Miss Iraq 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

All her life Sarah had heard that Israel was murderous against Arabs and that both evil Israel and America deserved death. But as a child she had some interaction with American military and found them to be kind. She listened to American music and started to learn English, later becoming a translator.

As a Miss Universe contestant, she took a photo with Miss Israel and posted it on social media. Her friends and family were terrified. The title "Miss Iraq" was taken from her and death threats followed, but she wouldn't back down. 

photo

After becoming a citizen of America, she visited Israel to speak -- and was shocked to see many Arabs living there peacefully beside Israelis, "walking together" as she puts it. 

She rejects the hate that she was taught as a child and works for peace today from her home in Los Angeles.

from Jewish Journal

Miss Iraq 1

Sarah's family had power in their home only a few hours per day as she was growing up. When they could get water, they would store it up for the days when they couldn't, and the same applied to food. Sarah Idan was brought up in Baghdad, Iraq.

They didn't have a reliable supply of power or food, and they didn't have freedom of speech or dissent. But Sarah had the opportunity to represent her country at the Miss Universe competition . . until she got in serious trouble.

Today Sarah lives happily in America. What she learned, how she wound up here, what she does now, is her story.

Christian refuge 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

St. Matthew's Monastery (363 A.D.) is just 20 miles from Mosul, which Islamic State captured in 2014. 

They fully expected an attack on the monastery, with all the destruction IS had done in other cities. So the monks started evacuating their relics and art, including centuries-old Christian manuscripts and the (supposed) bones of Saint Matthew.

But the monastery was saved: "Bolstered by a U.S.-led bombing campaign, a force of Kurdish peshmerga fighters — who are Sunni Muslims — stopped the advancing Islamic State militants just 2.5 miles from the beige stone citadel of St. Matthew’s."

photo

"St. Matthew’s Monastery maintains a furnished dormitory available for Christians from anywhere in the world to come and stay free of charge."

Christian refuge

"When Islamic State conquered [2014] the ancient city of Mosul, Iraq, their videos trumpeted destruction of important works of art. Now they have conquered the city of Palmyra, Syria, and again they destroy [2015]."

So much destruction and violence just a few years ago. IS was militarily defeated in 2017, but many belonging to religious minorities have been afraid to go back.

There is a place the few Christians who remain feel safe to go to celebrate mass: it's St. Matthew's Monastery, established in the year 363 A.D. -- only about 330 years after Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.

Besman Naif, 42, a Christian man from a nearby village, says "It’s safe for us to pray here . . We aren’t safe anywhere else . . The [IS] mentality is still there, many well-known terrorists just blended back into the community."

(cont'd tomorrow)

Since 2013

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Though IS forces were driven out of Mosul, Iraq, things are far from normal compared to pre-IS. 

Normal social networks have to be re-built. "A Christian writer who evacuated to Kurdistan says, “When I come back, I feel broken because my neighbors stood by and watched as our possessions were looted in front of their sight. Too many have bought into the ideology that we are infidels . .”

But still, "Christians in Iraq decorated war-torn Mosul with Christmas lights and Christmas trees and even had a visit from Santa for the first time since their last Christmas celebration in 2013."

“The community is still severely affected by the war, people are celebrating [Christmas] out of habit with dulled senses and cold emotions,” said Edward, who lives in an Assyrian Christian enclave in the Nineveh Plain."

photo: dailymail.co.uk

IS defeat

Islamic State (ISIS) took Mosul, Iraq, in 2014. Christians had four options: stay and convert, stay and pay, die, or run. One night, one hundred thousand Christians fled Mosul, leaving families and their way of life behind. 

Homes, churches, museums, neighborhoods - not only Christian - were ravaged and destroyed while IS was in control. The UN estimates that IS barbarity eventually displaced over 3 million people in the region.

But three years of fighting have culminated with a victory declared by Iraqi prime minister Al-Abadi this month. He said, "We defeated Daesh (ISIS) through our unity and sacrifice for the nation. Long live Iraq and its people."

"The US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS tweeted . . "We congratulate the Prime Minister and all the Iraqi people on this significant achievement, which many thought impossible."

(cont'd tomorrow)

Iraqis hope

Islamic State (IS) captured the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, in 2014. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians left everything they had so they could run for their lives. Some went to refugee camps, some to relatives, some to go to other countries, but they have all suffered.

Three years later, about 300 returned home by bus just for the day to celebrate Easter in their homeland . . because the area has been reclaimed from IS, which left behind them their signature destruction of homes and churches.

"The town is well protected. Guards are on the rooftops around the church. The military is everywhere checking people going in and out of the village and those who are inside the church or in the vicinity."

Father Jacoub, the organizer of this effort, says "This means a lot to me . . Jesus can come into our hearts and that will comfort us, but coming to their homes is not possible for the people, so that is difficult for many. Of course, the message during the celebration this morning will be about hope, also for people to return.”

Return home

"The first Christian families are returning to their recently liberated villages on the Nineveh Plain . . Without electricity and water but happier than ever, sisters Nidal and Janan are home at last. “We believe in Christ. He will help us through this period. He keeps us strong.”

Mosul, on the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq, was captured by Islamic State back in 2014. Its 60,000 Christians were given the choice to convert, pay an extra tax, or bow to "the sword." Most of them left - as fast as they possibly could, leaving homes and possessions behind, often winding up in refugee camps.

Those sisters mentioned above are happy to come back, but it's not the same place. Click on "Iraq" under Labels for details about the destruction under IS. 

"Father Gabriel warns not to expect things to return to normal now that IS is gone. “The liberation was just step one. The next step should be the protection of Christians. We can’t do that ourselves; we need the help of the rest of the world. Like when Europe in the 20th century needed the help of the world to cast out evil and to liberate and protect people, in the same way this region needs international protection now. IS may have been defeated, IS’s ideas are still very much alive.”

Tree meaning

In 2003 there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. I only found out there were so many when huge numbers started to run from - or be murdered by - Islamic State (for the stories, click on Iraq under Labels to the right). Today there may be about 200,000 left.

The last thing you'd expect to see appear in Iraq right now might be a huge Christmas tree. But there is one, built and paid for by a Muslim business man, costing about $65,000 US.

He "hopes the Christmas tree will help residents in “joining our Christian brothers in their holiday celebrations and helping Iraqis forget their Anguish, especially the war in Mosul.”

My only question is, where did this man get the courage to do it?

Preserver

Back in June of 2014, the city of Mosul, Iraq, fell to Islamic State. Refugee families ran for their lives, many landing 20 miles away in the town of Qaraqosh, where "Father Najeeb" lived. He's a native Iraqi and a Catholic Dominican priest.

Says this journalist, "By the time I met the Dominican friar in 2015, he was a legend—gathering his own resources to rescue hundreds of priceless Christian manuscripts from the hands of ISIS, ferrying scores of leather-bound editions to safety in northern Iraq and beyond, then turning his attention to what he calls the “live leather,” the people made homeless by ISIS."

photo: npr.org

Christianity has a much deeper history in Iraq than most of us knew - til we started to hear of Christians' troubles at the hands of IS. Father Najeeb was born to a Christian family in Mosul, earned his PhD. in Switzerland. He's been digitizing and preserving ancient church documents since before 2007, for a total of 55,000 volumes tucked away in a monastery.

If IS ever finds them, they'll probably go the way of ancient sculpture, art, and books that have been destroyed by those savages in the other cities they've taken.

EU calls it

The European Union has done it - they passed a resolution last Thursday calling the atrocities of Islamic State genocide.

Their resolution is based on the 1948 UN definition of genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group." 

Atrocities which the European Union says qualify under this definition include the killing of thousands, the enslavement and trafficking of women and children, the raping, the forcing of children into armies, the kidnappings:

"[P]ersecution, atrocities and international crimes amount to warcrimes and crimes against humanity;  . . the so-called „ISIS/Daesh‟ is committing genocide against Christians and Yazidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities . . "

The resolution goes further to say that these people have a right to live in their "traditional and historic homeland . . "

For individual stories of IS crimes, click on the labels "Iraq," "Syria," "IS."

Destroyed

"More than 100 churches and monasteries have been razed to the ground . ." around Mosul, Iraq, and surrounding villages. This is what Islamic State (IS) does when it takes control. 

St. Elijah's Monastery was built around 600 A.D., the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq. Now satellite images confirm that it was destroyed in 2014. 

Islamists have have a long history of trying to drive out and/or kill Christians for over a thousand years in the Middle East.  "In 1743, [St. Elijah's] monks were given an ultimatum by Persian forces to convert to Islam. They refused and as many as 150 were massacred."

New school

Since IS started taking territory a little over a year ago, about 2.5 million people have been driven from their homes. They're now called "IDP's", internally displaced persons, with about a quarter of this number being children age 6-17.

photo: servantgroup.org

At Kahnke IDP camp in Iraq, the opening of a school is a rare piece of good news for refugees whose future is just unknown. Iraqi Christian pastor Yousif Matty spoke at the opening of the Shivani Medes School.

“The soldiers fight with guns, but you are fighting with pens and with your mind,” Matty told those gathered for the dedication. In a world of sectarian and religiously driven violence his ministry crosses those lines: There he stood, a Christian Arab addressing Yazidis, Kurds, Muslim officials, and a few Americans . ." at the dedication.

IS taking more

When Islamic State conquered the ancient city of Mosul, Iraq, their videos trumpeted destruction of important works of art. Now they have conquered the city of Palmyra, Syria, and again they destroy. This time it's an ancient temple that's blown up.

They control over half of Syria's territory, and now have also taken the city of Ramadi, Iraq, which has surprised American advisors.

They have so much money that they're planning to buy a nuclear bomb. Pres. Obama promises to send ground troops if that happens.

Memorial Day

Military Appreciation Month was started in 1999 to recognize and thank the military for their service. But Memorial Day is specifically to honor and remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country. "[T]ime and time again brave men and women have been willing to fight for the freedoms we all too often take for granted.

photo: .977  Radio Network

To be even more specific - let's honor those (1335 Americans) who were killed in Ramadi, Anbar Province, Iraq, in 2004-2007. Some people - like parents of the fallen - are acutely aware of the sacrifice, since Ramadi was overtaken by ISIS this month.

While the U.S. State Department thinks it was a major blow to the fight against ISIS, Gen. Dempsey remarked that Ramadi was not that important. The mom of the first Navy Seal to die there put a personal face on it in her letter:

“You, sir, owe an apology to the families whose loved ones’ blood was shed in Ramadi. Ramadi matters to us and is very symbolic to us. You need to apologize to our troops whose bodies were blown to pieces from IEDs and bullet holes leaving parts and pieces behind. Ramadi matters to them. "

But growing

(cont'd)

"Wave after wave of hardship" has hit these Iraqi refugees, but in that Bible study in the crowded apartment (yesterday's post) there are signs of not just survival but life and growth.

"The Bible study covers basic teaching and the group is earnest, unrushed, and everyone contributes. It’s remarkable, considering that some of the families have evangelical backgrounds, while others are from Chaldean or Orthodox churches; some are from the city of Mosul, others from small villages. Some know their Bibles, and some are just learning. "

From the book of Hebrews, their pastor reminds them to "run the race with endurance."He asks "if they are learning in the midst of their suffering and everyone nods, yes. “This thing has made me know God more. I am praying three hours a day,” says one."

Displaced

Last summer and fall, IS was raging through Iraq, destroying homes and churches, monuments, etc. Those people lost much - and are now displaced, some still in Iraq. Hard to believe, but a million people have fled to cities of Iraqi Kurdistan which is only the size of West Virginia.

A two-bedroom apartment is home to two families, twelve people. It is also the site of a Bible study led by pastor Malath Baythoon. So they push back the mattresses and make room for 25 Christians to come together to study the Bible.

"Baythoon’s church is only two years old, and now about 70 percent of his congregation are displaced survivors of the ISIS onslaught. They live everywhere from tents to shopping centers . . . His church gets funds from a church in Indiana to help cover six months’ rent for 41 units . . ."

"What they have in common is a terrifying night flight from militant jihadists with guns, leaving all that they knew and owned behind . . ."

(cont'd tomorrow)

Saving art

Ancient monuments and art of various Middle East cultures has been destroyed and more is in danger. Since governments and the U.N. move slowly, local people have been doing what they can to preserve them.

A large collection of ancient mosaics in the middle of a battle between the Syrian government and rebels is still intact only because locals piled sandbags  around the museum that houses it.

Last summer in Iraq, two Christian monks in "Erbil digitized ancient manuscripts in case Islamists destroyed the originals." One of them, Father Najeeb Michaeel,  told NPR, “. . these books [are] my children.”

Some antiquities are destroyed, some are looted and sold on the black market - yet another source of money for the Islamic State. "Revenue from antiquities looting is becoming a more significant funding stream for ISIS, many Middle East experts believe . . "

"[L]ooting is a major form of employment for those living under ISIS," according to a Boston University archaeologist.

Books too

Destruction of everything that Islamic State doesn't approve of included the ancient sculpture in yesterday's post . . plus 100,000 books and manuscripts at libraries. 

Head of United Nations' UNESCO says it has been “one of the most devastating acts of destruction of library collections in human history.”

She added: “This destruction marks a new phase in the cultural cleansing  . . that seeks to wipe out the cultural diversity that is the soul of the Iraqi people.”

At Mosul University (Iraq), the colleges of law, phy ed, political science, languages, social science, were all closed when Islamic State took over last summer. Their libraries were looted and vandalized. 

What to do with that now empty college space? Easy. "The classrooms of the closed colleges and departments are now the sleeping quarters for Isis fighters, and are used as storage for their weapons cache."

(from theguardian.com, U.S. edition)

ISIS & art

(first of two)

CNN reports something not-to-be-overlooked in Iraq. Yet another crime to lay at the feet of ISIS is its destruction of priceless art.

Drills and hammers were used to ruin museum treasures. According to William Webber of Art Loss Register, some of it looked like plaster breaking apart in this video, but he says it's actually a fragile stone.

Historical sites are also a worry, and the tomb of the biblical prophet Jonah was destroyed last summer.

Why? They are "attacking anything that's pre-Islamic or that they don't agree with in Shia areas or in Christian churches," says Webber.