Tammy Bruce: Our Troops and Their Christmas Gift to Iraq

Our Troops and Their Christmas Gift to Iraq

When it comes to the current events we all deal with, here's a bit of news about Iraqi Christians and their Christmas. It is something that reminds us of the importance of our work, the remarkable accomplishment of our troops, and the grace of God, especially when we are challenged the most. And next time you hear Barack Winfrey or any other out of touch politician preen him or herself on having been against the war from the beginning, think of this story, the millions liberated, made safe and now able to look to a more hopeful future.

Iraqis Crowd Churches for Christmas Mass

Thousands of Iraqi Christians made their way to church through checkpoints and streets lined with blast walls, many drawing hope from a lull in violence to celebrate Christmas Mass in numbers unthinkable a year ago...

"We did not celebrate last year, but this year we have security and we feel better," said Rasha Ghaban, one of many women at the small Church of the Holy Family in Karradah, a mainly Shiite district in downtown Baghdad where many Christians live. "We hope our future will be better, God willing."

Families streamed into the church's courtyard, wrapped in heavy winter jackets to protect them from the early morning chill. Young children with neatly combed hair held their parents' hands, and women stopped by the front door to pick through a basket of small lacy headscarves, placing them over their hair before walking in...

Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the ancient Chaldean Catholic Church and Iraq's first cardinal, celebrated Mass before about 2,000 people in the Mar Eliya Church the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood of the capital.

"Iraq is a bouquet of flowers of different colors, each color represents a religion or ethnicity but all of them have the same scent," the 80-year-old Delly told the congregation.

Muslim clerics—both Sunni and Shiite—also attended the service in a sign of unity.

"May Iraq be safe every year, and may our Christian brothers be safe every year," Shiite cleric Hadi al-Jazail told AP Television News outside the church. "We came to celebrate with them and to reassure them." [...]

In northern Iraq's much safer Kurdish autonomous region, worshipers headed to the town of Ain Kawa, near Irbil. Some 1,600 Arab Christian families from Baghdad and nearby regions have settled there, said the local mayor, Fahmi Sulafa.

"Here, I feel my soul is at rest," said Matti Gordese, a 40-year-old father of four originally from Baghdad. "I can practise my religion without feeling that suddenly, a bomb will explode and kill you in God's house."

We owe that peace to everyone. Why? Because God has given our great nation the power and compassion to do so. Because, in short, we can. It is when we, as a nation or individuals, make choices based on what's possible--choices we make that allow the best or the worst of ourselves to prevail--that God notices.

Making the bold choice to liberate Iraq is one of the reason I grew to admire President Bush so much. I hope as this year ends and as we enjoy Christmas that his resolve to confront tyrants will return and that God helps us make the right choice next year for our leader during this monumental time in history.

Posted by Tammy · December 25, 2007 11:00 AM · Permalink
Faith/The Divine | Military | War on Radical Islam

Comments

Tammy, I heard your show for the first time, today (Christmas day, 2007), and decided to look up your website. I'm very impressed. When are you running for President??

Posted by: grandbeat at December 25, 2007 01:46 PM

Muslim clerics—both Sunni and Shiite—also attended the service in a sign of unity.

Hey! What's going on there? Don't you know you're locked in an intractable civil war?

Posted by: Ruth Anne at December 25, 2007 03:32 PM

Welcome Grandbeat!! You got a Christmas gift today finding our Tammy Bruce..the chick with the gun and the microphone..we love her..lol..

Now about this fantastic story from Iraq, isn't wonderful? Between Cinnamon the puppy and this I need a new box of Puffs..darn you T!

Will be listening on webstream KABC..

Posted by: Trinity at December 25, 2007 09:35 PM

This is very good news indeed and hopefully we'll see more of this in the mainstream....at least I hope so. I remember this report too from another Baghdad Church just last month from CBN.
Video ---> http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/267288.aspx

We need more good news stories like these, and I agree with Trinity that the Cinnamon story got to me also. Thanks for sharing these Tammy....

Posted by: Junie at December 26, 2007 08:56 AM

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Our Troops and Their Christmas Gift to Iraq

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