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The missionaries who proselytize Iraqi Moslems are not only
endangering the convert's life also that of the Assyrians including
Chaldeans and Syriacs who became christians ind the first or
2nd century A.D.. Because of their Christianity they have suffered
not only social, political, and economic oppression also have
been repeatedly massacred. The last major massacre of the Assyrians
was by the Turks, Kurds and Persians during world war one. By
some estimate 750,000 or 2/3 of the Assyrian population was murdered
or forced into Islam. It was followed by another massacre known
as Semail in 1933 in northern Iraq. Such consideration
seem not to be of concern to the missionaries.
Converts to Christianity Ostracised
By Society and Family
June 30, 05
By Ayyub Kareem
North Iraq -- The small but growing number of Kurds who convert
to Christianity say they face discrimination and intolerance
from the Muslim majority.
Kurdish Christians -- still a tiny minority - say they find
it difficult to practice their religion because of public intolerance.
Muslims in the region counter that it is wrong for Christians
to proselytise among other faith groups.
The converts are joining new, western-style Christian groups
which started growing after the fall of Saddam Hussein, rather
than the long-established Christian communities such as the Assyrians
and Chaldeans, who do not seek new members from Muslim backgrounds.
Majid Rashid Muhammed, a member of the Kurdish Christian Church
Committee, said his church has gained at least 200 members in
the last few months, bringing its congregation to more than 700.
"The rate at which people are joining our church is continually
increasing, and most of them are young people," he said.
The Kurdish Christian Church, with branches in the three main
cities of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, has received financial
and other support from Christian organisations in the United
States..
"As fellow-believers, the Americans strongly urge us
to adhere to the Christian faith," said Muhammed.
Many Muslims object to the new churches seeking to win over
converts from the Islamic faith. Those who make the decision
to become Christian may be shunned -- even by relatives.
A 20-year-old man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
no one in his family knew that he had turned to Christianity.
"I'll try to keep it a secret because our community is a
Muslim one," he added.
Sirwan Abdul-Rahman, a member of the Kurdish Christian Church
Committee from Erbil, said his relatives looked down on him after
he converted to Christianity several years ago.
Abdul-Rahman has also got into trouble for preaching his religion
to other Kurds. He said he's been arrested so often for carrying
a Bible "that I've got used to it".
On a proselytising mission in the mountainous area of Qandeel,
he was recognised as a Christian convert by a driver. "He
started to insult me," said Abdul-Rahman. "He spat
on me, beat me with his pistol and punched me in the mouth."
The Kurdistan Islamic League has issued a statement addressed
to Christian groups and churches saying it is a "strange
and terrible act" and an "unhealthy phenomenon"
for a Muslim to convert.
"This phenomenon will eventually lead to a feud in Kurdistan,"
said Osman Ali, a member of the Islamic league's Sulaimaniyah
branch.
The region's religious affairs minister, Muhammed Ahmed Gaznayi,
said people who turn to Christianity are "renegades"
in the eyes of Islam.
"I consider that those who turn to Christianity pose
a threat to society," he added.
The Christian community also has to worry about its collective
security, as churches have been targeted by insurgents.
The main Kurdish Christian Church in Erbil and its two branches
in Sulaimaniyah and Dohuk have no external signs or other indicators
that they are places of worship. Services are held in private
homes.
By Ayyub Kareem
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