Iraqi ambassador emphasizes Islam’s tolerance, says Christians should not fear

February 17, 2011

Iraqi Christians have been targeted by terrorists who do not adhere to the “tolerant essence of the Islamic faith,” Habeeb Mohammed Hadi Ali Al-Sadr, Iraq’s ambassador to the Holy See, said at a recent address at the Vatican.

In his talk the Iraqi ambassador criticized the Western media for emphasizing the dangers facing Christians in Iraq-- thus taking a stand directly opposite that of Iraqi bishops, who have criticized the West for ignoring Christian suffering. Al-Sadr suggested that terrorists who target Christians have done so deliberately in order to damage Iraq's public image.

“The enemies of today's Iraq are the associations of Saddam infidels who, after the capitulation of the regime, took advantage of the vacuum of power created as a consequence of the American decision to dissolve all the structures of the security services,” he said. “The terrorists have understood that the blood of Iraqi Muslims, which they have shed like rivers, is not so interesting in the eyes of the Western media.”

The regime of Saddam Hussein fell in 2003 after US troops invaded; since that time, 400,000 of Iraq ’s 800,000 Christians have fled the nation, Iraqi Archbishop Athanase Matoka told the Synod of Bishops in October.

Al-Sadr said that terrorists have "attained their evil objective,” by giving the world, and even the Christians of Iraq, the impression that religious minorities face a grim future under the new regime. “Without realizing it, the media and international organizations have fallen into this mechanism, playing the game of the terrorists, being concerned about the Christians, their future and the society's lack of development," he said. "The consequence has been the abandonment by Christians of their homes and emigration.”

The ambassador insisted that the terrorists who prey on Christians do not reflect the true nature of Iraq today:

Individual [terrorist] actions don't necessarily indicate that there is an Iraqi plot geared to the persecution of Christians, to the elimination of their existence, destroying their cultural patrimony as some think. In fact, these individual actions don't reflect the profound and secular coexistence between Christians and Muslims, as they do not express either the tolerant essence of the Islamic faith which calls for dialogue, respect of pluralism, rejection of violence, even considering it outside the way of Islam, as is written: "to kill a soul for no reason is to kill the whole of humanity."

The Iraqi ambassador issued a call for his country's Christians to resist the pressures of fear and intimidation. “It is hoped that Christians will take steps to abandon fear and their present closure,” the ambassador concluded. “It is also hoped that, persevering with patience in the communion of sacrifices with their fellow citizens, they will reject the idea of emigrating, thus making the plan fail to empty the country of Christians … my people can only breathe their identity with two lungs, Muslim and Christian. An Iraq without Christians is an Iraq without identity and symbols.”

The ambassador's claim that the Islamic terrorists now targeting Christians in Iraq are allies of the late Saddam Hussein is suspect, since the deposed dictator was not warmly disposed toward religious zealots. And his repeated hints that the threats to Christians have been exaggerated will not sit well with the Iraqi Christians who have witnessed a series of targeted bombings and execution-style killings.

However, Al-Sadr did offer some official reassurance, reporting that the Iraqi government has established a new office to coordinate security for the religious minority, and promised new efforts at protection as well as reconstruction of ruined churches. He offered a promise:

This calms us in regard to the future of Christians in Iraq, which will be promising and prosperous in the light of the notable improvements that there will be in the country at the level of security and the economy which is already constantly improving.

 

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Further information:

• Christians in Iraq: The Future and the Hope: Address of the Iraqi Ambassador to the Holy See (Zenit)