Archbishop Athanasios Dawood, a Christian cleric based in London has called upon Iraq's Christians to flee their country and al-Qaeda's threats. This call shouldn't pass undebated by the political and religious leaders of the Arab world. It strengthens a global conviction that the Eastern Christians don't enjoy the same rights as their Muslim counterparts. It also give a wrong impression that Arab Christians are not the original citizens of the Arab world and should, therefore, flee to the West, as soon as they sense any threat or instability in these countries. Christianity is an Eastern religion and Christians should be free to worship in the East. The Archbishop's call comes after gunmen stormed into a church in Iraq during evening Mass. The security forces intervened and the operation ended in 58 worshippers being killed, as well as some others. Is Archbishop Athanasios serious about his call or does he mean to force the Iraqi authorities to take better care of Iraq's Christians, whose number have probably fallen by more than 50 per cent, since the Anglo-American forces toppled Saddam Hussein? It is common knowledge that Iraqi officials are unable to form a government and secure any sect or location in an Iraq rendered chaotic by the American invasion. Should we call upon the Iraqi Sunnis to evacuate Iraq and migrate to Mecca to escape their being murdered by Shi'ites? Should we urge Shi'ite citizens to flee to Iran, so they will no longer be murdered in their shrines by al-Qaeda terrorists? The dilemma facing Iraqi Christians is part of the entire Iraqi dilemma that should be settled in co-operation with all local, regional and international parties. If the UN stood by passively when Iraq was unjustifiably invaded by the world's superpower, it should now work to bring stability and unity to this war-torn country.
