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Iraqi Santa brings holiday cheer to Kirkuk
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Iraqi Santa brings holiday cheer to Kirkuk

It???s not easy being Santa in Iraq these days. The Christian population of the country has almost halved in the last 5 years, from about 1.5 million to 750,000. Christians in Iraq have been subject to terror and intimidation and many no longer feel safe in their homeland.

Things are particularly bad in the Northern city of Kirkuk. Here ethnic rivalries have been responsible for much bloodshed. Only a few weeks ago a bomb in a restaurant killed no less than 50 diners. Much of the rivalry is between the Muslim Arabs and Kurds, yet Christians often find themselves in the crossfire.

None of this has stopped Michael Yaqoub, one of the towns regular Santa???s servicing the local Christian population of over 30,000 people. Yaqoub has played Santa for over thirty years and wouldn???t dream of missing a Christmas. A jeweller during the week, Yaqoub says his Santa outfit is his most proud possession ???Even in the worst of times when I put this on a feel a sudden joy and happiness??? says Yaqoub.

Yaqoub is from the Assyrian Catholic Church, a unique group that is neither Catholic, despite its name, nor Orthodox, and has theological views that were regarded historically as somewhat heretical by the mainstream Christian churches. Assyrian Christians are often referred to as Nestorians. They are one of a number of native Christian groups in Iraq. Unsurprisingly many of these various sects are tangled in age old disagreements. The Chaldean Catholic Church, a group that is in fact part of the wider Catholic Church has been locked in disputes with the Assyrian Catholic Church for centuries.

Both of these groups claim to be the descendants of the Assyrians and Babylonians and the inheritors of the pre-Arabic culture of the area. The Assyrians sometimes deny the authenticity of the Chaldeans lineage, but Yaqoub says that these disputes are fading with time. ???We speak the language of Christ, Aramaic; we were one of the first groups to accept Christianity. We are the children of the Babylonians and we live in the cradle of civilization??? continues Yaqoub.

???Recent war has made our lives miserable and since Saddam has gone little has improved; in fact things have got worse for us. We no longer feel safe even walking the streets. I can only pray for this conflict to end???. Yaqoub says his main goal in being Santa is to bring joy to the local children of his co-religionists but insists he regards all Iraqi???s including Muslims as his brothers. ???We always lived in peace with Muslims, but things have changed and extremism has gained the upper hand: I love my Muslim neighbours no less than I love Christians.???

On Christmas he walks the streets of Kirkuk and visits as many Christian children as he can, giving them small toys. ???It is what I can afford: You should see the looks on their faces, such joy??? Yaqoub exclaims with genuine enthusiasm. ???People here, especially the children have seen misery and at least on Christmas they should feel warmth, isn???t this what Christmas is about?'

Yaqoub is not optimistic about the future of his community ???I think our long history in this area is tragically coming to its end??? he says ???However when I see the children???s faces light up when I come into their homes I am filled with hope, even the Muslim children in the area are excited to see me: if we can just teach them the right way they will be the future??? concludes Kirkuk???s weary Santa.

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Ya'aqub Younan-Levine
Aramaica.org
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