Can remodeling a church bring peoples' lives back?

               Iraqi Christians are celebrating the re-opening ceremony for Lady of Salvation Church. It has been two years since the church had been attacked by extreme Islamic group. Today, the church is remodeled and reopened to the public. But, where are those families and people who were there in that Sunday evening mass? Can remodeling a church bring them back?

              Yes, the church looks wonderful from inside and outside. But, what about the bloodshed was there everywhere? They had been killed with cold blood. Families and two priests will never be back again. Remodeling the church will not bring them back again. Are we trying to remove what had happened there? Are we trying to erase the tragedy there? Blood had been spilled in the church. Walls had been marked with holes from shooting guns. Floors had been swimming with blood. Windows had been broken and damaged. The altar of the church had been profaned. Can remodeling the church bring the peoples’ lives back?

              It is a tragedy in the history of Iraqi Christians. Nothing has changed in the “New Iraq”. Many of Iraqi Christians are leaving Iraq since 2003 seeking for peace and security for them. We are the new immigrants, here, outside our homeland. I miss my homeland and our house. Can you imagine being away from your land and house? Can you? 

Click on the link below to see the re-opening ceremony for Lady of Salvation Church.

http://www.ankawa.com/forum/index.php/topic,630563.msg5858973.html#msg5858973

The Influence of the English language

             It has been a long time since my last post-from last November-I have been taking some English classes this summer and I did well. But still I need to improve my English skills. The English language is very wide and sometimes it has no rules just practice. It is very important to speak and to write English language in a professional way. The English language is the only way to communicate with people who speak English. It is an international language. The English language is the number one language around the globe. If you speak and write English well, then you don’t have to worry to translate your thoughts and ideas and deliver them in a correct way to people.

           Any language is a powerful tool.  The English language has an influence in U.S. itself between American people, not just among immigrants or other foreigners. It describes your personality as a professional person; people consider you and take you seriously. Otherwise, people will say “Oh, he/she doesn't speak English well,” because he/she is immigrant and they look at you as a stupid person. In fact, you are not stupid at all, but the whole issue is you can’t speak English well. You can’t deliver your opinion or thoughts. You can’t communicate with others. You can’t take a job. You can’t pursue your dreams. You can’t study in their schools and colleges. You can’t go forward. You can’t achieve what you want.  From my experience here, for more than year and a half, when I spoke English with other people, sometimes I stopped a little bit to think about a word I want to say, or a thought I want to bring up. Another time, I try to write an email to apply for some jobs. I try my best to edit the email and re-write it several times to put it in a professional form. I will not deny that I struggled many times. I reached a point that almost I couldn’t do it anymore. But I kept trying many times. I have to say it has not been easy for me, but nothing comes easy in our life. If you don’t speak English very well you can’t communicate with people, or go outside taking the bus, shopping and buying food. Definitely, you are a prisoner in your house. You can’t do the simple basic stuff in life. It is always useful to have great skills in another language in general and especially in English.

            I wish I had learned and spoken English earlier in my life. I wish that our educational system were better in my country, Iraq. I had studied English from school, but that was an old-fashioned way. The new generation needs a better way to learn English. Not just as a book we need to read and finish it by the end of the studying year, but learn new words as much as we can. Instead of talking Arabic with the teacher in the English class, we should practice and communicate with the teacher in the English language. We need libraries, both locals libraries and Schools libraries. We need new structure in our teaching system. We need more than one English book in our studying year. As Iraqis we weren’t raised to have books, different kinds of books and especially English books in our hands. We are so disconnected from our world. This heavy heritage has reflected in a bad way in my life. Everything, here in the United State of America is about reading and studying, every little thing. Is it my fault I have been born and raised in Iraq? Is it my fault that I didn’t have enough English books to read? Should I blame my country? Or should I blame my past life?

              

             At the end of the day, I think, I should put more effort to read and to write English. It is never too late. I will not give up trying my best to speak and to write in a professional way. I accept this challenge with English language. I have another course to take this winter. It will be difficult. Please, wish me a good luck. I will keep you up-dated with my news.

Note: My blog website changes to http://easternliberty.blogspot.com/

The Hope Never Die...

Hello my folks... It's great to write to you again after a long absence, I have been busy in this life & now I'm trying to find a job! Finding a job here is like finding the heaven, sometimes I lose the hope other times I keep looking for jobs & wondering is it because I'm Iraqi? Or is it the same case to anyone else who is not Iraqi live in U.S?


I'm not focusing only about my career as an engineer but I'm looking for other small jobs like admin assistance office, well as Iraqi person I feel not very proud to look for a small jobs like that but sometimes we need to swallow our pride, Yes I know it is hard; hard for me to think about it but small steps can lead to big one in life specially when someone like me trying to figure it out here far away from my country, trying to involve the society & American community, being in touch with people & bring some little money to help us as a new couple & I really hate sitting at home doing nothing, I try to keep myself busy sometimes reading & sometimes doing some craft stuff or cooking because I don't want my brain dies.

There is some hope & light every where in this world.

It is nice & great being here; peaceful area in a world but I had a job in Iraq I was busy to a point, it is funny that I have so much time now & ask myself "what should I do to keep myself busy?"

When you are busy you try to find a free time for yourself but when you have lots of time you search for something to keep yourself busy, huh!
Or I'm a rush person who wants things be done as soon as possible, I don't know really...

I walk every day, I go to some coffee shop have a hot coffee specially these chilly days here, stopping by library reading some books, doing some shopping, but I didn't make friends till now, I guess this is the hard part here, everyone has his own life & it keeps him busy, well this is what I think.

Oh by the way, I celebrated Halloween; it was really fun with all kids at doors ringing the door's bell every 10 minutes asking "Trick or Treat?" & we gave them candies which kids liked them so much, It is good to know about other people's culture & traditions, from my point of view it make you think wider than what you were & think "outside the box"!

Few weeks & we will celebrate the "Thanksgiving" & it is big in U.S. wish you all happy holydays & GOD bless you all....

Muslim women flout French ban of veil after court fined two women

“When a woman wants to maintain her freedom, she must be bold,” Drider told The Associated Press in an interview.


http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/09/22/168202.html

Check out this link & tell me what do you think?

What Does We Want As Women?

On sunny lovely day, we had decided to eat outside the house, enjoying the weather, so we had gone to a beautiful big park, lots of green area, just like a rug under our feet, the smell amazing, the sun light reflected on the grass, given it a wonderful picture, when you have this composition you never feel bored, it is nature!

But, that wasn't all about, the park has a Soccer field, Tennis field, Bicycle’s race area, kids play yard, Basketball, Garden area that you can plant in, Dogs area so they can hang out with their people besides some food places like “take away” & bathrooms. While we had arrived there, we had noticed there was a soccer game, as Iraqi person I always like soccer, so we had decided to be close to soccer field & enjoy watching the game & the food together, as soon as looking to the players I had realized there were women with men playing together! Yes, playing together, as I know there is only a men team, or only women team, But seeing both women & men, that's really new for me to watch.

The point of this, even in the sports, just like soccer, it is equal, women & men as a team playing together, wearing short shorts with sport shoes; hitting the ball, that's what we need equality, & by the way those women were moms, Yes, & they brought their kids & babies to the field no wonder, it is like a family time & why not, let the people enjoy their life, can a women in middle east play soccer with men as one team like this in public parks?

What should we do? What we want as women? Being housewives, sitting at home, doing the daily housework nothing else or involve in the society, being active, play a roll in some part of the life, being a leader & Yes, why not?
Why we let the negative power controlling us? Why we let those ignoring people taking our life away, our moments, our abilities, our creativity.

Being a follower or being a leader?
Being equal or being second place?
They can’t control you, they can’t control me, we can’t control them, but we can control our lives by ourselves, planning & deciding what we want to be.

I think the first question that every woman should ask herself first, what I want to do in my life?

A New Chapter...

Hello People...

I have been away from posting for a while, getting busy with my new life, I got married to a wonderful man, after a hard path & lots of obstacles from small to big ones, it wasn't easy to reach this point, it took lots of effort from both of us, starting from visa issue, travelling, starting a new life here in U.S. & we already knew it would not be easy but we didn't think it would be as difficult as it was, there were times we were frustrated & wanted to give up, but our love is powerful and finally we made it!

What I've observed from living here is that the west life is completely different from our life in Iraq, there are some common things of course like family, reputation but it is not that as important like in our culture. Life here is filled with alot of details & sometimes I stand & think about myself feeling stupid, but it is not my fault that I came from Iraq were the electricity still comes and goes (which mean lots of hours in the dark) and everything is debit/credit card where Iraq is all cash; there are lots of machines, often you deal more with them than with people, renting movies, buying stuff from the grocery store, getting books at the library-all of this can be done by machine. Don't get me wrong folks I'm not complaining about technology here, I'm just comparing, a person who has lived a basic life in Iraq, I am amazed at the details here, even with the washing machine, everything has lots of details, even when we walk down the street we should take the right side of the road, its lots of information and I must admit I struggled here in the beginning with the language & with this amount of details and even the laws, if you break them you pay a fine or go to jail, but the cities for the most part are safe, where I live is very safe, I could walk the street at night by myself at night and be perfectly safe-I'd like to see any woman do that in Iraq! Everything has a value here, they appreciate everything, there's a quality of life here that we don't know in Iraq and it makes you realize the difference between existing and living.

Sunny day in Iraq

 went to a movie theater for the first time in my life, Yes, it was a first time, I have never been in a movie theater before, and it was very cool. For the first time I have a library card, I went to a public library here, where are our libraries in Iraq? There was an okay library in my college in Iraq, but I didn't notice a good public library I visited one a long time ago to look for a book, it was very neglected, smelled bad, the building was old, dust all over the books & everywhere, no one really cared.


While I'm here now, feeling very safe, & when I walk, feeling very happy, Yes, I keep my eyes open, but I know there is nothing to worry about, my worries have changed now, I've began a new chapter in my life, with my husband, and I am looking forward to our family and continuing my career where a woman can achieve as well as a man.

Is There A Place For Women's Rights In New Middle-East?

It has been a long time since I post, many events have been happened since my last post, the events that happened in middle-east one by one, Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain & Jordan, kept us staring at T.V . To see what is going in meddle-east as long as nothing to do in Iraq, just watching T.V. for most of our time like I say "killing the time".

It is like a wake up call for middle-east countries from the poverty, from the hard life, from the no jobs, from the corruption, disease, pollution, from people who are dying every day, simply because there had nothing to survive for, children out from school, trying to get some of money by buying candy or gum in the streets, or near traffic area, playing with garbage stuff instead of playing with toys, playing in garbage area instead of playing in park, or play yard, women stuck at home, unless if they have work because that will be a blessing for them to get out from the house even for just one time in a day, or live their days in home for cooking, cleaning, & waiting for the husband & nothing more.

But from other side, I think it will be bad for women, because of extremist religious groups, those who will take the role in government, & fighting against women’s rights more than the systems dictatorship, & that what happened in Iraq & Afghanistan.

I'm not saying that the dictatorship regime is the best, NO, but if women were having 5% from their rights or freedom, now they will have 1% or even zero from their rights, or freedom, from my experience as Iraqi, & Eastern woman, I can tell the difference before Saddam's regime & after Saddam's regime, But I would never ever say Saddam's regime was good, he was the worst leader in history, but, women at that time had the chance to get a little freedom, like wearing jeans, skirts even the short one, having a swimming pool day, but all that away from political field, away from playing a role in government because the regime at that time was represented by Saddam only, what happened after 2003, or in new Iraq, women are more involved in government, elections, & able to have a voice, but can't have that right in streets, for a young Christian woman like me, I have to be 100 times careful of what I'm wearing, than Muslims women, looking around me when I woke in streets, open my eyes, if anyone can watch me or chase me, because I don't put Hijab, or my hair is not covered, because in Iraq now most women are covered hair like 75% if not 80% at least, so, people will know the women who aren't covered hair are Christians or Kurdish like in North of Iraq, because many Kurdish women are not wearing Hijab, So, I have to be very careful, of course it is not easy, but every time when I hear something bad happened to Christians families I thank GOD that I'm still alive & reached home safely, even when we attended a mass in Sunday or attended a special occasion like Christmas or Easter, we have that fears inside but we are determined to go & attended the mass & praying for peace especially in Iraq & in middle-east generally.

Speaking back about women rights, can a woman today in Iraq, for example, putting headphone & walking in street? Or can she wearing a little short skirt & walking in street? -by the way, many people believing that clothes reflect their morals!- Can a woman being a mayor in one of our cities in Iraq? Or Can a woman being a Judge in our courts? Did we see a woman taking one ministry in new Iraq excepting the ministry of women?

And extremist religious groups taking a huge place in Iraq now, but what the Iraqis really need, what the women need, do we need a civil government or we will copy Iran's regime in the varied Iraq, or we already copied the Iran's version???

When The People Spoke....

While Iraq was celebrating for winning 1-0 against E.U. in the Asia Cup, the people of Tunisia were celebrating their freedom. I must say they are brave, facing death. Freedom is expenisve and many Tunisians sacrificed their lives for their people’s future, for a better life, what began with asking for bread ended with their dictator fleeing, and now they are breathing the freedom. They showed great unity even though there are some groups who want to ruin the country during the absence of government, but the army has been supporting the people, & people supporting each other. The Tunisian people are looking forward to making their country better, a better government, they showed the whole world, east & west, that when people speak together they can make a difference, affect real change. I think they are better than us, at least I see they have unity between them, they are more educated than us, more understanding what democracy means, they created their democracy, look to the Egypt, Algeria, Jorden, Palestine, their people got the spark from Tunisian people and hopefully it will spread to other areas. Dictators should be trembling this day.

Congratulation Tunisia you are liberated!

 

أذا الشعب يوما" اراد الحياة        فلابد ان يستجيب القدر

ولابد لليل ان ينجـــــــــلي         ولابد للقيد ان ينكســـــر

Iraq Is Losing Variety.

This video shows the reality for what is going on for Iraqi Christians life.

Iraqis Wishes In 2011

Happy New Year for our readers, may this year be filled with joy & happiness & success & showering us all with peace, as we need it as much as our daily food!

Everyone has many wishes for 2011, but Iraqis wish for peace, safety, good jobs, better electricity, health care, good roads, educational programs, theaters...well, the list goes on and on.

I was watching one of the Iraqi channels two days ago, they asked people about their wishes for the new year; I can say most of them wished for safety, they give up their personal wishes & dreams just for this, how sad!

Our wishes are our simples rights, basic issues, Iraq is now making billions of dollars but the country is going backwards more & more.

Iraqis voted for a new government in 2010 that took 8 months to finally resolve, and its hardly a new government at all.  Will these same people finally make real progress for the Iraqi people?  We can only hope, but as is known in the west, hope is not a plan.  But it is sometimes the only thing we Iraqis have had.

Christmas In Iraq.

Merry Christmas!

Every hope, every dream, every eye looks towards king of peace...

The essential message for Christmas; is not about decoration trees, or lights, it is not about santa claus, it is not about some sweets, it is about submitting Jesus Christ's message, telling us every year how we should forgiving, loving, sharing good & bad times with each one of us, how we should act like Jesus Christ, as a humble child; the child of peace; the child of love so, happy birthday Jesus Christ, today is a savior's day.

Many people has attened Christmas ceremonies with a good protection from government, churchs were surrounded by police men with their cars, from 2 sides & from behind too, that was a good sign for us to attened our holy mass to the end, women & children dressing santa claus clothes.

People were praying for peace into Iraq  & for love, & for a happy holydays, not just for Iraq but for all people through the world, from north to south ,from east to west.

Christmas ceremonies went well through amid of threats...

Barren Land.

Place  : Baghdad
Year : 1950

A Fashion Show At Iraqi House Fashion 1950.

Iraqi House Fashion, Is Still There?

This is one of the Iraqi House Fashion Show in 1950!
Yes, 1950, when women were abler to attend a fashion show as you see from the picture, most of the audience were women, this is a picture of a healthy country, when Iraqis were searching for sence of beauty, life & modernity.

At first look to this picture I didn't believe my eyes But , I felt sorrow how things are going on Iraq today, very frustrated with what's going here, Especially with women rights.

Let's go back live this black & white picture when Iraq was under kingdom regime, when the life was simple & when women were practicing their rights even for little part, apparently, they were practicing their right, & I can tell, when Iraq reached 1970 women had lived their golden time.

Where is the Iraqi house Fashion today? where are these shows? Can a woman attending such these places?



Iraqi House Fashion, But not anymore!

 Where are those designers for fashion clothes? where are women rights???

Where is the women's voice in new Iraq?

Where is the new Iraq? Where is the FREEDOM & the DEMOCRACY???

Where is the glory of our culture?

I think our new government had buried everything related to the beauty & arts,just like their way to close theaters & night clubs, what else do you want to close?

Do you want to close people's life? Do you want to keep us in prisons? & beat & kill women, because you feel they don't deserve life?

Day by day, Iraq becomes a "barren land", though there is rain, but no life anymore!!!

Christians Blood Is Flowing.

Victims of the last attack on Christians in Iraq were two brothers killed in a garage in Mosul.   They did not live in a particularly safe area of the city and wanted to move but could not afford to do so.  Now another Christian family destroyed, one of the brother's leaving behind a wife and two kids in high school, and now this family has two less men to protect and provide for them.

Christians now are divided, some are planing to leave, some wanting to stay & some moving to Kurdistan region, especially when Mr.Talabani suggested " Kurdistan is opened for Christians", of course that encourage Christians to move there.

I read in the news that Kurdistan will set up a new committe for Christians to look after their needs & offer for them a new residence & maybe new villages in Kurdistan region.

But, however, that will not solve the main problem, in my opinion, if all Christians will localize in North of Iraq, then the other area will be empty from Christians, so that means Iraq will divided to Shia in south of Iraq, Sunni in middle, Kurds, Christians & other minorities in north of Iraq, & when Iraq's divided to 3 parts, will get weak country, it is not like one unit.

Are the reasons of attacking Christians; political one more than religious one? or it is both of them?

Iraqi Markets & Iraq Through Investor's Eyes.

After 2003 Iraqi markets has changed & increased, I can tell there is a great skip between now & before 2003, When Iraq was under Saddam's regime,we had few numbers of markets; goods & food were expensive, many people were living with limited income, & imagine how much was the salary for employee? 3000 Iraqi Dinar, (on Saddam's regime, when 1 Kilo of meat was 1800 Iraqi Dinar)!!! very little for a family who has one income coming from father or husband, I remember very well, we had a flour with pieces of wood in it, Iraq has lots of money from oil while the people were hungry.


We were living "from hand to mouth", we couldn't buy fruits, or milk, or new clothes; only the rich people & Saddam's followers were living well, many people forced to buy secondhand clothes which they were used from other countries & been send to Iraq( till now we have many people getting these kind of clothes), we were tailored our clothes, which was a blessing at that time!

But after 2003, I can tell many families get a better salary, & women involved in job's field supporting her family too, markets spread, Iraqi markets has revived after a bad & hard time for most Iraqis during 1991 - 2003, internet & cell phones has reached to people & many goods has entered markets, but it's missing for good quality, some are fake goods, cheap one.

I was in markets before 2 couple days ago, & I noticed how markets filled with people & I immediately went backwards with my thoughts before 2003, when our "hearts set on" things at markets as we say, but we couldn't buy them & we should not forget that Iraq's market is opened after 2003; for many countries, & starting to deal a traded bargain for investment in Iraq, this is another good step but that will not happen unless Iraq is submitted securty so can foreign companies to invested here.

We have recieved a fill report about Iraq Through Investors’ Eyes, from one of our readers, we are thankful to her.

Perspectives on risks and rewards.

Here are some parts of the report:-

{ Investment in Iraq has been a topic that has polarised opinion over the last seven years. Discussion ranges from dramatic exhortations of the lucrative opportunities available—in a country endowed with sizeable oil, water and human resources—and expressions of extreme caution because of the security and political risks that muddy the business environment.

Iraq Through Investors’ Eyes is an Economist Intelligence Unit report that takes the debate deeper.
It lays out in detail the more nuanced views of investors that are already operating in Iraq and dealing with the realities of doing business on the ground, as well as the perceptions of others that are either weighing their options or have decided not to invest for the time being. The findings and views expressed in this report are the responsibility of the Economist Intelligence Unit, which conducted this research independently. Ali al-Saffar and Justin Alexander were the authors of the report, and Jane Kinninmont was the editor.

This is a background paper for Economist Conferences’ Iraq Business and Investment Summit, September 29th 2010, an event sponsored by the Trade Bank of Iraq, Gulf Air and Danagas.

September 2010}


{ Investor opinion about Iraq is divided…: Although 49% of respondents judge that “the ongoing
violence means doing business in Iraq will remain too risky for some time”, one-third see Iraq as “a
country with significant opportunities for those who are willing to accept risks in the short term” and
28% as “a fledgling democracy with a long-term political and economic future.”
l …but improving: Just over half – 51% - said their perceptions of Iraq as a place to do business had improved in the past two years, compared with 12% who said it had got worse }.


{ Violence, corruption and poor infrastructure are the main business risks: The top three risks are
violence, (69%), corruption (45%) and shortages of infrastructure (38%). The next three are credit
risk, bureaucracy, and a lack of contract protection }.

{ “Iraq is a difficult place to do no business. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s undergoing three simultaneous transitions: from conflict to postconflict; from a centralised economy to a free market; and from the strictest sanctions ever imposed to free trade.”

Zaab Sethna, Northern Gulf,Partners.}

A little Of Support.

Iraqi Christians who attacked in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad had arrived France n 11/8, with one muslim guard & the French Immigration Minister Eric Besson welcomed them...
You can read more by this link:

http://www.france24.com/en/20101109-iraqi-christians-hurt-baghdad-church-attack-arrive-france-hospital-besson#comments

A good step from France to help Iraqi Christians, & they will offer for them a job & they will have right for asylum after 6 months, I believe they will do after the massacre, & I heard in the news that France will recieve around 150 Iraqi Christians as refugees; pray for them; pray for Christians in Middle-East.

Pray for all people to have a peaceful life.

Angels In Heaven.

Yes, we forgive but never forget what happened in Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad.

We will not forget this date 31/10/2010, the date of massacre.

Peace, Peace Then Peace....

After this picture I don't have any word to tell, really I don't have, my eyes filled with tears...
I feel that, they were my family, I feel I lost them in this barbarian crime at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad, I can't find any word to say...

We are calling for peace, we are calling for love into our land...

Why,Why & Why????????????????

Ring The Bells.

After the horrific tragedy of the church massacre in Baghdad, many Christians are asking, what's next? What can they do?


Many believe they should leave Iraq. But where would they go? Leaving is not easy!. They have homes, have a way of life in Iraq. Moving to another country is expensive, you sell your house, lose your culture, your heritage, everything left behind for a fresh start, yes, if you can get a visa, if you can get asylum, but what's out there for us? The whole world reels from the past two years of economic nightmare. Should the Christians expect compassion and welcome without offering something in return? Does the west owe them this, because of charity? Because they are predominately Christian too? Does this not divide the world even further along cultural/religious lines? And what about the elderly, the sick? What about the poor? Will they be welcome in western countries of peace? What if they are a burden on those countries, is that fair to them?

Christians can't just turn the page. It is becoming more and more apparent there are two paths for this people who have inhabited Iraq for the past 1500 years, and really even longer than that before they became Christian. It's either leave their homes and past for a fearful future or face what is becoming inevitable, a horrible, premature death. Not much of a choice, is it?

There were once Jews in Iraq-many people don't know that. Over 120,000 prior to 1948. They fled to Israel in the 1950's when they too were targeted by bloody violence, and as they left, they spoke to the Christians of Iraq: "Today is our day for leaving Iraq, and one day you will be forced to leave your homes too." Today there are less than 10 Jews in all of Iraq. Before the Iraq war of 2003 (Iraq has had war for over 30 years) there were an estimated 800,000-1 million Christians in Iraq. Today the UN estimates there are perhaps half that, with the rest having fled to Syria and other nations as refugees.

My prayers for the families of all those killed. Christian and Muslim alike, the victims and the security forces who lost their lives trying to save them.

Ring the bells for the fallen; ring the bells for those murdered children and women and their fathers and brothers and husbands; ring the bells for their lost hopes and dreams; ring the bells for peace in Iraq; ring the bells for all the Iraqi people who have needlessly bled and died every day for decades.

I'm filled with emotions. I am out of words...

I will finish with some sad pictures taken by a priest from inside the Church that were posted on Ankawa.com .

What Is A Life Without Sun?

"While I was trying to find my way out, in the dark, I walked over bodies. There are many bodies there." -Christian woman, a hostage of terror.

On Sunday, Halloween for the west, Our Lady of Salvation Church, one of the largest churches in Baghdad was attacked by bloodthirsty terrorists. The US and Iraqi security forces attempted a rescue after a standoff of hours, and 52 people were killed with 60 plus wounded, many of them women and children. The murdered victims included 2 priests and several Iraqi security forces.

2 Priests who killed in the attack (Pictures from Ankawa.com)

Pictures from Ankawa.com



Pictures from Ankawa.com



Pictures from Ankawa.com

You can read more about it from this link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_iraq;_ylt=AqvWhd37EG3Q0dXhpgxDMm2ROrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTJsMzM1ZmkxBGFzc2V0Ay9zL2FwL21sX2lyYXEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNpcmFxaWNocmlzdGk-

What message did these cowards want to deliver? What do they want from Christians? To kill them all, to force them to leave their own country? I will point out that Christians have lived in Iraq as far back as the 500's AD. is it just that Christians are easy targets? Because we don't have a militia, we don't have our private security force, that all we want is peace and love? These terrorists were Muslim, but I ask you-does such an attack really serve Allah? Does such a vicious crime reflect Islam?

Iraqi Christians want nothing more than to live side by side with Muslims, after all we're all just people.
In my community we have Muslim neighbors & we share their events, and they share ours, both the happy and sad, we exchange food at our holydays, or special occasions, each family helps to clean our street. We get along just fine. Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and the people are Iraq’s mosaic. But to live in fear is to live under darkness. What good is that? What is a life without the sun?

I heard a speech from the archbishop speaking to BBC Arabic a month ago, saying that “Middle East without Christians is like Middle East without sun” then he added “Or like a garden without flowers”!

He was answering about what will happen if all Christians leave the east, and I pray for not having that day ever, but if their holy places, their places for peaceful worship are targeted for attacks, how can the Christians stay? Can we blame them for wanting to leave? Flowers want to live, not be trampled upon. And I must confess, the sun shines much kinder in other places of the world for Christians than here in Iraq now. Better to leave on their own and set new roots than be ripped from the earth and tossed on the garbage heap. The end message of the Bishop's speech was one of love and peace, and I believe many people, many religions, all the colors of the world long for such things. Most of us want to just live our lives in peace and happiness. It is the poisonous weeds in the flowerbeds that are choking us to death.

Pope Benedict XVI denounced the "ferocious" attack on Monday and called for renewed international efforts to broker peace in the region.

I mourn for those people lost for no reason at all. I mourn for those sweet flowers, and I pray that we may come away with some good from such a horrific tragedy.

The sun still shines. But today I feel no warmth. None at all.

Jesus Christ said "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" Matthew 5:11 & 5:12

My Little Angel.

What do you think if we have a children's world?


Well, it sounds like a crazy idea, but the fact that no one can deny that we have a little child inside ourselves, sometimes we just want to act like child, or to forget the whole adult world & just to be like child, to have the innocence of children, sincerity & enjoy the peaceful soul inside ourselves.

When I look to children I feel the peace, & feel happy inside myself, & immediately drawing a smile on my face...,
But, where is the childhood for our Iraqi children???

Children afflicted with diseases like cancer , many are suffering from bad healthcare, no good food to feed them, no good environment so they can play in & some are out off schools, some are working ...

Who is speaking for these angels? who is fighting for their rights? how many NGO have for them to support them???

Besides the absences of fun places to our children, but the war & daily events that Iraq has going through is enough to destroyed the beautiful part of human's time "the childhood".

Yesterday, I went into deep thinking about a kid who half of his face deformed I don't know if this was from incident or explosion but, whatever was, I prayed for him many times, I pray for all these angels...


Are they guilty for the wars? Are they responsible for no securty in our country?
They are victims of those who are fighting to get the richest's seat in the government!!!


Jesus Christ said about children " let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of GOD belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, any one who will not receive the kingdom of GOD like a little child will never enter it."