The Vatican , Al Qaeda , and The New "Protector of the Chaldean Catholics"

Some Catholics have not yet recovered from the fact that Pope Benedict did not from the White House Lawn demand a immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Despite the spin this is not at all the official Vatican position.

I have noted many of times the latest American Bishops statement on Iraq. Especially the following:
The grave moral concerns we and others raised prior to the war now give way to new moral questions. In the current situation the traditional principles of “noncombatant immunity” and “probability of success” suggest these questions: How can we minimize the further loss of human lives? What actions will do the most good and least harm? What elements of a responsible transition are attainable? How can they be achieved? What actions should be avoided? How can decision makers take into account both the realities and setbacks in Iraq and the likely human consequences of rapid withdrawal.

Of course to answer these questions one must exert effort to know what is going on. However much of the Catholic Blog land as to Iraq mirrors the general public and media. The media only pays attention when something bad happens so it can chime in on doom and gloom. What is worse as we saw in the horrible reporting of the New York Times a few weeks back it is often wrong or to be charitable misleading.

Anyway there is a must read post here that is very illuminating. Go see The Vatican, The Anbar Awakening and the "Protector of the Chaldean Catholics"

The article deals withg Iraqi Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, President of the revival in Iraq . Needless to say he important.

We learn from the above Post that the Vatican and Pope Benedict have taken a interest in him and have communicated with him!!!

We learn this interesting tidbit:
As readers are no doubt aware, by virtue of their Christian faith, the Chaldeans have been subject to horrible persecution, the imposition of jaziyah, kidnappings and even targeted assassinations by Al Qaeda in Iraq.

As my source reports, Sheikh Iyad has apparently agreed to join the Sahawa [Awakening], allowing Sheikh Ahmad to add "Protector of the Chaldean Catholics" to his list of formal titles in a public ceremony covered by Arab media:

After hearing Sheikh Iyad's account of the suffering that the Chaldean Catholics have endured in Iraq, Sheikh Ahmad publicly declared that from this time forward they would be under his protection, that anyone who killed a Chaldean will be regarded as one who has killed in a member of his tribe (under the medieval Islamic concept of qisas this is a capital offense), and money will be provided from the Sahawa al-Iraq treasury to rebuild the churches and cemeteries that al-Qaeda destroyed. He justified this by quoting from the Qu'ran and stating that there should be no compulsion in matters of religion because truth stands free from error.

Consequently, in a moment of Muslim-Christian solidarity, it would appear that the Chaldeans have a new and very significant protector from persecution at the hands of Al Qaeda.

Well all this sounds pretty significant and perhaps should be filed away in our memory banks as we American Catholics as contemplate the “probability of success” that the Bishops wish us to consider.

The whole article is a very good read.