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Christians targetted in violent chaos.


Baghdad -- Daily reports of violence in Iraq focus chiefly on the war between Sunni and Shiite Muslim Noun 1. Shiite Muslim - a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs
Shi'ite, Shi'ite Muslim, Shia Muslim, Shiite
 factions. Iraqi Christians, meanwhile, continue to suffer grievously griev·ous  
adj.
1. Causing grief, pain, or anguish: a grievous loss.

2. Serious or dire; grave: a grievous crime.
, often caught in the crossfire A multi-GPU interface from ATI for connecting two ATI display adapters together for faster graphics rendering on one monitor. CrossFire machines require PCI Express slots, a CrossFire-enabled motherboard and, depending on which models are used, either a pair of ATI Radeon adapters or one  and more recently, deliberately targetted in kidnapping kidnapping, in law, the taking away of a person by force, threat, or deceit, with intent to cause him to be detained against his will. Kidnapping may be done for ransom or for political or other purposes.  and in the bombing of churches. (See C.I., Oct. 2006, p. 21-22.)

More than 35,000 Iraqi Christians have fled to Syria alone, where they are not allowed to get jobs, but must wait in the hope of pursuing their lives somewhere else (Jerusalem Post, online, Oct. 12, 2006). Others say that the figures are at least 60,000 Christians in Syria and 40,000 in Jordan; additionally, thousands of families are being sheltered by Caritas in Turkey (Zenit, Nov. 30, 2006). Bishop Andreas Abouna of Baghdad, estimating that almost 75% of all Christians have left, says that those who remain are now isolated and even more vulnerable (Tablet, Aug. 12, 2006).

Also, during the latter half of 2006, three priests were kidnapped Kidnapped

caught in the intrigues of Scottish factions, David Balfour and Alan Breck are shipwrecked, escape from the king’s soldiers, and undergo great dangers. [Br. Lit.: R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped]

See : Adventurousness
 in the Baghdad area. Chaldean Father Hanna Saad Sirop was snatched at gunpoint on August 15 after celebrating the Mass of the Assumption for his parishioners. He was released unharmed in early September. Very different was the outcome for Syrian Orthodox priest, Father Paulos Iskander, kidnapped near Mosul, on October 9. While his church posted advertisements distancing themselves from Pope Benedict's so-called controversial Regensburg address, on the demand of the kidnappers, his family scrambled to collect the ransom money ($350,000) for his release. On October 11 the priest's decapitated de·cap·i·tate  
tr.v. de·cap·i·tat·ed, de·cap·i·tat·ing, de·cap·i·tates
To cut off the head of; behead.



[Late Latin d
 body was found in a city neighbourhood (Zenit, Oct. 18, 2006).

The latest victim may be Chaldean priest Father Douglas, Al Bazi who disappeared on Sunday November 19; nothing has been heard of him since. Earlier in 2006 he was wounded in one of two attacks on his Baghdad church.

Total casualties in the three years of the American-initiated war in Iraq is estimated by some to be 655,000 lives (Tor. Star, Oct. 12, 2006). Sunnis and Shiites are even changing their names or license plates depending on the area where they live or travel (New York New York, state, United States
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of
 Times, Sept. 2006). In November a UN report stated that 100,000 Iraqis flee the country every month (Reuters, Nov. 23).
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Publication:Catholic Insight
Date:Jan 1, 2007
Words:370
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