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| Iraq |
| Michael Yon: Thanks and Praise |
| 2007-11-08 |
| I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John's Church in Baghdad. They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome. A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from 'Chosen' Company 2-12 Cavalry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John's, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope. The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. 'Thank you, thank you,' the people were saying. One man said, 'Thank you for peace.' Another man, a Muslim, said 'All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.' The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers. (Videotape to follow.) Photo and reactions at the link. Chris Muir used the photo as the third panel of today's Day by Day. |
| Posted by:Mike |
| #7 Someday, it'll stay.... |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-11-08 22:29 |
| #6 Drudge now has a link to the picture.... PHOTO: Christians, Muslims erect cross in Baghdad... |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-11-08 16:27 |
| #5 In tracking back through all the links and links from a link, I found this, and sorry, I forget which link led to it, so sorry for not giving credit. 04/18/2007 12:37 Why the cross was down Islamic group in Baghdad: “Get rid of the cross or we will burn your Churches”. In the Dora quarter threats continue to be made against Christians. In the last two months Christian parishes have been forced to give in to extremist pressure, only the Church of Sts Peter and Paul has withstood so far. A fatwa forbids the practice of Christian ritual gestures. The US army occupies Babel College, property of the Chaldean Patriarchate. Baghdad (AsiaNews) – “Get rid of the cross or we will burn your Churches”. This is the threat aimed at the Chaldean Church of Sts Peter and Paul, located in the ancient Christian quarter of Baghdad, Dora. Local sources say an unknown armed Islamic group is behind the threats which are inseminating terror in the capital. The Arab website Ankawa.com and Aina news agency speak of a campaign of persecution in act in the area. Even Mosul, a Sunni stronghold, the Christian presence is being gravely threatened. Msgr. Shlemon Warduni, Chaldean auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, tells AsiaNews “in the last 2 months many Churches have been forced to remove their crosses from their domes”. In the case of the Church of St. George, assira, Muslim extremists took the situation into their own hands: they climbed onto the roof and ripped out the cross. In the Chaldean Church of St John, in Dora, which has been without a pastor for months now, the parishioners themselves decided to move the cross to a safer place following repeated threats. The terrorists forced it down, the Iraqis placed it back up. |
| Posted by: Sherry 2007-11-08 12:44 |
| #4 Glemnore - I had the same thought. I love Michael Yon, but I think he often puts people that he talks to in danger. I wrote him once and told him that and got a testy response. However, in the end, I think he is right to get the good news out there. Sunlight is always the best disinfectant. If everyone did it, it would be like the Mohammed cartoons here in the US. Too many targets to make it worth their while. |
| Posted by: Glaling Turkeyneck1651 2007-11-08 12:22 |
| #3 Now there is a journalist. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-11-08 12:12 |
| #2 Michael Yon never disappoints. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-11-08 11:30 |
| #1 How long before that church gets targetted by a truck bomb? It now has to be one of the #1 'opportunities' for AQI to prove it is not impotent. AND, they could do it while only killing infidels. Sure hope we're providing good overwatch. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-11-08 09:34 |