Attack on Christians

How can anyone hold people in Iraq responsible for what happens in Egypt?

Sunday's attack by Al-Qaeda on a Catholic church in Baghdad and the slaughter of 46 worshippers has been condemned by the OIC, by Arab governments, by Iraq’s Muslim leaders. We too condemn it. It was an act of unspeakable evil.

Making it infinitely worse is the statement by Al-Qaeda in Iraq claiming responsibility. It has declared war on half a million Iraqi Christians because two Egyptian women, who supposedly converted from Coptic Christianity to Islam, are rumored to be held prisoner by Coptic monks somewhere in Egypt.

The story may or may not be true. The reality may well be more prosaic and connected to the fact that Coptic women get round their church’s ban on divorce by announcing they have converted to Islam and then reconvert (which is legal in Egypt) once they have secured a divorce. Whatever, the rumor is being stirred up by extremists for political gain. But it has nothing to do with Iraqi Catholics. Even if they and Egyptian Copts were one and the same — they are not — the reality is that people in Iraq have no control over what happens in Egypt and cannot be held responsible for it. To insist otherwise is no different from the twisted and bigoted thinking that demonizes all Saudis, all Arabs and Muslims, as terrorists because of the involvement of 17 of them in 9/11 attacks. That is repugnant and so is what Al-Qaeda claims in Iraq.

It is using the Egyptian rumor for its own deadly purposes. It has taken a leaf out of the Zionist history book, re-enacting it with barbaric enthusiasm. There is no difference between this massacre and that of Palestinians by Zionist storm-troopers at Deir Yassin in 1948. The aim is the same, ethnic cleansing. In 1948, the aim was to terrorize Palestinians into fleeing their homes. Today, Al-Qaeda wants to terrorize Iraqi Christians into flight. This week in Baghdad, St Mary’s Church has been Deir Yassin; Al-Qaeda, the Zionists.

The metaphor is not as bizarre as may seem. Al-Qaeda not only acts like the Zionists, it hands them real victories. There are Christians in a number of Arab states. They are Arab as much as the majority Muslims. They are an honored and cherished part of Arab society. Al-Qaeda is trying to divide Arab against Arab. And who gains the most from that? Israel.

Tragically, Al-Qaeda’s tactics may have some effect in Iraq. Around half a million Christians have already fled the country in fear of their lives since the US-led invasion. Others may now well join the exodus as a result of Sunday’s massacre. They know that without a government to enforce law and order and the Americans on the way out there will probably be more attacks.

Horrified Americans will no doubt put the blame for this purely on Al-Qaeda. It is to blame, but so are they. Saddam Hussein’s regime was a dictatorship but there was peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians. With the invasion, they opened a Pandora’s box. Sectarianism is one of its terrible results.

Comments

NOSTRADAMUS

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First,lets categorically state , that no where in the west,. the muslims have suffered such barbarities, like the Christians have suffered in Iraq.Well, what are the muslim reactions to this? The usual crocodile tears. Where are the muslim universal condemnations?
Remember that not even Israel against the palestinians behave in a such barbaric fashion.

EJAZ

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Have you already forgotten that 500,000 Iraqi children died because of sanctions on medicines and food by the US and West?

And when US secretary of state was asked are these sanctions worth the death of so many Iraqis, she said yes the price is worth it!

Israel has ethnically cleansed 10 million Palestinians out of historic Palestine and this it has done as a STATE not as some obscure outfit like Al Qaeda.

If you open your eyes, every Muslim is condemning the wrongs committed in Iraq. Only a closet bigot like you would see otherwise.

LARRYAT27N

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It is no surprise that the editor once again trots out the middle east's two favorite whipping boys to share the blame with Al-Qaeda: Israel and the United States.

You never fail to disappoint. You can't help yourself, can you?

MUHAMMAD ABDUL LATEEF

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Attack on Christians!? the very caption of the editorial is outrageous and misleading, there has not been any impartial and fair investigation, no proof, and no conviction yet as usual deplorably even the Muslim media conveniently harps the same tone as has been the practice of our detractors. Most of our so called intellectuals and enlightened superior minds ignore the norms of scientific analysis, rationales and drawing logical inferences; they abnormally jump on the conclusion and deliberately point finger towards a ghost... rather their own creation, an imaginary monster in order to blame and accuse Islam and Muslims and try to put them in dock and on defensive. I unequivocally condemn and denounce the carnage and bloodshed, simply because our noble Deen evidently, vividly and clearly under rates and rejects such unruly and in human behaviour. Our great leader, second Caliph of Islam Hadhrath Omer Farooq e Azam (R.A) who occupies 16th position in the book 100 most influential and great personalities of the human history authored by an American scholar of repute,while appointing governors and commissioners categorically instructs, not to interfere in the matters of non-Muslims religious affairs, and not employ dubious methods to win the converts [Refer to Tibri's History pp 2623 and 2658]. I know for sure that, supported by western governments and missionaries Christian minorities in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and other Muslim countries are economically, politically and socially in far much better position as compared to their Muslim compatriots yet in order to maintain undue pressure they raise alarm occasionally make hue and cry and resort to unjustified propaganda against the Muslim leaders, Islamic organizations and governments. Let it be Brotherhood, Taliban or so called Al-Qaeda at least give them opportunities to appear freely in public, electronic media or print media and talk or explain their points of view and let the people be the Judge, this is the right way other wise suffocation muzzled voices will only result in intellectual chaos, and uncertainty.

WASIM AHMED

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Yes it's foolish, condemnable & unIslaamic. But they have learnt this fromthe WEST, US it's faithful tail wagging allies who destroyed a whole nation because of a suspect & an another just becuase they suspected something & verbally attacking Muslims for the terrorist activties of deviated Muslims Just as there are Christians & Jews.
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