ASIA/IRAQ - “Cost of living” in Europe and Iraq: in constant danger Christians in Baghdad and Mosulwill spend Christmas behind barred doors

Friday, 10 December 2004

Baghdad (Fides Service) - Despite an ever higher cost of living in Europe Christmas shopping and present hunting is in full swing while in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Mosul the cost of living is another matter and Christians feel ever more threatened. Thirty year old lay Catholic Alaa Elias, who belongs to the Syrian-Catholic Church in Baghdad told Fides. “Christmas will be quiet this year. We will all stay at home with doors barred for fear of violence and death. Jesus Christ is born in the world, this is the triumph of life, while our lives are in constant” Elias told Fides.
Usually Alaa, a catechist, spends a lot of time teaching catechism to boys and girls at the Syrian-Catholic parish in Baghdad. Now he fears that over Christmas it may even be impossible to attend Mass: “Our churches are closed. People are afraid to go to church after the recent attacks on Christian places of worship. If they do go they try not to be seen. Sometimes we celebrate the Sacraments in the church basement in secret. This year we will spend Christmas at home commemorating this event which changed the history of the world in the family. The violence prevents us from celebrating as a community with midnight Mass in church. There is no security and fear among Christians is growing. We are confined to the house and we are tired of this situation. In fact many Christians find the situation unbearable and prefer to leave the country”.
“The situation for Christians is ever more dangerous”, Alaa said with regard to recent attacks on churches in Mosul. “The attacks on churches were symbolic: these terrorists aim to shake our Christian faith, our certainties, our very identity”.
“We can only pray and have patience. I think it will be years before this terrible civil war stops and peace and security are restored in Iraq. However there is great hope that elections in January will mark the return of some stability. The point is that elections may improve the political and diplomatic situation but will they bring social harmony? At the moment the aim of the terrorists is to boycott the elections: they threaten to kill anyone who goes to vote”.
Alaa hopes that the Christmas of European Christians, battling with the rising “cost of living”, will not forget the Christmas of Iraqi Christians, whose lives are in danger every day.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2004 Righe: 33 Parole: 334)


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