{"id":244,"date":"2014-09-02T19:16:54","date_gmt":"2014-09-02T19:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/66.147.242.160\/~stumbli4\/?p=244"},"modified":"2014-09-02T22:48:22","modified_gmt":"2014-09-02T22:48:22","slug":"someone-said-dignity-and-they-really-meant-dignity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/?p=244","title":{"rendered":"Someone Said ‘Dignity’ and He Really Meant Dignity!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"henry<\/a><\/p>\n

I have a great great fear that, come the day of judgment, Our Lady will not be smiling upon our cowardice. She is the Queen of soldiers (not warriors.)\u00a0 Her son is Christ.<\/p>\n

The meanness and depravity of men in the face of terrific injustice against God and our brothers will mark us among the generations who face God.\u00a0 A very small and subhuman crop of men, the type without mothers or fathers, raised by the machine, with no sense of who we are; this is our time.<\/p>\n

Then today, from the Land of ISIS there’s a story of an actual Christian<\/a>!\u00a0 It’s a man too, not some amorphous corpus.<\/p>\n

Tired of persecution and threats from the militant Islamic group known as ISIS, some members of Iraq\u2019s Christian minority have decided to take up arms and fight to defend their homes and families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep talking about Jesus and peace, and now we’ve reached the point where it’s not enough,\u201d said Henry Sarkis, who heads up the Assyrian Patriotic Party.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Could he possibly have summed up the Church Militant any better?\u00a0 Talk is nothing.<\/p>\n

Assyrians are an ancient people who have lived in Iraq for millennia. They are traditionally Christian. The Assyrian Patriotic Party is only one of many Assyrian political organizations, but the group\u2019s leadership has decided to join forces with the Kurdish Peshmerga, the defense forces for the country\u2019s Kurdish minority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe age of waiting for the Peshmerga to take back territory while we sit is over. We took the decision that, with our limited abilities, we will try to participate,\u201d Sarkis told National Geographic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re being killed in our homes, so why not defend ourselves? Then even if we die, we die with dignity,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn’t want to reach this point \u2014 we just want to live in our areas.\u201d [This is the essence of the Christian soldier.\u00a0 “We just want to live and love God.”\u00a0 This is what our leaders who hate us and teach us call the evil Crusades.]<\/span><\/p>\n

Christians make up less than 1 percent of Iraq\u2019s population, according CIA statistics cited by The Christian Post. Their numbers have reportedly dwindled from about 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 500,000 today. [The U.S. Occupation has decimated the Christian population. Why?]<\/span><\/p>\n

Some fear that the decision to fight will make Christians more of a target for sectarian violence.<\/p>\n

Duraid Tobiya, an Assyrian from the city of Mosul which was overrun by ISIS fighters in June, said only about 40 of the city\u2019s estimated 10,000 Christians remain. When ISIS takes over an area they insist that everyone living there convert to Islam or pay a tax for not converting or face execution. The Christians who remain in the city were deemed either too old or too poor to pay the ISIS tax. The rest of the Christians have fled the city, Tobiya explained.<\/p>\n

Still, Tobiya believes the area\u2019s Christians have only two options. He says Christians can either emigrate en masse or seek protection from international organizations.<\/p>\n

He prefers the latter option because he fears neither the Peshmerga nor the Iraqi forces will be able to defend the Christian population should ISIS decide to target them specifically once they begin to fight with the Peshmerga.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

That is the discouraging ‘voice of reason.’\u00a0 He is probably right, but also wrong.\u00a0 When is it right not to fight?<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Tired of persecution and threats from the militant Islamic group known as ISIS, some members of Iraq\u2019s Christian minority have decided to take up arms and fight to defend their homes and families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep talking about Jesus and peace, and now we’ve reached the point where it’s not enough,\u201d said Henry Sarkis, who heads up the Assyrian Patriotic Party.<\/p>\n

Assyrians are an ancient people who have lived in Iraq for millennia. They are traditionally Christian. The Assyrian Patriotic Party is only one of many Assyrian political organizations, but the group\u2019s leadership has decided to join forces with the Kurdish Peshmerga, the defense forces for the country\u2019s Kurdish minority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe age of waiting for the Peshmerga to take back territory while we sit is over. We took the decision that, with our limited abilities, we will try to participate,\u201d Sarkis told National Geographic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re being killed in our homes, so why not defend ourselves? Then even if we die, we die with dignity,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn’t want to reach this point \u2014 we just want to live in our areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Assyrian Christians are being persecuted by ISIS fighters. The acronym stands for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The group seeks to establish to a caliphate or Muslim state that enforces strict Sunni Muslim law. The group has persecuted and attacked Assyrians as well as another ancient minority known as the Yazidis.<\/p>\n

Christians make up less than 1 percent of Iraq\u2019s population, according CIA statistics cited by The Christian Post<\/a>. Their numbers have reportedly dwindled from about 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 500,000 today.<\/p>\n

Some fear that the decision to fight will make Christians more of a target for sectarian violence.<\/p>\n

Duraid Tobiya, an Assyrian from the city of Mosul which was overrun by ISIS fighters in June, said only about 40 of the city\u2019s estimated 10,000 Christians remain. When ISIS takes over an area they insist that everyone living there convert to Islam or pay a tax for not converting or face execution. The Christians who remain in the city were deemed either too old or too poor to pay the ISIS tax. The rest of the Christians have fled the city, Tobiya explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m from Mosul \u2014 this is the first time I’ve been displaced,\u201d he said. “I lived through everything else that happened in Mosul, but it’s all very different from what’s happening now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Tobiya believes the area\u2019s Christians have only two options. He says Christians can either emigrate en masse or seek protection from international organizations.<\/p>\n

He prefers the latter option because he fears neither the Peshmerga nor the Iraqi forces will be able to defend the Christian population should ISIS decide to target them specifically once they begin to fight with the Peshmerga.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are against emigration, because we are not only the sons of this country but its original inhabitants,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must protect ourselves \u2014 and also have international protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

– See more at: http:\/\/www.opposingviews.com\/i\/religion\/tired-isis-persecution-some-iraqi-christians-take-arms-fight#sthash.l1kqr3Lj.dpuf<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Tired of persecution and threats from the militant Islamic group known as ISIS, some members of Iraq\u2019s Christian minority have decided to take up arms and fight to defend their homes and families.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep talking about Jesus and peace, and now we’ve reached the point where it’s not enough,\u201d said Henry Sarkis, who heads up the Assyrian Patriotic Party.<\/p>\n

Assyrians are an ancient people who have lived in Iraq for millennia. They are traditionally Christian. The Assyrian Patriotic Party is only one of many Assyrian political organizations, but the group\u2019s leadership has decided to join forces with the Kurdish Peshmerga, the defense forces for the country\u2019s Kurdish minority.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe age of waiting for the Peshmerga to take back territory while we sit is over. We took the decision that, with our limited abilities, we will try to participate,\u201d Sarkis told National Geographic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re being killed in our homes, so why not defend ourselves? Then even if we die, we die with dignity,\u201d he said. \u201cWe didn’t want to reach this point \u2014 we just want to live in our areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Assyrian Christians are being persecuted by ISIS fighters. The acronym stands for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The group seeks to establish to a caliphate or Muslim state that enforces strict Sunni Muslim law. The group has persecuted and attacked Assyrians as well as another ancient minority known as the Yazidis.<\/p>\n

Christians make up less than 1 percent of Iraq\u2019s population, according CIA statistics cited by The Christian Post<\/a>. Their numbers have reportedly dwindled from about 1.5 million in 2003 to less than 500,000 today.<\/p>\n

Some fear that the decision to fight will make Christians more of a target for sectarian violence.<\/p>\n

Duraid Tobiya, an Assyrian from the city of Mosul which was overrun by ISIS fighters in June, said only about 40 of the city\u2019s estimated 10,000 Christians remain. When ISIS takes over an area they insist that everyone living there convert to Islam or pay a tax for not converting or face execution. The Christians who remain in the city were deemed either too old or too poor to pay the ISIS tax. The rest of the Christians have fled the city, Tobiya explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m from Mosul \u2014 this is the first time I’ve been displaced,\u201d he said. “I lived through everything else that happened in Mosul, but it’s all very different from what’s happening now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Tobiya believes the area\u2019s Christians have only two options. He says Christians can either emigrate en masse or seek protection from international organizations.<\/p>\n

He prefers the latter option because he fears neither the Peshmerga nor the Iraqi forces will be able to defend the Christian population should ISIS decide to target them specifically once they begin to fight with the Peshmerga.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are against emigration, because we are not only the sons of this country but its original inhabitants,\u201d he said. \u201cWe must protect ourselves \u2014 and also have international protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

– See more at: http:\/\/www.opposingviews.com\/i\/religion\/tired-isis-persecution-some-iraqi-christians-take-arms-fight#sthash.l1kqr3Lj.dpu<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have a great great fear that, come the day of judgment, Our Lady will not be smiling upon our cowardice. She is the Queen of soldiers (not warriors.)\u00a0 Her son is Christ. The meanness and depravity of men in the face of terrific injustice against God and our brothers will mark us among the …<\/span> Read More →<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[36,37],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-assyrian-patriotic-party","tag-henry-sarkis"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=244"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":258,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244\/revisions\/258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stumblingblock.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}