IRAQ: CHRISTIANS WILL OBSERVE ANOTHER SOMBRE CHRISTMAS PRAYNG FOR AN END TO POST-WAR CHAOS

Record ID: 648317

  • Title: IRAQ: CHRISTIANS WILL OBSERVE ANOTHER SOMBRE CHRISTMAS PRAYNG FOR AN END TO POST-WAR CHAOS
  • Date: 20th December 2004
  • Summary: (W4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 19, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE SHOT OF STREET IN BAGHDAD WITH CHURCH TOWERING OVER OTHER BUILDINGS; CLOSE UP OF CHURCH; SLVEXTERIOR OF CHURCH (3 SHOTS) 0.18 2. MV CHRISTIAN WOMEN LIGHTENING CANDLES IN CHURCHYARD; CLOSE UP OF CHRISTIAN GIRL PRAYING IN FRONT OF CANDLE; MV WOMAN PRAYING IN FRONT OF ICON OF VIRGIN MARY IN COURTYARD/ TILT UP TO VIRGIN ICON 0.37 3. WIDE SHOT OF EMPTY CHURCH HALL; WIDE SHOT OF PRIEST READING PRAYERS WITH FEW ATTENDANCE; SLV CHRISTIAN PEOPLE ATTENDING SUNDAY PRAYER; MV PRIEST READING PRAYERS; WIDE SHOT OF INTERIOR OF CHURCH WITH ATTENDANCE AND PRIEST; PRIEST GIVING COMMUNION TO CHRISTIAN PEOPLE (7 SHOTS) 1.19 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ARCHBISHOP MATTI SAMA MATOKA, SAYING: "Regrettably under these circumstances, which our country is passing through you see our churches are almost empty and people are afraid to come to churches due to bombings of several churches over different periods. Why do they deprive our Christian people of celebrating these religious occasions? What did the Christian people do in Iraq to be a target?" 1.57 5. WIDE SHOT OF DAMAGED CHURCH IN DORA NEIGHBOURHOOD; CLOSE UP OF DAMAGED CHURCH; CLOSE UP OF CROSS ON TOP OF CHURCH 2.08 6. SLV EXTERIOR OF EASTERN CHURCH IN DORA, ONE OF FIVE CHURCHES HIT IN AUGUST; DAMAGE TO OUTER WALL OF CHURCH; DAMAGED MAIN GATE OF CHURCH; SLV DAMAGED PART OF CHURCH BUILDING (4 SHOTS) 2.28 7. MV ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES ON SALE; CLOSE UP OF DECORATED TREE; SCU DECORATIONS, RIBBONS AND ORNAMENTS; WIDE SHOT OF CHRISTMAS TREES ON SALE ON STREET;CLOSE UP OF TREES; MV CHRISTIAN MAN TALKING TO SELLER (8 SHOTS) 3.17 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic), WISSAM SAMI FATHALLAH, SAYING: "This year Christmas celebrations will be confined to prayers only as you may have heard in the news that all the celebrations have been cancelled." 3.28 9. MV MAN PAYING MONEY AND CARRYING CHRISTMAS TREE AWAY; SLV CAR WITH TREE IN TRUNK 3.39 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 4th January 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA3YHHGQ8B8J8SLQIUDGMS71VT4
  • Story Text: Christians in Iraq will observe another sombre
    Christmas praying for an end to post-war chaos and
    uncertainty.

    The small community of Christians in Iraq are preparing for a
    low-key holiday because of the violence that still plagues the country.

    Many of Iraq's churches have thrown up protective walls or placed
    perimeter barrels filled with cement to protect against car bombs.

    The holiday brings mixed feelings for Iraq's 700,000 Christians. There
    are prayers for a better future, but also some fears that if unrest continues,
    it could revive a flight of Christians, along with other Iraqis, who left the
    country during the crippling economic sanctions of the 1990s.

    The mood was subdued among the few people who went to pray on Sunday
    (December 19) morning in a small church in Baghdad. Attendance was low at Lady
    of Safety Church in Karrada neighbourhood in Baghdad, one of five churches hit
    by a string of co-ordinated bombings in August.

    Few Christians, mainly women attended a Christmas service , lighting
    candles to greet the Christmas spirit and pray before an icon of the Virgin
    Mary.

    "Regrettably under these circumstances, which our country is
    passing through you see our churches are almost empty and people are afraid to
    come to churches due to bombings of several churches over different periods.

    Why do they deprive our Christian people of celebrating these religious
    occasions? What did the Christian people do in Iraq to be a target?" said
    Archbishop Matti Sami Matoka of the Assyrian-Catholic church.

    Some services have been cancelled after co-ordinated church bombings
    in Baghdad and Mosul on August 1, in which 11 people died, and subsequent
    bombings October 16 and November 8.

    Christians said that celebrations for this year's Christmas and New
    Year will be confined to prayers as celebrations have been called off due to
    security concerns.

    "This year Christmas celebrations will be confined to prayers only
    as you may have heard in the news all the celebrations have been
    cancelled," said Wissam Sami, who was buying a Christmas tree in Baghdad.

    Tree sellers lamented that there were few customers because people are
    not in the mood to celebrate this year.

    Similar to last year's celebrations, churches are expected to conduct
    services on Christmas morning instead of on Christmas Eve as is customary
    Christianity is the second religion in Iraq after Islam, making up five
    percent of the 26-million population. Most live in cities such as Baghdad,
    Mosul in the north, and Basra in the south, and belong mainly to the Assyrian,
    Chaldean and Armenian branches.


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