The mainstream media can't get enough of the sectarian violence between the Shiites, the Sunnis, and the Kurds in Iraq. But one kind of sectarian violence that has consistently been under-reported since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the persecution of Iraq's native Christian population. A Catholic News Agency story from June 6th reported:
According to the AINA news agency, two churches were attacked in the Baghdad district of Dora. At St. John the Baptist's in Hay Al-Athoriyeen, several security guards who protect the church were killed, and St. Jacob's in Hay al Asya was vandalized and forcibly turned into a mosque. St. Jacob's had previously been attacked in October of 2004.
The raids on the two churches coincided with a funeral Mass for a priest and three deacons that were assassinated in Mosul on June 3rd. A Google News search revealed that there were only 4 articles about the raids, none of them from mainstream media sources . Besides the assassinations and the raids, a Chaldean Catholic priest in Baghdad was abducted on June 6th and Shiite terrorists occupied a Chaldean Catholic convent in Baghdad on May 31st.
The only thing that may get the mainstream media to report about this latest round of anti-Christian violence is a comparison on how the Christians fared better under Saddam than they have under the U.S.-lead "occupation."
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They say the United States is
June 7, 2007 - 12:04 ET by Tim GrahamThey say the United States is waging a "war on Islam," but has the media noticed that the Muslims are quite often explicitly waging a war on Christianity? Imagine an American Christian group going inside Iraq, killing a few imams and forcibly turning a mosque into a Christian church. Would the media ignore that?
Christians and white men. The
June 7, 2007 - 12:06 ET by florida_chadChristians and white men. These are considered safe targets by the MSM.
Fundamental Christianity
June 7, 2007 - 12:06 ET by Cool ArrowFundamental Christianity is just as dangerous as Radical Islam.
Ayatollah Odonnell
Fundamentalism coupled with e
June 7, 2007 - 13:24 ET by stratmanFundamentalism coupled with extremist interpretations and absolutist beliefs do spell danger no matter what religion.
The huge difference, glossed over in your simplistic and relativistic statement, is that Christian Fundamentalists/Extremists pose little threat in today's world whereas Islamic Fundamentalists/Extremists currently do.
Muslim provacateurs are using their religion for a religious-based "jihad" against non-believers: The Muslim world has framed their entire argument/process in religious terms, 'Muslims vs Non-Believers'. The West, primarily Christians for the sake of this discussion, have not framed the issues as a Christian "right" or "need" to fight Muslims, or, as a 'Christians vs Muslims crusade'.
If you disagree then give proof of your statement as it applies in today's world.
How about you provide "proof" of YOUR statements
June 7, 2007 - 13:28 ET by RJHow about first you provide "proof of YOUR statements as they apply in today's world?"
You can begin with your foolish attempt to equate Christian "fundamentalism" with Muslim "fundamentalism."
Is RJ the same person as Rile
June 7, 2007 - 14:43 ET by stratmanIs RJ the same person as Riled One? I'm not sure if RJ's comment is directed at my post only, but I will proceed with that in mind.
I think if Riled One makes a statement he is encumbent to provide proof when asked. The qualification of "in today's world" was meant to keep things topical The Crusades were painful to Muslims. Separation of Islam into Shia and Shiite sects was painful for Muslims. The Inquisition was painful for Christians. The Crusades and the Inquisition are over, at least in the minds of Christians in general. The Muslim extremists, on the other hand, are still living in a confluence of remote history and the present, where grievances of long ago are still to be resolved, and this mixture is a fuel for firing up the "jihad".
In no way did I try to equate fundamentalism in and of itself in either Christiantity or Islam with extremeism, let alone terrorism. What I did say was that fundamentalism coupled with extremism and an absolutism (summation of all three, not parity of meaning between them) is dangerous, and, is a foundational policy driving Muslim jihad.
Some examples of recent fundamentalist/extremism/absolutism (summation of the three) resulting in calamity: David Koresh in Waco, Tx.; Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana; Jeffrey Lundgren and the Kirkland, Ohio Morman Cult Killings; Shoko Asahara and his Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan.
I can not provide you with any Christian-based group that is so actively and largely massed to inflict violence and subjugation of the 'non-believer', with totalitarian intent, as the Muslim-based extremists in today's world. So, if you do, post. I'm happy to learn more.
"Ayatollah Odonnell&qu
June 7, 2007 - 13:30 ET by MightyMouth"Ayatollah Odonnell"
RO was "channeling" Rosie O'beefeater.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Crap! Ok. Nevermind.
June 7, 2007 - 14:55 ET by stratmanCrap!
Ok.
Nevermind.
I think what Mr. Enrich My Wo
June 7, 2007 - 14:30 ET by Roger the ShrubberDo you do want the MSM to rep
June 7, 2007 - 12:37 ET by LeonDo you do want the MSM to report bad news?
I thought they reported too much bad news, now you're complaining they aren't reporting enough bad news.
Let me guess, you wrote this
June 7, 2007 - 12:43 ET by Mica the MagnificentLeon:
Let me guess, you wrote this during a commercial break on "The View?"
Liberals DO have long attention sp - - A liberal
Bad guess. I believe the Vi
June 7, 2007 - 12:44 ET by LeonBad guess. I believe the View's on in the morning, whereas my posting time cleary indicates it occurred in the afternoon.
Cute try though slugger.
Re-runs of the "View&q
June 7, 2007 - 12:48 ET by MightyMouthRe-runs of the "View" then?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
MM -- he TIVO'ed it."Too
June 7, 2007 - 13:39 ET by JABMM -- he TIVO'ed it.
"Too bad Ignorance isn't painful..."
hmmmm, You would think his T
June 7, 2007 - 13:44 ET by MightyMouthhmmmm,
You would think his TIVO would be full from all the episodes of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and every movie Logo has ever shown.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
The important thing is that w
June 7, 2007 - 13:44 ET by TruthMongerThe important thing is that we're all forgetting the salient point of the thread...
Almost as if Leon wanted it that way because once again NB has proven him to be wrong, dumb, stupid, ignorant, blind, in denial, etc etc...
Ahhh, so it's "Springer" then
June 7, 2007 - 14:28 ET by Roger the ShrubberNo i would like them to rep
June 7, 2007 - 13:24 ET by InTheCheeksNo i would like them to report a "truthfull" version of the news good or bad. Not some liberal slant that you would want to hear Leon. Or in this case selective news that they dont want you to hear about.
Leon,While you may view yours
June 7, 2007 - 13:50 ET by stratmanLeon,
While you may view yourself as a master baiter of the non-conservative persuasion, your response was a non sequitur considering the topic. Few would doubt the old addage "if it bleeds, it leads" as it pertains to the media. The crux of the matter is policy, principle and fairness as it applies to the war and the reporting of the war historically speaking.
Since the war has been consistently and overwhelmingly detailed/colorized in religious terms - Christians vs Muslims, Jihad vs Crusade, Believers vs Infidels, Sunni vs Shiite vs Kurds, various Muslim religious leaders assassinated, various Mosques damaged or used as insurgent operational bases or damaged due to American military action, etc - one would think that on principle alone, and maybe with a little fairness to the subject, that the violent overthrow and habitation of Christian churches and deaths of Christian religious figures in the middle east by Muslims would receive some media mention.
True. One can't simply look a
June 7, 2007 - 15:38 ET by CapitalismRulesTrue. One can't simply look at this in terms of good news or bad news. The point here is that "bad" news is coming from all fronts and since they have yet to put a positive angle on killing Christians (though that is coming, believe me), they just simply ignore it.
MSM Template:
June 7, 2007 - 16:42 ET by c5thenBush is bad - report any news that might show/reinforce this
Islam is peacefull - report any news that might show/reinforce this, supress any news that might disprove this
Global warming is man's fault - report any news that might show/reinforce this, suppress any news that disproves/refutes this
Conservatives are bad/corrupt - report any news that might show/reinforce this, supress any news that might refute/disprove
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic
Thanks, c5then. You said it a
June 7, 2007 - 19:40 ET by Mica the MagnificentThanks, c5then. You said it all.
"I kvetched with my husband's moil the other day, and, oy vey! was this man funny. Fuunnnnn-neeee. Man-o-Manechevitz did I laugh. Oy!" - - - Hillary's attempt to 'speak Jewish.'