One of the great ironies of George “Christian Soldier” Bush’s war is that since the invasion most of Iraq’s population has either fled, been killed or attends church services in secret for fear of being killed.

Personally, I was surprised to discover the depth Christianity’s history in Iraq until I read that the Christian community took root there after the Apostle Thomas headed east after the death of Jesus.

But now, after nearly 2,000 years, Iraqi Christians are being hunted, murdered and forced to flee — persecuted on a biblical scale in Iraq’s religious civil war

The only man in Iraq’s Christian community willing to speak out openly is the Reverend Canon Andrew White, an Anglican chaplain who was first sent there nine years ago by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He has a fanatical determination to save the last Iraqi Christians from the purge, but admits that he is fighting a losing battle.

Vicar of Iraq Interviewed by 60 Minutes

“The situation is now clearly worse” than under Saddam, White said. “There’s no comparison between now and then. Things are the most difficult then they have ever been for Christians. Probably ever in history. They’ve never known it like now.”

Saddam, it appears, treated Christians much the same as Muslims. Before the war, Iraq boasted an estimated one million Christians who free to worship, build churches and speak Aramaic, the ancient language of Jesus.

CONTINUE READING FOR MORE ON THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 Most people think of the Middle East as mostly Arab and Moslem but it is not the case. Before the seventh century invasion of the Middle East by Moslem Arabs the predominant population of Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq), Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt was none Arab Christians. The growth of Islam in these countries was not due to a sudden influx of Arabs but gradual conversion to Islam by the native population who later were termed Arabs. It was not until the eleventh century when Moslems became a majority in Iraq.

The teaching of the Syriac language was prohibited and Assyrians were forced to give their children Arabic names in an effort to undermine their true identity. Those who wished to hold governmental jobs had to sign ethnicity correction papers which declared them arabs.

The disappearance of the Christian population is not restricted to Iraq alone as it is taking place throughout the Middle East.