More heat than light in Iraq

I sometimes think that our Western tendency to intervene in other nations' affairs is like children finding a big firework and lighting the blue touch paper and standing back to see what happens. We mean it for the best - but the resulting explosion, though creating extensive copy and great pictures for our media, has tragic consequences for those in the vicinity, those who can't stand well back.

I'm provoked once again to think of this by a report in Reuters by Samia Nakhoul returning to Baghdad ten years after the American/British invasion of Iraq. He starts "The last time I left Baghdad was on a stretcher." He had been covering the "liberation" for Reuters from the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel when it was hit by a shell of an advancing American tank. He gives an extensive personal account of what he found on his return. The survey does not make a comforting read. He concludes:
"I cannot make up my mind which is worse: Damascus at war or Baghdad under democracy. As a friend once told me: In the Middle East wars don't bring peace, they bring bigger wars."

Nakhoul particularly highlights the Shia-Sunni division that is such a cause of tension. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni; the current Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, is a Shi'ite as are 60% of the population. As far as I know the only man working with leaders of the two religious sects is Andrew White, vicar of Baghdad, that tireless worker for peace, who regularly sits down with both together. From his accounts, the leaders share a desire for an end to the violence and for reconciliation. One wonders where the fuel for conflict comes from and who stokes it.

Traffic lights in Baghdad, supplied by the British Army, but not
up to the heat (60ºC) of Iraq [Photo: Andrew White]

Information - the hope of democracy

Yesterday I received an email from a friend who has a daughter in Thailand. Its subject was simply Thailand. It said: "... you may not be aware that Thailand is suffering the most appalling floods, totally ignored of course by our media who consider the peccadilloes and scrapes of our politicians and sportsmen far more important! 

"Much of Thailand, including Bangkok, is very low lying and when the canals overflow, it gets pretty disgusting. As Jane says, if it reaches that stage as predicted they will have to wade through sewage to get out of their apartment!!
"The latest news is that 100 crocodiles have escaped in one of the provinces – such fun!!
"All such a contrast to our ‘Harvest celebrations’." You can read the Reuters report here.

John's email did reinforce to me how much we are in the hands of our media for our view of the world. In the UK it would appear that innuendoes about ministers and rugby players jumping off a ferry are world news. There's a thought-provoking interview with Noam Chomsky in today's Huffington Post, the foremost internet newspaper, Noam Chomsky exclusive. For any of my readers too young to know, he's generally regarded as the father of modern linguistics. The Huffington Post calls him a geopolitical guru...! He's certainly a canny observer of the international scene. Towards the end of the interview he's asked about the media and comments, "It's almost a tautology to say that democracy can function to the extent that the public has information and analysis available that puts them in a position where they can make sensible decisions... I don't like to talk about the UK media... but the impression I get when I'm here in London, if I want to find out what's going on in the world, I have to pick up the New York Times, and the internet. I can read half a dozen newspapers every day and get a ton of information of gossip about this society star and what this person's doing, and so on; and if you get to page 20 you may find a little international news." He fairly mentions the exceptions such as the FT and some outstanding correspondents, but he says, "This is a serious problem for a society that hopes to become democratic; it undermines functioning democracy in very obvious ways".

That is quite an analysis - and by the way criticism of our society. We can only claim to be a society that hopes to become democratic.

So here's some more international news. First from Andrew White in Baghdad: "Today has been such a day. We woke to the wonderful news of the imminent release of Gilad Shalit. We shared the great news that we wanted the conference for youth and adults. Then the darkness began. Bomb after bomb. Shuddered but not hurt. We do not know how many have been killed but we know the light of the Lord is still here."


And then some more from Bangkok: "Thailand is really in the midst of a major disaster but getting very little coverage.  M has gone out towards Ayutthaya today with a group from the CCT with 1000 boxes of food which we made and packaged from 4am today. We plan to do the same over the next 3 days. Not sure how close they will get before it has to be put in boats. He and his team will be talking with the authorities about how they can help with the evacuated children.  Some are in centres although many are still trapped upstairs in houses or even still on roofs.

Reuters

"Bangkok is under threat but the government wants to protect it at all costs – so are diverting water to other places in huge amounts, meaning massive damage.  It might have been better to have slowly let some water into Bangkok. The suburbs are now waist deep in some places.

"As it is they are still expecting the centre to flood at the weekend when the water from up river comes down coinciding with predicted high tides.  We are in one of the high risk areas, as is the kids' school and the church. When we were looking at the church yesterday P reckoned that if the water goes over the walls around the compound then it will be waist deep in the church.  Even if it doesn’t, if the general area is flooded it will come up through the floor. Please pray this doesn’t happen.

Reuters

"We have done what we can to prepare personally – stocking up on food and water. Today I will get out more cash and buy candles.  We are on the 2^nd floor which is good as far as our stuff is concerned and we may be able to offer refuge to others although our place is quite small. The worrying thing is that if our area floods it will be from the canal (which they are planning to use to divert flood water into) and most of the canal is sewage, so it will be even dirtier than flood water normally is."

The writer's father's comment was, "When I compare this to trivial trash we get on the BBC news, I despair!"

Wikidness

It's ironic that Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, has been trying to stop the publication of his "unauthorised" autobiography by Canongate, a small UK publisher. The self-appointed crusader of free speech has been hoist by his own petard. I used to think he did us a favour by blowing the cover of secretive government.

However, this week Andrew White wrote a short message on Facebook (which has infuriatingly changed its format) from St George's Church in Baghdad: "I am afraid to say that the situation for the Jewish community here is now very serious, as it is for the two people who help them. Their names have also been published by Wikileaks. We have no option but to try and get them all out of here. This is such a serious issue and Wikileaks obviously do not care if they threatened the lives of already the most at risk community in the world. Any credibility they ever had has now gone as far as I am concerned. Will you please pray for their safety until we can get them out."


Someone recently told me that a lot of the "rioters" were out on the streets because they had never learned empathy. This seems to me another and more sinister case of lack of imagination or empathy. And this instance, there's no excuse.

Easter in Baghdad

I don't think I can do better than quote from Andrew White's Easter letter headed "We have seen glory and forgiveness":

"Hallelujah, Christ is Risen. [In Arabic] Masieh Cum [and Aramaic] Cumle Mar an.

Andrew's new book

Today we celebrate the most amazing truth that our Jesus is no longer dead but alive. Here, amongst a broken country and much danger, we celebrate the fact that the Lord is here and his Spirit is with us.

As we look at the story of the resurrection in John Ch 20 we see that Mary Magdalene was the first at his tomb and the stone at the entry had been removed. Jesus was not there, but the grave cloths were. There were angels there and outside there was what was thought to be a gardener. Peter and John joined with Mary and they witnessed what she had seen - the empty tomb and empty grave cloths.

All these signs of the glory and resurrection were there but not seen. So often the signs of resurrection and glory are around us but we fail to see them.

Mary, the first to the tomb, was not only a woman but one with a past, who had been forgiven much. Suddenly the first words of Jesus from the Cross ring true, 'Father, Forgive.'

We have seen glory and forgiveness. Inside the tomb we also see something most significant: the napkin around the head of Jesus was separate and folded on its own.

Our mind goes to every official meal in Jewish culture. Each person would have a napkin and, when they left the table permanently, they would leave the napkin crumpled as it was used. If they were just leaving the table for a short time they would neatly fold the napkin. A folded napkin meant, 'I am coming back.' That was what the folded napkin was all about. Then Jesus said Mary's name and all was revealed. He was not dead, he was alive.

Here we have a message of Glory, Forgiveness, Resurrection and hope."

Palm Sunday in St George's, Baghdad

I must recommend the BBC programme about forgiveness. If you have an hour for an Easter sermon, do watch it. If you have half an hour, watch the last half. If you have 15 minutes, watch the last quarter! Cheryl McGuinness has an impressive story. "What's the point of Forgiveness?"

Calls to prayer

Mel Barry of the MNDA emailed me today asking if I might be the Michael with MND whom Channel 4 says is appearing on the 4Thought programme next week. Yes, I replied, I probably am. So she emailed back asking why, so that she could post something about it on the MNDA website. Apparently there'll also be someone whose brother had MND and decided to go to Dignitas.

My reply said, "Waddell Media, the production company responsible for the series, contacted my publisher, Monarch Books, who put me in touch with them.  4Thought is billed as a religious/ethical slot, and I'm open about my Christian faith in my books.  I imagine that's the reason they contacted me.

"The reason I chose to get involved is that I think there's an urgent need to promote the hearts and minds issue of the quality of care provided to the terminally ill, as it seems to me that there is a huge amount of public fear about it, due to ignorance and outdated hearsay, fuelled largely by the pro-euthanasia lobby.  I remember shortly after being diagnosed an MNDA visitor allaying my own fears of dying from being unable to breathe.  At the same time as the request for the programme came through, I was with a nurse from Douglas House, our local young people's hospice, who told me they talk to their patients about 'natural death'. The youngsters don’t want their lives terminated, but they do want reassurance about symptom-control and pain-management.  And they can be given exactly that by palliative care experts." 

The producer has just now emailed me to say I'm being shown on Wednesday (Channel 4, c.7.55 pm)!! I think I'll watch it on mute! I don't like the sound of my own voice.... Now there's a change from the old days! - Oh, hang on! My old pal Anthony has just sent me this link http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings/daily/2011/01/20#C4_19:55, which seems to indicate it's on Thursday at the same time. I'll try and find out who's right. Otherwise I suppose we'll have to tune in both days.

We also heard from our friends in Brisbane today, that they're all safe and sound. They'd been up country during the worst of the floods and so had been only affected by rain. "We all kept our spirits as high as we possibly could, we were alive and together, as still is. There were people who had lost or had been lost. We returned home to see the devastation on route – and then to see the news brought floods of tears. Realising how lucky we had been, and still were." As a PS, Michelle wrote, "Please take this time to say a prayer for those who aren’t as lucky, and the ones who need the strength to get through." We could well extend that to those in Sri Lanka and Brazil - who, although even worse affected by floods, get less news coverage on our domestic news bulletins. 

Even less covered are the talks going on in Copenhagen at the moment about Iraq - Iraq religious leaders meeting - They are chaired by the indomitable Andrew White, and recognise that without the religious leaders being on board an end to sectarian violence cannot even begin. There's a lovely footnote to the entry on the FFRME's website, about St George's Church in Baghdad: "Meanwhile, worship at St George's this weekend was wonderful, as we looked at the feast of the Epiphany, the coming of the wise men. We looked at how the presentation of the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh totally fitted in with the end of the Lord's Prayer, 'for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory'.

"We also give thanks that, despite the fleeing of so many Christians following recent atrocities, St George's has swelled once more to bulge at its seams.

"We ask for your continued prayers, especially for our conference this week."

Christmas under fire

I did miss both Episodes 2 & 3 of The Nativity and of last night's Channel 4 news, which had a report on 'Christmas in Iraq living in fear', but caught up with them on iPlayer and 4oD. I'll reserve any comments about The Nativity until I've seen the end. But the report on Iraq is certainly worth eight minutes of your time: http://www.channel4.com/news/christmas-in-iraq-living-in-fear. Click on the picture of Andrew White among St George's congregation.

From Channel 4 website

Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4's international editor, describes the continuing exodus of Christians from post-war Iraq, from a million to half that today. She takes us to the Catholic church of Our Lady of Salvation attacked by al-Qaida suicide bombers leaving more than 50 dead, where now a forlorn remnant remain to worship.

Christians are now targets in their homes. The aim of the extremists is to drive them all from Iraq. It's little wonder they live in such fear, and Christianity of course predates Islam there by centuries. Andrew White, in St George's in Baghdad, still uses Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, in the liturgy of his services. I believe the apostle Thomas founded the Christian church in Iraq before travelling further east; so maybe not "more than" but getting on for 2000 years ago.

St George's, it seems, will be the only place where Christmas is joyfully celebrated in Baghdad this year, and that obviously makes it more of a target for terrorist attacks. It's a real reminder to us who'll be debating whether to face a bit of cold to get to church of what many have to face merely for worshipping the Christ-child. It's also a reminder of the climate of fear which prevailed in first-century Palestine.

So you think your life is hard...

Soon after I'd finished preaching on Sunday, in a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad, a congregation were being held hostage by six al-Qaeda gunmen. They'd seen their priest shot before them. The church was surrounded by Iraqi security forces, and they must have known that the outcome would only have been bloody. In the event the troops stormed the building, the terrorists exploded their bomb-vests and grenades and presumably opened fire - with the result that something like 50 worshippers were killed and more injured. Canon Andrew White reports one little girl running out crying, "They've killed my Daddy, they've killed my Daddy!" The avowed aim of this al-Qaeda group is kill all Christians or drive them out of Iraq.

On Monday evening Andrew White was interviewed on Radio 4's World Tonight programme. You can hear it at 30.53 minutes into http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vkwlz/The_World_Tonight_01_11_2010/ . 

Andrew White (FRRME website)

He said, "There's literally not one Christian in Baghdad that's not been affected." He says to his church, the largest in Iraq, "I'm not going. Don't you go... But despite all these things this is the happiest church I've had."

You can see him talking about it on Monday on the FRRME website; it's worth spending a minute and a half watching it. http://www.frrme.org/latest-news

On Facebook today Andrew reported:

"It has been another awful day in Baghdad with over 20 serious bombings, more of our people killed. Then one of our young people said to me, 'It may all be awful but Jesus is walking with me all the time.' For us it is not theory Jesus is indeed walking with us all the time."

Sundry Sunday thoughts

Well, I was right.  He wasn't wearing purple.  But no, he didn't have a beard, though Jane pointed out he had good thatch of hair (I imagine by contrast with mine).  Geoff Feasey preached about the neglected New Testament gift of refreshment (1 Corinthians 16) - by which he didn't mean a pint (in spite of the old joke about Paul reaching the Three taverns... where he took courage - Acts 28).  

I feel I've been a bit negative in my past few entries; so here's something I recently received from Andrew White, vicar of Baghdad, to encourage those of you who think the younger generation are the pits and to challenge all of us.  The church runs a clinic and feeds a lot of the Christians in the city - which means an eye-watering monthly budget.

'So first Joanna..., a 9 year old girl who goes to the River Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A great church led by Kyle Horner where I spoke just two weeks ago.

'As I often am, I was slightly worried about how we would feed our people in Iraq next month. It is such a significant season as Easter is the most important time of the year for Iraqi Christians.

'Faiz, our lay pastor, told me he did not think we would have enough money next month. I told him that somehow our Lord always provides. At our staff meeting when I got back from the USA I was told about our terrible financial situation.

'Kyle Horner then contacted me to say that little Joanna in his congregation had given her life savings for the children of St. George's Church. She was saving to buy a dog and she had collected $80 she gave it all.

'I was so moved by this. Not the widow's mite but the little girl's. I told her story to several people and they started to give money. I do not know exactly how much was given in response to the story about Joanna. It has been thousands of dollars and we now have enough to feed our people this coming month. In addition to this I have been given $500 for her to buy a puppy.

'This morning I had an email from her. She said that she had been learning about George Müller at school and how the Lord provided for all the needs of the Children's Homes he ran. She told me she wondered how our Lord was going to provide for us.

'It is a wonderful story of how the Lord provides for those in need. It is also a wonderful story of how the Lord responds to our generosity. Joanna has given her everything to G-d. He has given in response more than she ever could.'

Andrew added: 'If you want to give in response after reading this, please specify that it relates to Joanna's story.' There's a link to his website on this page.  

Finally, I'd appreciate feedback on this idea.  I'm a bit fed up of banging on so much about assisted suicide.  Obviously it's something I feel strongly about, but my original intention with this blog was to give an idea of what living with MND or Lou Gehrig's Disease is like - hopefully honestly but not too negatively - not be constantly campaigning.  For one thing, that's not what my life is about.  Crusading doesn't give me a buzz or a purpose for living, as it does some people.  Life is given us to enjoy.  And for another thing, I wonder whether you, dear reader, groan inwardly and say, 'Not again,' when you see the subject coming up again.  And I'd hate to lose you in an outburst of, 'Boring!'  So when this weekend The Times returned to its campaign to get assisted suicide legalised with no less than three articles in the one issue, I thought, 'Oh no, not again!  Am I going to have yet another go at explaining the dangers?' and then I wondered whether to set up a separate blog devoted to ethical and socio/political issues and reserve this one to being an everyday story of disabled life.  

I'd be interested in your reaction.  I'm not sure I'd be able to sustain two blogs.  And I suspect as my physical life gets more limited my mental life will become the substantial part of my disabled life anyway.  Anyway, meanwhile be aware that The Times does have a positive agenda to promote euthanasia, and that the best website for the opposite - and ethically sound - view is Care Not Killing Alliance (http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/).  

More from Baghdad

This has just come through from Andrew White:

Thank you so much for all of your amazing support on this very difficult of weeks, following the bombing of St George's Bagdad last Sunday. Your kind messages and financial support have been both humbling and deeply encouraging, and your prayers, both those uttered in churches around the world and in those spoken in the secret of your hearts, have been answered wonderfully.

In the space of a few seconds last Sunday, St George's sustained terrible damage, not only to the windows but also to the structure of the church and to the sophisticated medical equipment within.

Since then, our Iraqi church members have worked so hard to restore the church and clinic to its former glory. Tomorrow the church service will go ahead as normal. Next week the clinic will reopen. That is an amazing testimony to their hard work and to your generous support.

This week we received or were promised half of the money needed to complete the restoration. We are joining with the congregation of St George's to pray G-d will prompt donors to pool together and provide the outstanding $100,000 in the week to come, so that we can resume the usual essential services that the church and clinic provide.

For my part, I was very sad that I was not in Iraq at this time, to be with my people in their time of greatest need. In reality though, if I was not in the UK I would not have been able to find the funds that the people so desperately needed. G-d's ways are indeed not our ways.

Today is the eve of All Hallows day, or All Saints day, which is the day when we give thanks to G-d for the Saints. It's all about G-d and his faithful servants who have gone before us to heaven. I find it very difficult that so many Christians choose to celebrate Halloween. Christians should not keep this festival of darkness. Why not host a 'Light Party' instead, celebrating G-d's glory?

Baghdad bombings

Sunday brought terrible news from Baghdad, where Andrew White is vicar of St George's Church, which is in Haifa Street. (You may remember he wrote the foreword to My Donkeybody.) Here's what Andrew wrote:
'I am very sorry to tell you that the two major bomb explosions in Baghdad this morning have done serious damage to the church compound, the clinic, the bookshop, the school rooms and the mothers' union buildings.
'The windows were replaced after the bombings on 19 August, but they have been destroyed again, and this blast hit the church much more powerfully. Even the window frames and the doors were blown out. All of the cars in the compound and the Danish Memorial were destroyed.
'And the clinic? The St George's clinic provides free medical and dental treatment to people in Iraq, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. It is staffed by a team of medics representing each of the Abramic faiths: Muslim, Christian and Jew. It contained high quality medical equipment provided by charitable donations to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. In a moment, much of this equipment has been destroyed, placing it permanently out of reach of the Iraqi people who need it so desperately.
'Outside the church, at least 132 people were killed and over 600 injured. Destroyed fragments of their bodies have been thrown through windows of the church, making the clean-up operation yet more unpleasant. Many of our staff and church members remain unaccounted for. Lay Pastor Faiz and I have been trying in vain to reach them by telephone.

'Today was a terrible day for us. But even in the blood and trauma and turmoil, there are things for which we can, and indeed must, praise our G-d. The carnage was terrible, but it could have been even worse.
- At 10.30am this morning, when the bombs exploded, there was no-one in the church. If the bomb had been just a few hours later, the glass from the windows would have ripped through the congregation causing terrible human damage.
- Yesterday an enormous tree fell down outside the church, which prevented the suicide bomber from detonating his explosives where they would have caused maximum damage.

'Some people ask us whether days like today make us want to give up. We have seen much of what we have worked for destroyed. We have seen people we love bereaved. But the truth is, it is days like today that remind us why our work in Iraq is absolutely essential.
'We must continue to provide a place of worship for Iraqi Christians. We must continue to treat the medical needs of Iraqi civilians. And we must continue to engage with the senior religious leaders from across the sectarian divides, working with them to challenge the belief systems that lie behind this terrible slaughter.
'We will not stop because of this. Will you stand with us and help us to restore what was destroyed?'

The finished result

Well, I thought it was quite the best bit (all seven or eight minutes) of 'The Politics Show' - technically, I mean. Good photography, and nicely put together. The cut and thrust of debate was a bit blunted by my slow speech, but the producer succeeded in pulling out salient points, and making the pictures speak a thousand words. If you want to watch just the bit with Debbie and me, and Jane and Omar, you can find it on : http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00l98w6/The_Politics_Show_London_21_06_2009/ , and then fast forward to 25 minutes in. I'm told Jane and I made a photogenic pair!

The beginning of the show was sad, with the news of the death of two of the Baghdad hostages. We had been hoping for good news. Death is always tragic.