Thursday, February 02, 2006

Bombing of Iraqi Churches Linked to Danish Cartoons

(Source: Barnabas Fund)

A spate of car bombs exploded outside churches in Iraq last Sunday 29th January in what appears to have been a coordinated attack. The explosions occurred within a half hour period, apparently chosen to coincide with the time at which Christians would be going to church.

Two churches in the northern city of Kirkuk and at least two others in the capital Baghdad were targeted. At least three people, including a 13-year-old boy, were killed and an estimated 16-20 people injured. According to some reports as many as seven churches were bombed.

The bombings were condemned by some Muslim political leaders including Ali al-Adeeb (Shi'a) and Naweer al-Ani (Sunni).

A similar incident of near-simultaneous explosions at Iraqi churches happened on Sunday 1st August 2004 during the time of the evening service. Four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were bombed on that occasion, with some 15 fatalities.


LINKS WITH DANISH CARTOONS?

Many Christians in Iraq are connecting this week's church bombings with the growing furore across the Muslim world caused by the publication of some cartoons caricaturing Muhammad in a Danish newspaper on 30th September
2005.

These cartoons have been republished this week by newspapers in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.

IRAQI CHRISTIAN STUDENTS BEATEN UP FOR DANISH CARTOONS

On the same day, 29th January, Christian students at Mosul University were beaten up by Muslim students. Some days earlier a number of fatwas had been issued by sheikhs in Mosul, acting in reponse to pressure from Islamic militias in the city. The fatwas called for their followers to “expel the crusaders and infidels from the streets, schools and institutions becausethey insulted the person of the prophet in Denmark”.

FATWA FOR KILLING OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR CARTOONS

Yesterday, 1st February, a Kuwaiti newspaper reporting on the Danish cartoons stated that Islamic cleric Sheikh Nazem Mesbah had issued a fatwa calling for the killing of people who insulted Muhammad in this way. Other Islamic clerics rejected this fatwa citing the need to comply with the realities of the modern era.

PRAYER ITEMS

* Pray for the protection of Christians in Iraq from those Muslims who want to punish them for the actions of other people in “Christian countries” like the US, UK and Denmark. Pray that Christians will be recognised as loyal citizens instead of constantly mistrusted. Pray that Christians will not give way to fear, despite the efforts of those who want to intimidate them into fleeing from their homeland.

* Pray that the Muslim political leaders who condemned the bombings will have greater influence in society at large than the radical leaders who encourage such anti-Christian violence. Pray for courageous Muslim clerics to issue fatwas calling for justice and security for Iraqi Christians.

* Pray for stability and peace in Iraq, remembering all who mourn those of every nationality who have died in the violence there.

* Pray that the republishing of the Danish cartoons in other European countries will not result in violence against Christian minorities in Muslim-majority countries.

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