Published on Al Bawaba (http://www.albawaba.com)

Christmas in Iraq

Published December 24th, 2010 - 17:35 GMT

Jordanians sing the '12 Days of Christmas', the Church of Scientology operates in Morocco, 'Syria as it used to be' part 3, Beirut lights, and spare a thought for Christians in Iraq...
A nun prays at the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on December 24, 2010 as the Holy Land prepares to mark Christmas
© 2010 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com [1])
See video [2]
MAYSALOON [3]
‘Twas the night before Christmas
Maysaloon uses rhyme to highlight the plight of Christians in Baghdad, in a post which includes: “For the first time in decades in grand old Baghdad Noel won't be coming and there are none to be sad. For here in this city, for the first time in ages Christians are fleeing, erased from her pages” For Maysaloon Christmas in the Middle East is a time to reflect on anxietites: Christian festivities were cancelled by the Israeli mayor in Jerusalem while in Iraq “Christians are leaving in the droves.” The blogger concludes that the trend is most pronounced in countries occupied by western forces, and that “there is probably more Christmas cheer in Riyadh today than there is in Bethlehem.”
ALMIRAATBLOG [4]
The Church of Scientology in Morocco
The Church of Scientology was operating in Morocco as early as the 1960s and 1970s. According to one journalist the Church tried to infiltrate the palace and formed connections with senior military officials. It’s alleged that the sect played a role in training Moroccan secret agents, based on a quotation from testimonials in the States... but it doesn’t read entirely clearly....
MAYA’S AMALGAM [5]
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
What kind of Christmas lights to you like – street lights, tree lights, or Christmas traffic lights!?
GUYMEETSWORLD [6]
Christmas Magazine Covers
Guymeetsworld compares four magazine covers. Oprah lights Ellen Degeneres up with Christmas lights, Snoop Dog smokes candy cane... as well as two slightly more risqué additions…
SYRIA NEWS WIRE [7]
Syria as it used to be – part 3
The Syria news wire features the final selection of historical photographs from Camille Alexandre Otrakji, in what is probably the best of the three-part series. Images include Victoria Bridge over the Barada River in Damascus in the 1870s ,a bus in Damascus from 1920, a Jewish wedding in Aleppo in 1914 as well as a street scene in Aleppo in 1900. The post also includes links to Parts 1 and 2 of the series.
CINNAMON ZOO [8]
The Crying Horse
Cinnamon Zoo features a photo of a horse crying... she says that according to the stableman he ‘wasn’t sick’ but simply ‘old and sad.’
BEIRUTSPRING.COM [9]
This is Outrageous Even by Lebanese Standards
Beirutspring quotes a labour minister in Lebanon who is calling for “restrictions on the sale of land from one sect to the another.”
ANDFARAWAY.NET [10]
Christmas the Jordanian way
Jordanians sing their own particular version of the “12 days of Christmas.” Video in Arabic with no subtitles, embedded above.
Source URL: http://www.albawaba.com/christmas-iraq

Links:
[1] http://www.albawaba.com
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9j8eCO4-tQ
[3] http://maysaloon.blogspot.com/2010/12/twas-night-before-christmas.html
[4] http://almiraatblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/the-church-of-scientology-in-morocco/
[5] http://mayazankoul.com/2010/12/24/christmas-lights/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+mayazankoul/zHXS+(Maya's+Amalgam)
[6] http://guymeetsworld.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/christmas-magazine-covers/
[7] http://newsfromsyria.com/2010/12/24/syria-as-it-used-to-be-part-3/
[8] http://oeliwat.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/the-crying-horse/
[9] http://beirutspring.com/blog/2010/12/23/this-is-outrageous-even-by-lebanese-standards/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+beirutspring/fb_feed+(The+Beirut+Spring)
[10] http://andfaraway.net/blog/2010/12/23/christmas-the-jordanian-way/