Even Americans unschooled in the history of the Middle East know that Iraq comprises Sunni, Shia and Kurdish Muslims, thanks to the Bush administration’s much-publicized effort to promote reconciliation among those groups. Often overlooked is the fact that Iraq has an ancient Christian population that has suffered grievously from the instability that followed the U.S. invasion.
More than 1,300 Christians recently fled the city of Mosul after 14 were killed — perhaps by Al Qaeda in Iraq — following a protest about an election law that didn’t provide Christians with fair representation on provincial councils. But that is only the latest exodus of Christians from Mosul, which served as a refuge for those driven out of Baghdad, and from Iraq as a whole. A Chaldean Catholic archbishop has warned that Christians in his country face “liquidation.”
I agree that the persecution of Christians in other countries is a serious problem. But, what about the persecution of US Christians by our own governments via “Hate Crime” laws that make it criminal to spread the COMPLETE Gospel? The GLBT and other leftist agendas have made being a Christian and speaking out for the Bible and Christ a criminal act in some states. This and related issues are why this election is so important. Do we want more leftist judges legislating from the bench making Christians criminals, just for being Christian? Think about it, the next President will probably have a decades long effect on this country, causing more problems for Christians here, not just in the Middle East. I am not trying to hijack this thread, but maybe the LA Times and other liberal papers need to look around at the developing problems here at home. One other question, If being Christian were finally criminalized, is there enough evidence to convict me or you for being Christian?
One of the best info sources for this subject is The Barnabas Fund, which supports theses embattled Christians. http://www.barnabasfund.org/
Nice of the Times to finally notice embattled Christians. Lord knows, they couldn’t be bothered with embattled Christians in the Sudan, East Timor and other places. But better late than never.
They can’t blame those on Chimpy Katrinaburton, Chris, so they’re not of much use to the narrative.
Chris (#3).
Well, I don’t really expect a secular and liberal press to pay much attention to the fate of Christians as an endangered species in the Middle East, or elsewhere, although it is nice to be sure. What saddens me is that so many CHRISTIANS don’t seem to pay attention to the deadly attacks being waged on their brothers and sisters in many parts of the world. Besides the Barnabas Fund which you aptly cited, let me call attention here to the well-known evangelical clearing house of news about the severe persecution of Christians around the world, the Voice of the Martyrs.
I encourage people to check out http://www.persecution.org.
Yes, “it’s better late than never,” and I’m glad to see the secular press waking up to the reality of blatant violence and open abuse of our fellow believers in Christ. But that’s why we need our own independent news sources that serve the Christian community and reflect our own concerns and interests. And that’s one reason (among others) why I value blogs like Kendall’s Titusonenine, or your own one, Conservative Midwest Journal.
David Handy+
Oops, sorry to get the plug wrong, Chris. I meant MCJ, not CMJ, of course. That is, the proper name is Midwest Conservative Journal.
David Handy+
Double Oops. I just realized that I should have attributed the mention of the Barnabas Fund to #2, Bill Matz, and not #3, Christopher Johnson. Sorry for the mistake. I wrote too hastily.
There may be a lesson here however. When dealing with an inflammatory subject like severe persecution of Christians, we need to keep cool heads, even while our anger burns at such inexcusable mistreatment of our fellow disciples.
David Handy+
[i]They can’t blame those on Chimpy Katrinaburton, Chris, so they’re not of much use to the narrative.[/i]
Actually, they can. Christians in Iraq fared better under Saddam. I don’t recall the Weekly Standard or the AEI trumpeting this fact either.
The story is unpopular with the media for several reasons. Social democrats don’t like admitting that minorities can fare better under a secular dictator than a fundamentalist democratic majority. They also don’t like admitting that multiculturalism is generally a disaster everywhere it’s implemented.