HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-11-25, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2010.By Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
Pastor, Walton and Bluevale
United Churches
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on
August 1990 was met with
international condemnation, and
brought immediate economic
sanctions against Iraq by members
of the UN Security Council. The
then-President George H.W Bush
deployed American forces to Saudi
Arabia, and with the help of ally
forces including Saudi Arabia, the
United Kingdom and Egypt joined
the Coalition with the aim to expel
the Iraqi forces.
On September 11, 2001 the United
States was attacked by citizens from
Saudi Arabia. The reactions from all
world leaders and religious
representatives as well as
international media were
condemnation. Memorial services
were held all over the world for the
families of the 3,000 men and
women killed in the attack. The
immediate effect of those attacks
was a declaration of war on
terrorism with goals of bringing
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to
justice.
Hiding under the pretext to control
the oil in the Gulf States, the Iraqi
regime was accused of possessing
biological and chemical weapons, as
well as rebuilding facilities to make
more and, could launch a biological
or chemical attack in as little as 45
minutes.
On March 6, 2003, President Bush
declared: “Saddam Hussein and his
weapons are a direct threat to [the
United States], to our people, and to
all free people... I believe SaddamHussein is a threat to the American
people. I believe he’s a threat to the
neighbourhood in which he lives.
And I’ve got good evidence to
believe that. He has weapons of
mass destruction.”
According to British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, what triggered
the war was Iraq’s failure to take
a “final opportunity” to disarm
itself of nuclear, chemical and
biological weapons that U.S. and
British officials called an immediate
and intolerable threat to world
peace.
The Christian community in Iraq
is one of the oldest in the world.
According to tradition it was St.
Thomas and his cousin Addai who
first brought Christianity to
Mesopotamia, soon after the
crucifixion. At the council of Nicea,
where the words of the creed were
thrashed out in 325 A.D., there were
more bishops from Mesopotamia
than from Western Europe. In the
U.K.’s The Guardian, “Given the
overt Christian faith of the two
architects of the invasion, it is
believed that the actions of Bush and
Tony Blair, there is a tragic irony inthe fact that their most lasting
contribution to the region may
well be to have created the
environment that led to the
destruction of Christianity in one of
its ancient heartlands, — something
Arab, Mongol and Ottoman
conquests all failed to in which to
succeed.”
Before Bush Sr. took on Saddam
for the first time in 1991, there were
more than one million Christians in
Iraq.
William Dalrymple, on Sunday,
Nov. 14, 2010, described the plight
of Christians. He states that before
George W. Bush sent the U.S. into
Iraq in 2003, he believed he would
be replacing Saddam Hussein with a
peaceful, pro-American Arab
democracy that would naturally look
to the Christian West for support. In
reality, seven years forward, it
appears that he has instead created a
highly-radicalized pro-Iranian
sectarian killing field, where most of
the Iraqi Christian minority has been
forced to flee abroad.
Of the 800,000 Christians still in
Iraq when ‘Dubya’ unleashed the
U.S. army on Saddam for the secondtime, two-thirds have fled the
country. In 2006, a priest was
kidnapped, and then found beheaded
and dismembered. Fifteen churches
have been bombed and many other
priests have been killed.
According to the Archbishop
Matti Shaba Matoka of Baghdad,
Syrian Catholic Church, “before the
last war, we had 70,000 members,
about 26,000 lived in Baghdad.
Many of our people have fled to the
north and abroad. I don’t know
exactly how many people are
left. But I can see that our once-full
churches are now almost empty.
We used to have five masses
every Sunday in the Cathedral. We
have had to cut back to three,
and those three are poorly attended.
Our members have either fled, or
they are too afraid to go to
church. All Christians throughout
the world should support the right of Iraqi Christians to live
and practise their faith in peace
and security in their own land.”
Of all the ugly consequences of
the American invasion the damage
done to the Christian community is
particularly sad and need to be taken
seriously by all the government that
were involved in the attacks.
Although Saddam Hussein
committed inhumane activities to
his community, he encouraged
religious pluralism. The Iraqi
Constitution under Saddam,
contained explicit language
protecting Christians and outlawing
religious denomination. Iraqi
Christians were free to practise their
faith, and the government
suppressed anti-Christian attacks.
With the U.S.-led invasion,
instability has hit Christians
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Nov. 28th - “26 Shopping Days ’til Jesus’ Birth”.
Luncheon to follow service. (Free will offering)
YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
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D
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A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, BlythHwy. 4, Blyth
Sunday, November 28th evening service
is at the Vanastra CRC at 7:00 pm
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
Sunday, November 28
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
Come celebrate the
Advent of Jesus Christ
at
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Sunday, November 28
9:30 a.m. Together for Worship
10:45 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Sunday School
7:00 p.m. Connection at Brussels
Mennonite Fellowship
Pastor Brent Kipfer
519-887-6388
Music by Connection Music Team
Guest Speaker: Tim Whatley
from Gorrie Bible Chapel
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, November 28
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
6:30 pm - DVD series on the Book of
Revelation by James MacDonald
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-317-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, November 28
Rev. Perry Chuipka
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker:
Rev. Eugene Neudorf
Aub urn
Saturday, December 4th
9 am - 3 pm
at Huron Chapel EMC
Come and finish your Christmas
shopping with various vendors
from throughout the community.
All proceeds go towards the
Huron County HIV/AIDS Network.
Admission FREE with a donation
of a non-perishable food item.
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women’s Ministry
Fridays 7:00 pm - Youth Group
Christ-centred, Bible-believing,
Fellowship-friendly, Growth-geared
Nov. 28: Jer. 32:1-15
“Hope in God’s
Promise when
All Seems
Lost”
From the Minister’s StudyChristians encounter unintended war consequences
Continued on page 22
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School