The ringing of Church bells is, of course, forbidden in Islamic law. From VOANews, with thanks to Susan:
The strength and character of Iraqi Christians was evident Sunday when they answered the call of bells and prayed in churches that had been bombed just the day before.
It was a brave and determined act of solidarity in the name of God. About 100 parishioners of St. Joseph’s Catholic church in Baghdad held Sunday services, just one day after the church was almost completely destroyed by a powerful bomb.
“We carry on as we did before. Its just symbolic, to say that whatever they do to us, or to others, we carry on believing in God and praying,” said Father Vincent, the priest at St. Joseph’s.
Parishioners consoled one another and hugged. And, when the small choir of young girls began to sing, only but a few managed to hold back their tears.
With tears in his eyes, the 13-year-old alter boy, Avil Nabil says the bombing of his church is so terrible. He asks, “what did we do to have this happen to us?” He said he was crying when he saw what happened because, he said, this is a sacred place, a holy place. He said, this is a house of God.
Saturday, five churches in Baghdad were attacked with bombs. At St. Joseph’s, the resulting fire gutted the church. The explosion blew gaping holes in two walls and shattered all of the structures stained glass windows.
Saturday, few would have believed services could be held the very next day.
But, in a near non-stop effort, parishioners gathered at the church and worked throughout the night to clear away enough of the charred debris so that Sunday services could be held as scheduled.