In Iraq's Biblical lands, scattered Christians ask 'should I stay or go?'

Disir

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Sep 30, 2011
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MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.

I love the Lebanese too. I spent a lot of time there and many of my classmates went to AUB or ACS.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.

I love the Lebanese too. I spent a lot of time there and many of my classmates went to AUB or ACS.
Absolutely wonderful people.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.

I love the Lebanese too. I spent a lot of time there and many of my classmates went to AUB or ACS.
Absolutely wonderful people.

I agree. Lebanon has really suffered because their demographics were turned upside down.
 
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A jihadist message, “Islamic State endures”, is still graffitied on the front gate of Thanoun Yahya, an Iraqi Christian from the northern city of Mosul, scrawled by Islamist militants who occupied his home for three years when they ruled the city.


He refuses to remove it, partly in defiance of the militants who were eventually beaten by Iraqi forces, but also as a reminder that Iraq’s scattered and dwindling Christian community still lives a precarious existence.

“They’re gone, they can’t hurt us,” said the 59-year-old, sitting in his home which he reclaimed when Islamic State was driven out in 2017. “But there aren’t many of us left. The younger generation want to leave.”

The reality is that they can't rely on outside forces to protect them.

Before Bush's invasion there were over 50 churches in Baghdad alone.
It's much easier to burn a Church when it's conveniently located.

Its seems to me that this concern is farce. Americans have never cared a fig about Arab Christians in Palestine, Iran or Iraq.
A lot of my friends in Israel love the Lebanese Christians who escaped to Israel when Araphart invaded.

I love the Lebanese too. I spent a lot of time there and many of my classmates went to AUB or ACS.
Absolutely wonderful people.

I agree. Lebanon has really suffered because their demographics were turned upside down.
 

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