Christianity in Iraq

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Christianity in Iraq
By Dr. Suha Rassam ICIN
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The Matrix

• Mesopotamia under Persians /Zoroastrian
• The Rest of ME under the Romans/Pagans.
• The two empires in conflict
• The majority of the population were Pagans
• A large Jewish community in Iraq/exiles

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Evangelisation

• Tradition Thadaeus Thomas/AggaiMari
• TravelTrade pilgrimage
• Jews from Mesopotamia (Acts 25-10)
• Gradual infiltration amongst Jews, Pagans and
  Zoroastrians

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The Churches of Iraq

• The Church of the East/Nestorian/Persian
• The Syrian Orthodox Church/Miaphysite
• The Chaldean Church 1553/ largest
• The Syrian Catholic Church 1662
• Protestant,Armenian.Anglican.Greek

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The second Century

• Church Building
• Intellectual Converts Tatian, Bardaisan
• King Abgar VIII converts to Christianity
• Synod in Edessa AD 197Date of Easter
• The epitaph of Abercuis
• Representatives in the Council of Nicea

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The Third century

• Ardashir in 224 had to deal with the Christians
  included the church Kokhe within his new capital
• The Zoroastrian religion was adopted as the
  official religion of the State in AD286 and
  apostasy was punishable by death

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The Fourth Century

• The Forty Years Persecution/ The Great
  Persecution/ Shapur II/ AD 339-379
• Yazdgird I 399/peace with the Romans
• Acknowledged the Christians as independent
  community

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The fifth century

• 410 AD Attended by representative from the
  Western Church
• 424 AD The C.E becomes self-ruling.
• Note before the Councils of Ephesus 431
  Chalcedon AD 451

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Characteristics

• Dyophysite theology /School of Edessa
• The Syriac language as its hallmark
• Incorporated Greek Philosophy
• Centres of learning/Scholars writers
• Asceticism, Mysticism and Monastic
• Strongly Missionary

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Arab Abbasid Rule750-1258

• Christians Jews People of the book
• Had to pay special tax-Jyziah
• Had to observe Dhimmi rules
• First Category-always binding
• Second Only applied if stipulated

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Dhimmi Rules I

• Should not denigrate Islam,the prophet of Islam
  or misquote the Quran
• Must not undermine a Muslims faith
• Must not help the enemies of Islam
• Must not approach a Muslim woman unless he
  converts to Islam
• Apostacy from Islam punishable by death.

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Dhimmi Rules II

• Non-Muslims wear distinctive clothing
• Should not erect buildings higher than those of
  Muslims
• Must not allow sound of bells or talk about Jesus
  to reach a Muslim ear.
• Must not display crosses, drink wine or eat pork
  in front of a Muslim
• Should not ride a horse but a mule or a donkey.

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The Contributions of the Christians to the
Abbasid Civilization 750-1258

• Pioneered as physicians and had near monopoly in
  medicine
• Educators officials translators
• Prominent philosophers
• Patriarch conducted dialogues with Muslim
• The Translation Process

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Decline Under Muslim Rule

• Rigidity of application of Dhimmi rules/9C
• Increase in number of educated Muslims
• Increasing strength of the Arabic language
• Decline in the need of Syriac language
• The church became impoverished
• Weakness of the state

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From Abbasid to modern times

• Mongol rule 1258-1405
• Turkoman rule 1405-1508
• Savavid rule
• Struggle for survival.Seat of the Patriarchate
  moved from place to place as to where it is
  safest
• Ottoman rule 1534-1914

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Modern Iraq

• British rule Mandate 1918-32
• Independent Monarchy 1932-1956
• Democracy/schools/modernisation
• Republic 1958-2003
• Conflicts/abolition of private education/
• Iraq-Iran war/sanctions/emigration

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Under Occupation9 April 2003

• Lack of law and order
• Destruction of the infrastructure
• Persecution/Sunni-Shite
• Persecution/Shias Sunnis of Christian
• Survival of the Christian community under threat
  

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Attacks on Christians

• Initially alcohol dealers, barbers, musicians.
• Kidnapping Professionals richRansom
• Women forced to wear al-Hijab
• Accusations Crusaders American collaborators.
• Dhimmis infidels who should convert to Islam,
  pay the Jyzia, convert, be killed.
• Calls from Minarets do not buy their
  propertythey will leave it is Halal for your.

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Attacks on Churches

• First concerted attack 1.8.04
• Last concerted attack 6.1.08
• Between 26.6.2004-9.1.2008 a total of 45 churches
  related Christian places of worship have been
  attacked.
• Some attacks were concerted with major damage and
  loss of life, others isolated with little damage
  no loss of life

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Attacks on religious personnel

• August 04 Patriarch Deli threatened (Baghdad)
• January 2005 Bishop Mousa kidnapped (Mosul)
• 17.7.06 Raad Washan K. (Baghdad)
• 16.8.06 Douglas Al-Bazi Saad Sirop K.(Bag)
• 16.8.06 Basil Yaldo K. Baghdad
• Oct. 06 Paul Iskander K, murdered body
  mutilated (Mosul).
• 15.12 06 Sami al-Rayyis K. tortured (Baghdad)
• 3.6.07 Raghid Ganni three deacons assassinated
  as they were leaving church after service (Mosul).

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Ethnic Cleansing

• During the summer of 2007, al-Dora district of
  Baghdad was attacked by Sunni extremists evicting
  Shia Muslims Christians from their homes.
• Christians were asked to convert to Islam,
  leave their homes, or killed.

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Refugees

• Eight million Iraqis need humanitarian assistance
  to ensure their day to day survival (The Times,
  18 April 2007).
• In Syria, 44 of Iraqi Asylum seekers were
  recorded as Christian since UNHCR began
  registrations in December 2003 ( Guardian weekly
  October 20-26 2006)

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Iraqi Church Leaders

• All Church leaders spoke on various occasions
  asking to be protected and treated as equal
  citizens
• The Patriarch of the Chaldeans gave a cry for
  help on 6 May 07. He was in tears after a bomb
  exploded in a Christian village near a school
  killing 17 children and injuring over 170
  individuals
• I hold responsible all those who can reach a
  solution to establish peace and stability in our
  homeland

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Bishop Sako to Asia news

• We can no longer be silent. We have to remind
  the world of the importance of the Christian
  presence in Iraq, for the good of Iraq.
  Christians are suffering from forced evacuation,
  rape, kidnap, blackmail and killing. Forcing
  Christians to leave their homes destroy the
  cultural, civil and religious mosaic of which
  Iraq is considered to be the very cradle.

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Bishop Audo

• What a great loss it would be If Christianity in
  Iraq is obliterated, not only to Iraq but to the
  whole Middle east and to the whole Muslim world

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Summary

• Within the general context of violence
  lawlessness, the Christians suffer more than
  other Iraqis as they are specifically targeted by
  Islamists of both sides.
• They have no militia to protect them, have no
  safe haven to go to no country to support them

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Statement 2005

• Christians are threatened, intimidated their
  livelihood taken from them, their homes
  possessions seized destroyed.
• The longer we refuse to take action, hundreds of
  Christians are forced to flee their homes in fear
  of their lives

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Will this community survive? How can we help

• Make the plight of the Christians known
• Write to MP
• Must accept some as refugees
• Financial help for refugees/charities/ICIN
• Dialogue/reaching compassionate Muslim voices
• Western countries should support the Eastern
  Christians by creating a centre for Eastern
  Christianity
• Solving political conflict in the Middle East

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ICIN Iraqi Christians In Need

• ICIN is a UK registered Charity which was
  established to help the Iraqi Christians who, as
  a result of events during the past few years,
  have been displaced, destitute, persecuted and
  are suffering financial hardship.
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• Iraq is no longer front page news but the
  problems of the Iraqi Christians are still there.
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• Thank you for your support.
• www.icin.org.uk