Iraq Declares Christmas a National Holiday

Iraq Declares Christmas a National Holiday

www.foxnews.com

Iraq's Christians, a small minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, quietly celebrated Christmas on Thursday with a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time.

A senior Shiite cleric, Ammar al-Hakim attended the event, flanked by bodyguards, in a gesture of cooperation with Christians.

We came here to bring a message of love, respect and gratitude to our Christian brothers and to share happiness...," al-Hakim said in an interview....

(visit the link for the full news article)

I have only now become aware of this news.

In a country where Christians are a very small minority that has traditionally been oppressed and in a country where religious differences, even among the majority Muslims has been seen as an impediment to peace, this measure marks the possibility of Iraq becoming an inclusive nation and a beacon of freedom in the Middle East.

I know it's a long shot, but every journey begins with a single step.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 2009/1/13 by GradyPhilpott]

Now we know the world is going crazy ,

I dont believe what I am reading , Next The USA will have Sharia law

reply to post by yenko13


Sharia Law? Don't even THINK that!

I have to admit, it's a small but friendly gesture to those Christians trying to live as part of the Iraqi community. Good for them.

lol, America really are taking the piss with the Iraq take over.

They've already built "their" own army, who were trained and funded by America (so i wonder who will have control over them?)

And built there biggest ever embassy in there.

And now religious holidays? Forcing America's religion upon a Muslim country??

I'm not saying its a bad thing, xmas and all, but it really does show the Iraq population the finger.

WOW .. color me surprised. That's a nice gesture. I wonder if it will hold after we have left the region. My jaded opinion is ... no. But time will tell.

Edited to add - by 'it' I mean the good will, not the Christian holiday.

[edit on 1/13/2009 by FlyersFan]

Why stop with Christmas?

Perhaps there should Be a President George Bush day as he has probably influenced their daily lives more than anyone.

Actually, perhaps we should have GWB day also. To remind us!!

reply to post by whaaa


I agree it should not stop there, next should be the easter bunny, St. Patricks day, Valentine days, Santa and we should always push the 4 of July, they should be entitle to BBQ American style, somebody can make a lot of money on this money making holidays.

What a joke.

Actually to the surprise of many here in America, Saddam never engaged in the persecution of Iraqi Christians, he was secular and riots against Christians or riots of any kind were never allowed in Iraq

Background – Iraqi Christians

Saddam Hussein and the Ba’th Regime have been, and still are, nasty and oppressive to all Iraqis. However, Saddam has not been particularly oppressive to the Assyrians, at least compared to what has been the norm elsewhere in the region. One must always keep in mind that the oldest members of Middle Eastern Christian communities remember outright slaughters of Christians by the millions. By the yardstick of his neighbors and Middle Eastern history, Saddam just doesn’t look that bad.

The population of Christians in Iraq is not that small is about 1 million Christians who are ethnically Assyrian.

The persecution of Christians in Iraq started after the invasion when radical muslin new found liberties and targeted the Christian communities in Iraq, the majority of Christian Assyrian are concentrated in the Kurdish community now.

www.lewrockwell.com...











[edit on 13-1-2009 by marg6043]

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


last time i checked Christians werent discriminated under saddam Hussain
infact wasnt one of his advisers christian aswell?

Originally posted by bodrul
reply to post by GradyPhilpott

 

last time i checked Christians werent discriminated under saddam Hussain
infact wasnt one of his advisers christian aswell?

Saddam's prime minister was Tariq Aziz (remember that guy?)
He was raised in a Chaldean Catholic family.

[edit on 1/13/2009 by clay2 baraka]

Originally posted by bodrul
last time i checked Christians werent discriminated under saddam Hussain

I think they celebrated it, but not as a holiday officially recognized by the gov't. (heck, people in the USA celebrate different holidays that aren't recognized - like the wiccans etc etc)

Huffington Post -left wing - says it's the first time officially a holiday.

I found THIS that talks about Iraq throwing out all of 'Saddam's holidays' .. but they dont' list what they were.

I guess the key word is 'official'

Now all they have to do is figure out how to get Santa in there without him being shot at or his sled being blown away by an IED planted on a rooftop.


Ho, Ho, Ho

Originally posted by jam321
Now all they have to do is figure out how to get Santa in there

So is that the conspiracy? That this war was staged by the toy and greeting card companies in order to make more money during the holiday season? They had their eyes on the oil money in Iraq coming in through toy and card sales?

its funny most the people that think this is a good thing are probably the same people who would think it really bad if we introduced Ramadan.

Is this just another less than subtle attempt at stealing the arabs identity and bringing them further into the empire of chrisendom - i has hoped we'd grown out of that, maybe one day.

reply to post by yenko13


I don't think you will have to wait too long for that. England has already pulled that one off and we are probably next.
Pretty sad that they ruined the country's infrastructure, damaged the environment with weaponry and now they have introduced an exploitative holiday that keeps a lot of Americans on a debt cycle. I seem to recall someone in here joking last year about how long it would be before they celebrated Christmas. I hope that person collects on his bet!

reply to post by yenko13


I don't think you will have to wait too long for that. England has already pulled that one off and we are probably next.
Pretty sad that they ruined the country's infrastructure, damaged the environment with weaponry and now they have introduced an exploitative holiday that keeps a lot of Americans on a debt cycle. I seem to recall someone in here joking last year about how long it would be before they celebrated Christmas. I hope that person collects on his bet!

pfff horrible, not that i dislike xmas, but I dont celebrate it either. Yet this is a good example of how easy it is to boycott a perfectly fine religion, and forcing a western religion upon the people over there. I'm talking a little bit extreme here, but this is just the start....

reply to post by bodrul


Yes saddam had a christian adviser, iraq was a nice place to live for cristians.

America however was rocked by the shock rumor that Obama might be an arab which caused so much anger and hate among americans that people conspired to try and kil him! the US is not an Islam friendly place.

remind me again which is the forward thinking superstate and which the failed state axis of evil nation?

I think Valentines Day would be more appropriate.

I think we all know who and where the kisses should be placed.


[edit on 13-1-2009 by whaaa]

Well, at least people that still want to enjoy Christmas will have a place to go since the PC left is very busy destroying the holiday in this country. Last I heard they were trying to get Christmas lights banned as "bad for the environment".