Sunday, December 03, 2006

Pray for the Assyrian Christians

In the confusion which is Iraq (largely ancient Babylon), there is a neglected group of persecuted people. Just this fall at least fifteen murders have been committed which have recieved very little coverage by the media.

This group is known as "Assyrian" Christians. Largely in northern Iraq, they practice an ancient form of Christianity that preserves the ancient Aramaic language spoken by Jesus and his disciples. They are not part of the fighting, but have come under attack since Pope Benedict has spoken up about the violence prevalent in Islam.

On Monday, December 4, a group of supporters will demonstrate at the White House. Learn about this at their News Release here. Pray for this demonstration. Persecution is not new, but our response to it in Washington may determine its course in "occupied" Iraq.

Let me know with comments if you are aware of developments here in the USA or abroad concerning this or other persecutions. Also, find out about persecution around the world by visiting persecution.org or Voice of the Martyrs (free membership registration). I actually meant to get to the latter when I created the first link, but the "dotorg" seems to be a worthy site as well. VOM is older an has the "dotcom" address for "persecution." I have not checked out International Christian Concern personally so anyone connected with them feel free to give me a review.

2 comments:

Rock said...

Henry, so here I am, commenting. It's a good thing, too. I was not aware of this other kind of persecution going on, nor about this particular sect of Christianity. I am saddened for it. It also is a fascinating story--a sect that still speaks Aramaic. Wow. Sounds like Mel Gibson would be interested in this.

I am not so happy with the Pope's capitulation to Islam recently (praying to Mecca), as he had been on track, I believe, in calling them to task for violence. There is much work to be done in our world to eliminate or reduce the kind of persecution of which you speak, and of violence against all faiths non-Muslim.

Truth—The No Spin Politically Incorrect Zone

Henry Martin said...

Well, I guess he just didn't want anyone else to die just because he spoke the truth. All his call for peace will not get anywhere when hate seems to be a way of life with some people.

I don't think Mohammed had all this in mind when he set out to convince his counrtymen that he had been visitied by a representative (angel) from the one "true" god. Of course, I don't think he realized that "Allah" was the primeval nature god (symbolized by the oak tree - the words are interchangable in the Hebrew!)

Of course, with the connection to the crescent, it goes even further back to the Moon God worshipped in Ur - home of Abram!