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NCC Deplores Recent Attacks on Iraq's Churches
August 3,
2004, NEW YORK CITY --
One of the less-reported consequences of the
Iraq war is the new insecurity faced by Iraq's houses of worship,
including those of 800,000 Christians. For centuries Christian believers
in Iraq have been able to worship openly and freely within that majority
Muslim culture. Their congregations reflect a variety of Christian
traditions, ranging from Chaldean Catholic to Orthodox to Presbyterian. A
recent wave of violence against these churches has brought words of shock
from observers, including NCC General Secretary Bob Edgar, who issued the
following statement:
"The National Council of
Churches USA laments the attacks on the Christian communities in Baghdad.
These communities trace their heritage in Iraq two thousand years, and
during much of that time both they and their Muslim neighbors have lived
peacefully side-by-side. This destructive action taken against the
churches by extremists betrays that history of coexistence. We join our
Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters of goodwill in Iraq and around
the world in condemning this violence."
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