist" - thus leading us to believe he is one of the "thousands" of Kurds leaving Christianity for Islam - but hidden down in the article

"My foundation for peace is Christianity," said Gen. Sada, WHO WAS BORN AN ASSYRIAN CHRISTIAN

lol

but remember and keep repeating the propoganda" the war in Iraq is NOT a war against Islam".

Posted by: truth speaker at May 27, 2006 10:13 AM

PLease read the book "saadams secrets" by George sada. One can get a good picture of how this general would fight a war against another country. This is different than being an evangelist although I believe Christianity is a definite improvement. But some of these folks may find out that if an when they turn the other cheek and forgive those who don't know what they are doing, they may lose their lives. The problem with the US from the beginning has been this concept with fighting a just war according to Christian concept of a just war. War is war and in the old days was fought to win. When one party to a war wants to win at any cost and has a religion to back that up and the other party fights the war but is forgiving those who are decimating everything at the same time there is a rather severe problem. One can't win a war when every imminent threat, every triple guessed decision is reviewed by ten thousand lawyers. If one doesn't have the stomach to fight a war to win then don't fight the war.

Posted by: Endoman at May 27, 2006 11:05 AM

A Muslim "truth speaker" is an oxymoron. Sorry to say. But when your prophet - he, that perfect man, who conveys the very essence of your soul, communicates that its OK to lie for the cause of advancing Islam, then you, as a believer, have only yourself to blame when casual observers like myself, conclude that "truth" and "Islam" are 2 words which simply do not belong in the same sentence together. And if you doubt that, then just spend a very few minutes examining the record of how your co-religionists are engaged everywhere in the world in ERASING HISTORY - in order to justify their fantastical lies. What? Did you really think the rest of us non-brainwashed folks wouldn't actually notice? Poor poor "truth speaker". I almost feel sorry for you. Almost...

Posted by: Caroline at May 27, 2006 4:46 PM

I pray that the war on terror will soon be seen as a war against Islam and we will nuke Mecca and Medina and wipe their perverted cult off the face of the earth.

Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at May 27, 2006 8:02 PM

The truth of the matter is that Islam is on its way out and many former Muslims are coming home to faith in Christ. Christianity is going to be the faith of the 21st century.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 27, 2006 10:26 PM

Georges Sada is one of those people the Assyrian Christians warn against. They are undermining Assyrian resistance by destroying the unity of the Assyrian people. Assyro-Chaldean Christianity is one of the oldest Christian Churches dating back to the Apostle Thomas and his disciples Addai and Mari.

These Evangelical Protestants come in and tell them that they need only to make a simple decision for Jesus and just read the edited Protestant version of the Bible. This completely destroys the Assyrian nation's cultural unity that has successfully maintained them as a separate people under 1400 years of Islamic oppression.

These so-called evangelists overwhelmigly focus on "converting" other Christians since that is safe. If a Muslim does convert, it is just a little takiyya in order to get the material goods the missionary is offering. Unlike Assyrian Catholicism or Orthodoxy, the evangelical "conversion" does not require a change in cultural identity or a life in the sacraments of the Church. Thus, as soon as the missionary leaves, the Muslim can revert to Islam while the missionary can brag that he got so-many Muslims to make a "decision" for Jesus.

I have no use for these "evangelists" and, instead, we should rally to support the ancient Christian communities that are already there.

Posted by: Provoslavni at May 27, 2006 10:34 PM

Batgirl how do you know that Islam is on the way out? Every single study I come across says it is the fastest growing-three steps-in the world. As for george sada any of above commentors should read his book. Can read about the commercial jets stripped down to be freight cargo planes but look like passenger planes from any vantage point and how these plans flew into civilian airports in syria with wmd. of course it is pc to say now they never existed. read saadams secrets by sada.

Posted by: Endoman at May 28, 2006 11:50 AM

Endoman,

I have done some internet researching and came upon this URL article about the growth of global south Christian faith. It talks about its rapid growth and a book that covers it.

http://www.theamericanscene.com/pubs/pr2-303b.html

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 28, 2006 12:40 PM

Endoman,

The only thing that backs up the claim about Islam growing fast is the birthrate. But the truth is that the Christian is growing much faster because of the spread of the gospel. Growth is fastest in the global south as the above URL article has stated. What brings people to faith in Christ, one word, HOPE.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 28, 2006 12:45 PM

Provoslavni,

Let us as Christians, regardless of the church one belongs, pray for the long desired unity of Christians, what Jesus prayed for in John 17 and what I heard at church this morning come about so that the not only the Gospel can go out futher to all the four corners of the earth, but also people will know that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in perfect unity.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 28, 2006 12:49 PM

sofia and bigcatgirl,

I am all in favour of any efforts to convert Muslims out of their satanic delusions by anyone who can, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, or any other non-Muslim religion. But, I have absolutely no use for these so-called evangelists who are more interested in stealing sheep from other Christian flocks when the end result is only to divide the Christian communities that are already there.

These Middle-Eastern Christians are suffering intense persecution under Islamic rule. What they need from Western Christians is support... NOT efforts to undermine and change their ancient traditions.

As for the Muslims, we should do everything possible to bring them to Christ. After all, our God loves the Muslim and desires their repentance. Once these former Muslims are converted, we should help the local Christian churches take care of them, so they do not revert. After all, the local Christians understand what the ex-muslim faces far better than any outsider.

We as Christians must stand together as one in the face of the Islamic threat and to defend that unity, we cannot support those who would divide and weaken our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted by the Muslims.

Posted by: Provoslavni at May 28, 2006 4:24 PM

Provoslavni, sofia,

After reading the last few posts, I needed to respond.

Provoslavni :

When it comes to the need to get the good news of the Gospel out, each church and its members has a responsibility to witness for Christ. Does the native Iraqi churches do that? Do not be suprised if the much more active evangelical Christian churches are doing active witnessing because of the need to be faithful to the Bible.

sofia :

It hurts when brothers and sisters in the Lord fight each other instead of bringing the good news of the Gospel. You are right when you say that because of the sad divisions, folks like a Dan Brown could end up writing stuff like "The DaVinci Code" in order to bring about distrust in Jesus and the Christian faith. So this is why believers need to repent and believe once again as well as resolved the issues that still divide the Christian community as well as to pray for unity.

Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at May 28, 2006 9:43 PM