ARABICNEWS.Com

Iraqi Christians will not leave it
Iraq, Politics, 8/9/2004

The Iraqi churches in Baghdad witnessed a notable decrease in the number of
worshippers who took part in yesterday’s mass, the first Sunday after the
simultaneous attacks which targeted 6 churches in Baghdad and Musil in which
10 persons were killed and more than other 40 were injured.

Seats at ” Virgin Mary” Church were almost empty except for very few number
of worshippers who attended the mass. Under the shock of the attacks of last
Sunday, Iraqi Christians prayed for peace and lit candles.

The audience were also few in the Armenian church where remains of a car
destroyed in last Sunday’s aggressions are there.

Rev Antoine Atamian who chaired the mass in the church where number of
audience receded to one third said that the Christians should not leave Iraq
despite the recent attacks against them. He said:” we have paid in blood the
price for our love to Iraq.” He added ” We are not concerned over physical
death, we are scared of the death of the principles of love and amity and
sympathy which all constitute the spirit of Iraq.”

In the Syriac- Catholic Church in Baghdad, workers gathered to repair
damages inflected by the attack which targeted it. The mass which was held
in a nearby hall was attended by 70 persons out of 1,000 believers used to
attend it. Priest Raphael Qatteimi said:” They want to kill people in the
churches, eventually this will affect our members.”