Churches bombed in Baghdad

-16/10/04

Iraqís 800,000 strong Christian minority are living in fear today after further bomb attacks by insurgents on five Baghdad churches early in the morning.

Chaldean, Orthodox and Catholic churches were among those targeted. No casualties have yet been reported.

The attacks follow the setting off of explosive devices at churches in August this year, killing a number of people and wounding many more in the capital and in Mosul.

ëMuslims and Christians have been living here in harmony for hundreds of years,í said Father Gabriel Shamami of St Joseph's Cathedral.

Indicating the widespread belief that it is militants from outside the country who are seeking to stir up hatred, he added: 'I don't think Iraqis would do this -especially during the holy month of Ramadan.'

Arabic news station al-Jazeera reports that the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq have roundly condemned these attacks against churches.

Christianity has deep historic roots in the country, but militants are trying to associate it with the politics of the West.

However Interior Ministry spokesperson Sabah Karim has described Iraqi Christians as one of the country's most respected communities.

And Canon Andrew White of the Iraqi Centre for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace says that Christians and Muslims are continuing to work together against violence.

Canon White helped convene two historic meetings between Sunni, Shiíia and Christian leaders in Iraq. They issued a joint statement some months ago, calling on Iraqis to respect the traditions of all the major religions.

A large number of Christians have fled the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein, reducing the population by nearly 20 per cent in the past fourteen years.

Simon Barrow of the ecumenical body Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, which maintains relations with the situation through its Middle East Forum, called for prayer and support for Christians in Iraq.