Christians in Baghdad observe Palm Sunday

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(15 Apr 2019) LEADIN: • The Christian community in Iraq is celebrating the start of the Holy Week, with armed guards protecting their churches. • Still reeling from persecution by the Islamic State group many Iraqi Christians have fled the country, and hesitate to return. • STORYLINE: • Iraq's Christians are considered to be one of the oldest communities in the country. • Before the start of the Iraq war in 2003, around 1 million Christians called Iraq home. • But, in recent years, their numbers have been decimated by genocide at the hands of the Islamic State Group. Now, fewer than 250,000 remain. • Tens of thousands were forced to flee the country when IS swept across northern Iraq in the summer of 2014. • The group looted and destroyed many of their houses and used their churches as laboratories to make bombs. • The reign of terror led to the displacement of three-quarters of Iraqi Christians. • Iraq officially announced victory over IS on 10 July 2017, but many Christians hesitate to return to their homeland. • Those still here are celebrating Palm Sunday, and the improved security at their churches. • Louis Raphael Sako is the Head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. • He says it's an important time of the year for his community. • Today we will pray for the success of all the efforts undertaken by clergymen, the current government and civilian organisations to reconstruct the country. We hope that the Christians will be able to take part and contribute to the progress of their country and that they can adhere to their Iraqi identity. • The congregation is determined to worship here. • Margret Yousif, a housewife, says she'll be praying for her community. • I hope all the Iraqi people will enjoy peace and prosperity, she says. • I also wish that all Iraqi (Christian) immigrants would return back home. • Palm Sunday marks the start of the Holy Week concluding with Easter and Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem before his arrest and crucifixion, when the people of the city's residents strewed palm branches in his path. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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