Baghdad, Iraq- For the first time, the Christians and general Iraqi population were able to celebrate Christmas in Iraq. Iraq is a country that is mostly Muslim, and for the first time Christmas was quietly celebrated by those so inclined. The biggest Christmas present? A proclamation by the Iraqi Government announcing that Christmas is now a official Iraqi Government holiday, on the calendar for the first time.
The members of the community in Iraq that are Christians are few and far between, and in the north there have been a number of recent threats that have overshadowed the celebration. Many of the Christians in Iraq have relocated to the Northern part of Iraq. But there have been several attacks, including a car bomb on Christmas Morning in a marketplace in Baghdad.
The car bomb was just outside a well known restaurant that is known to have members of the local Iraqi police stop by on a daily basis. It is a harsh and gruesome reminder of the different types of serious problems that still remain.
There was also an attack on a oil pipeline in the Kirkuk region, and while a serious attack, pumping will be restored in about three days.
