Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex

Chaldean Catholic Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim of the Detroit suburb of Southfield feels the current situation in Iraq has put Christians in the hazardous position of being perceived as allies with foreign occupiers, but are not afforded the benefit of any protection. His solution to the problem: American withdrawl from the area.

“Let the Iraqis kill each other, but let the occupying power get out, because they are not killing each other because they are Sunni or Shiite, but because they are with the Americans or against the Americans.”  ”The situation of Christians in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, “is very, very bad,” with Islamic terrorists threatening that they must convert to Islam or pay a special tax as protection money. Even if they choose to leave, they are being threatened to leave any unmarried daughters behind so they can be taken as wives by Muslims and forced to convert to Islam.

Unlike Bishop Ibrahim, my opinion is based on no facts or time spent in Iraq: As evident by the escalating threats to the Iraqi Christian community, I believe an American withdrawl would only make matters worse. Overall, I see the anti-Christian violence as one of criminal convenience rather than an assault of al-Qaida waged against alleged American supporters. To what extent is this relatively small, outcast group of Christians who have no social or political relevance, a threat to the radical Islamic agenda? I believe they are being targeted simply because the Christians have the distinction of being  convenient and socially acceptable victims. Like so often the case, evil men can simply hide behind the veil of Islam, or any other religion or agenda to publicly justify their hateful, anti-social, criminal acts. For the sake of our Christian brothers and sisters, I pray more will be done to protect them and that they will not be left behind to suffer the consequences of total abandonment. Besides, if the Americans left now, who would be the most obvious victims in sustaining the terrorist criminal’s appetite for death and destruction?