A tense Christmas in Iraq

A man looks at wreckage around the Church of the Virgin Mary in Baghdad, one of seven churches bombed in 24 hours in July. (Photo: New York Times)

A bomb outside a historic church in Mosul killed one person earlier today -- the first in what could be a series of coordinated attacks targeting Iraq's Christian community over the next few days.

Iraqi security forces have not identified any specific threats, but they have warned Christian leaders that churches will be targeted during the Christmas holiday. So Iraq's dwindling Christian community has scaled back its celebrations: The Chaldean bishop of Basra, Imad al-Banna, has asked Christians not to publicly celebrate the holiday; bishops in Kirkuk say none of the churches in the city have scheduled a Christmas mass. Large contingents of police have been deployed to churches in Mosul, Baghdad and Kirkuk.

Christians have been the target of much sectarian violence since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Six churches in Baghdad were bombed in just one 24-hour period this summer.

"We have moved the rituals for Christmas to the town of Qereqush, fearing that the Christians might be harmed in this insecure and unsafe city," said the Rev. Behnam Asaad of Qahira Church [in Mosul]. "We have distributed cards and fliers to the Christian families of this church informing them about the time and place where we will have the celebration, but we fear that assassinations might take place even after Christmas."

Mr. Asaad said that he had received letters as recently as Monday from armed groups threatening to blow up churches and monasteries, including his own, if they celebrated Christmas.

Security officials say they're especially concerned this year because Christmas falls just two days before the Shi'ite holiday of Ashura, which commemorates the death of Husayn at the Battle of Karbala.

The bombers in Mosul today targeted the Mar Toma church in Mosul, which dates back to the year 770. Police say a passerby was killed; five others were injured. The blast also damaged the exterior of the church. Streets around the church have been closed since earlier this year to prevent bombings.

A broader trend

The fear of anti-Christian violence in many ways reflects larger security trends in Iraq. Overall violence is down significantly compared to 2005-2006; sectarian violence in particular has ebbed, as the insurgency focuses its efforts on undermining the Maliki government.

But a pervasive sense of insecurity persists in the country -- and not unreasonably, because insurgent attacks continue to kill and wound dozens of people each day. Most of them are directed against the government and against other sects -- the hallmarks of the Sunni insurgency. Yesterday, for example, two Shi'ite worshippers were gunned down while leaving a mosque near Baqubah, a Sunni town north of Baghdad.

Insurgents also tried to assassinate Hamid Ahmed al-Hashim, the head of the Fallujah city council, with a sticky bomb attached to his car. Hashim survived the blast. The assassination attempt came one day after insurgents killed Hussein Akris, the head of the governing council in Tal Afar. Iraqi security forces blame that attack on Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Riad Abdel Majid, an inspector for Iraq's defense ministry, was also assassinated last night.

Again, the overall level of violence is still far below past levels. But a low level of sectarian violence continues to plague Iraq, particularly in mixed communities in Mosul and Baghdad, and assassinations are becoming increasingly common. The latter suggests that the insurgency has well-placed sources within the government and the Iraqi security forces.

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