continued from Stories from Baghdad

For the majority of the world, when mentioning the Christians of Iraq, people look at you in bewilderment as if there is no such thing. Iraq is one of the few countries in Arab world with a large minority of Christians coming from different ethnicities, congregations and religious backgrounds. Its Christian heritage dates back to the time of Christ and it includes the Kalians, Armenians, Aramians and Assyrians belonging to the Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Prespitarian and Anglican Churches throughout Iraq. Many of which have retained their linguistic, cultural as well as religious practices within their homes and outside. They often live in inter mixed communities thus finding anything from two to four different churches in one single community. Today, the 100,000 Christians, the majority of whom are Kalianians live in bewilderment of their situation in Post-Saddam period. As security, chaos, pillaging and assassinations become the story of everyday Iraqis, most of these communities live in constant dread and fear of tomorrow. Trust, even though always a problem, today have become a daily struggle for the majority, who live in fear of their friends and neighbours, who unfortunately with the extreme economical hardship is subject for treachery if not within their communities, perhaps outside. Speaking to different people, fear of a bloody civil war is un heard of, especially, if manipulation and meddling by “outsiders