For Basra's Christians, Hussein era the 'good old days'

[Mari333]

Basra, Iraq -- For the Christians in Basra, the downfall of Saddam Hussein has meant a terrible loss of religious freedom.

The social club where Yousef Lyon and his friends would gather in the evening to play dominoes, where families danced or listened to live music on holidays, is closed. Wedding celebrations are held quietly at home.

"Of course, during the Saddam regime, it was better," said Lyon, 40, a member of the city's small Armenian community. "Now we are afraid from the religious parties that maybe they will throw a bomb at us."







http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/08/28/MNGS5EEJOM1.DTL

[peekaloo]

1. Now that's a phrase our corporate media will surely ignore.

sad.

[bribri16]

2. Remember, one of Saddams most trusted spokesman was Christian.

Aziz.

[wakeme2008]

3. There was a small Jewish comm. there

to, and it probably is in the same shape if not WORSE.

[gratuitous]

4. So what are Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell saying about this?

Or are they too busy contracting hits or bearing false witness to trouble themselves about their brothers and sisters in Christ?

[Mari333]

6. Bush could screw a chicken on TV and his base would close their eyes to it

[gratuitous]

8. Or say that the chicken really wanted it

There's no bottom for these people. Any consequence of their actions, no matter how bad or unintended, is either the bad old librul media not reporting the good news or was supposed to happen anyway or isn't all that bad.

[blm]

5. Christians, Jews and Catholics worshiped freely in a secular Iraq. Bush

has made certain that they no longer can. Bush's war made certain to change Iraq into another powerful Islamic state.

Just what the region needed.

[jonnyblitz]

7. probably for Iraqi women , too...once the constitution kicks on. nt