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CNN Live Sunday

Iraqi Christians Celebrate Easter

Aired April 20, 2003 - 18:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Like Christians around the world, those in Baghdad celebrated Easter Sunday, but our Jim Clancy reports that this religious minority has many reservations about the new freedom in Iraq and what may lie ahead for people of their faith.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY (voice-over): Iraq's Chaldean Christians celebrated Easter with a message "Christ is Risen." The language is Aramaic, the same language spoken at the time of Christ. The Chaldean branch of Christianity has been in Iraq since the 1st Century. It is part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Christians make up about three percent of Iraq's 24 million people and the war and upheaval in Iraq have affected them like every other element in Iraqi society.

The message delivered Sunday was both a prayer for peace and a reflection on the New Testament account of Christ's resurrection. Unlike sermons delivered at mosques across the country, Sunday's message was devoid of any politics.

(on camera): For Iraq's Christians, this Easter is a time of uncertainty. While there's belief that President Saddam Hussein is gone, there's considerable fear about what comes next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But for the Christian people, you know, it's a new case for us especially in the case of wars. For example, before we have our custom, our Christian custom you know. Nobody asks us what we are doing or not but now we feel more afraid. We are more afraid now.

CLANCY (voice-over): This mother of four told us that under the former regime religion had some protection but the U.S. has made a war opposed by Pope John Paul, a war that has created a new situation and she fears for the breakup of Iraqi society.

For many the question now is whether a surge in Islamic fundamentalism from Iraq's Shia Muslims could impose the veil on Christian women, shut down restaurants, ban singing, dancing, and alcohol, or lead to outright persecution of their faith.

Throughout the centuries, the Chaldeans have suffered at the hands of invaders and emperors. It has been their deeply held faith that has allowed their community to survive. Christians are not immune to the same hardships suffered by Iraq's Muslims. This man pleaded that Americans don't realize how poor people really are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bread before come America, the bread it wasn't enough. Now 100 dinar, what America for us?

CLANCY: While the price of bread is expected to fall back with the restoration of security, many Christians wonder whether by invading Iraq the U.S. is unwittingly paving the way to a religious dictatorship. The first freedom, said Father Albert, is freedom of religion.

Already many in Iraq's Christian community have fled to Europe or the U.S. Many others want to remain in their homeland. As one man put it without any political power his future and those of other Iraqi Christians this Easter are as they have always been in the hands of God.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired April 20, 2003 - 18:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Like Christians around the world, those in Baghdad celebrated Easter Sunday, but our Jim Clancy reports that this religious minority has many reservations about the new freedom in Iraq and what may lie ahead for people of their faith.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY (voice-over): Iraq's Chaldean Christians celebrated Easter with a message "Christ is Risen." The language is Aramaic, the same language spoken at the time of Christ. The Chaldean branch of Christianity has been in Iraq since the 1st Century. It is part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Christians make up about three percent of Iraq's 24 million people and the war and upheaval in Iraq have affected them like every other element in Iraqi society.

The message delivered Sunday was both a prayer for peace and a reflection on the New Testament account of Christ's resurrection. Unlike sermons delivered at mosques across the country, Sunday's message was devoid of any politics.

(on camera): For Iraq's Christians, this Easter is a time of uncertainty. While there's belief that President Saddam Hussein is gone, there's considerable fear about what comes next.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But for the Christian people, you know, it's a new case for us especially in the case of wars. For example, before we have our custom, our Christian custom you know. Nobody asks us what we are doing or not but now we feel more afraid. We are more afraid now.

CLANCY (voice-over): This mother of four told us that under the former regime religion had some protection but the U.S. has made a war opposed by Pope John Paul, a war that has created a new situation and she fears for the breakup of Iraqi society.

For many the question now is whether a surge in Islamic fundamentalism from Iraq's Shia Muslims could impose the veil on Christian women, shut down restaurants, ban singing, dancing, and alcohol, or lead to outright persecution of their faith.

Throughout the centuries, the Chaldeans have suffered at the hands of invaders and emperors. It has been their deeply held faith that has allowed their community to survive. Christians are not immune to the same hardships suffered by Iraq's Muslims. This man pleaded that Americans don't realize how poor people really are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bread before come America, the bread it wasn't enough. Now 100 dinar, what America for us?

CLANCY: While the price of bread is expected to fall back with the restoration of security, many Christians wonder whether by invading Iraq the U.S. is unwittingly paving the way to a religious dictatorship. The first freedom, said Father Albert, is freedom of religion.

Already many in Iraq's Christian community have fled to Europe or the U.S. Many others want to remain in their homeland. As one man put it without any political power his future and those of other Iraqi Christians this Easter are as they have always been in the hands of God.

Jim Clancy, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com