Baghdad – AINA In the midst of the turmoil and violence, the church of Jesus Christ in Iraq is vibrant and alive, a Southern Baptist worker said in a recent report published Friday. While attacks by insurgents in the war-torn nation has escalated as its first national elections approaches, Southern …
Read More »Syria Redeploys Some of Its Forces in Lebanon
The Lebanese army said in a statement the security positions vacated were in Beirut’s international airport, the capital’s mainly Shi’ite southern suburb and one in northern. Syria, which is under international pressure for its military and security presence in, has around 14,000 troops in its tiny neighbor. The redeployment is …
Read More »EU opens door to Turkey
EU leaders said the aim of the talks – which could take up to 15 years – would be full membership, but Turkey’s entry could not be guaranteed. Discussion between EU leaders on finalising the offer resumes at the two-day summit on Friday morning. EU leaders warned Turkey that it …
Read More »EU Ready to Say ‘Yes’ to Turkey, As Well As ‘But’
“There is a good prospect of a solution on Friday but no guarantee to the outcome in the end and also a temporary stop if negotiations are going in the wrong way,” Zalm said in an interview ahead of a summit meeting of EU leaders here Thursday and Friday. With …
Read More »The January 2005 Elections in Iraq
The Iraqi national elections scheduled for January 30, 2005 are going to elect the 275 representatives of the Iraqi National Assembly (parliament). The people in north of Iraq’s Kurdish enclave will additionally elect the 111 members of the Kurdish Regional Parliament in north of Iraq. On Wednesday, December 1, 2004, …
Read More »The Quiet Tragedy of Iraq’s Assyrians
I am referring to the Assyrians, also known as Chaldeans and Syriacs. They are the only people native to Iraq, and they are Christian. We all know the Assyrians from our ancient history classes, or from the Bible; they are the builders of the great Mesopotamian civilizations when that area, …
Read More »PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE FOCUSES ON URGENT PLIGHT OF IRAQI CHRISTIANS
He said, “The ChaldoAssyrian Christian community is highly vulnerable and under siege. I posit that there is no danger of the Kurds or Arabs vanishing from Iraq, or of their communities being reduced to a tiny remnant, but there is – this is not alarmist – a real and genuine …
Read More »Iraq’s Christians Weigh Taking Up Arms, Fleeing Into Exile
Two more churches were bombed in Mosul last week, the latest attacks, and some Christians say extremist Muslims are terrorizing them with the intent of ousting them and seizing their houses and belongings. Iraq is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, made up largely of …
Read More »Iraqi Foreign Minister Says Government Will Promote Religious Freedom
The foreign minister met Pope John Paul II Dec. 13, exactly one year after U.S. troops captured Saddam Hussein and less than a week after an Armenian Catholic Church and a Chaldean Catholic bishop’s residence were damaged in an attack by armed men. Zebari also met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, …
Read More »Iraq’s Christians Rely on Expatriate Votes
“We’ve been here for hundreds of years. We should be regarded as first-class and not third-class citizens as we were being treated under Saddam’s regime,” said Fouad Boudagh, head of the National Caldani (Chaldean) Council. Iraqi Christians, who make up just three percent of Iraq’s 26 million people, are estimated …
Read More »