Iraq ChristmasIraq Christmas stories are listed on this page, along with some spent at home. Looks like I will be spending this Christmas (2008) away from my family again, this time in Afghanistan... Up Date: I came home on November 15th, 2008 for my end of mission break. While here I decided not to return for a second year. So I did get to spend a wonderful Christmas home with my family. Before the United States rightfully invaded Iraq, Christians in Iraq used to celebrate Christmas in Iraq by holding a ritual in the courtyards of their homes. It is important to realize that many of the yards are small and this ritual would be attended by the family’s sheep, goats, cattle and camels. Animals are important in the Christmas story for they were there with Jesus when He was born in the manger. Usually one of the children would read the Christmas story from the Arabic Bible as part of celebrating Iraq Christmas. One Christmas we learned that one of my uncles was in a nearby hospital so my wife, children and I went to visit Uncle Bob. We sang some Christmas songs for him and read the Christmas story to him on Christmas morning. No one else was around. We were the only visitors he had that day. I shared with him about the last Christmas I had celebrated in Iraq. As it turned out, we were the last visitors he had for he passed away the next day. Under Saddam, Christians were allowed to worship God as they pleased. These Christians are generally Catholics. However, in the violence that followed after Baghdad fell, the Muslim extremists attacked the Christians’ homes and churches, forcing many to leave. They left rather than to convert to Islam. What will an Iraq Christmas be like this year? This year seems to be the most peaceful Iraq has known in years. Will the Christians be celebrating a normal Christmas this year? Will they return to their traditions that they had given up during the past five years since the invasion took place? Will it be safe? Will the American troop surge prove to be successful this Christmas, 2008, as well? Only time will tell. Many Christian Iraqis left the country due to the violence. Maybe now they can come back to their homes and celebrate the way they want to under the banner of freedom the United States has provided. On the military side, the military usually cut back its operations on Christmas so the soldiers can enjoy Christmas and some down time as they celebrate yet another Iraq Christmas. The insurgents always had a special way of saying Merry Christmas in Iraq as they lobbed mortars at my base in Baqubah, Camp Warhorse. They did not hit anything but it did make us run for the bunkers. Nothing like a little Christmas exercise before Christmas dinner. At another base, Iraq Christmas became a bloody mess when a soldier, driving a two ton truck, slammed into a bus loaded with Americans, Filipinos and Turks. This accident killed twelve and left others injured. Do Muslims believe in Christmas in Iraq? It is very important to note that Islam is a complete way of life for Muslims. However, Muslims are encouraged to take an interactive and proactive role in society. Islam urges Muslims to be kind with all people without any kind of discrimination due to differences in faith or race. Muslims have their own identity. In order to keep this identity, Muslim scholars said that Muslims must not celebrate Christmas or holidays of non-Muslims. By participation in Iraq Christmas, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference between Islam and Christianity. Muslim scholars fear that the next generation may slowly lose their Islamic faith and may start believing in Jesus as "more than a prophet and servant of Allah". (I personally believe that Islam is a cult.) So Muslims do not celebrate Christmas but neither do they hinder Christians from observing it unless they are the extremists one will find in Iraq. Iraq Christmas has been a dangerous day in the past. But we hope and pray that this year there will be true peace and good will towards man this Christmas season.
Special Update: For Christmas of 2008, the Iraqi Government made Christmas an official holiday. This was in an effort to heal the wounds many Christian have suffered in Iraq due to persecution by Muslims. There was a car bombing early Christmas morning to remind the people that Iraq is still a very dangerous place.
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