Dear Friends,
Greetings from a rainy Baghdad, where rain is considered a sign of G-d's blessing. The rain won't last long but we pray that the blessing will remain.
The Copenhagen agreement and Fatwa make a difference:
You can see a translation of the agreement and the fatwa here.
As you will remember all too well, the two month period before the Emergency Summit in Copenhagen was marked by regular and terrifying attacks against Christians, even in their own homes.
The good news is that, since this fatwa and declaration were issued, there have been no major attacks on Christians. Let us pray that this continues. Sadly there have been many attacks and deaths amongst other groups. We pray G-d's comfort for those who mourn and we will continue to work for peace for all people, regardless of their religion or background.
Yesterday, for example, we were with my dear friend Ayatollah Hossain Al Sadr. As well as being a very influential Shia cleric he also models reconciliation in his own life and is a powerful ally in our fight for peace.
A number of ambassadors to Iraq have met us to congratulate us following the Copenhagen Summit and some are now encouraging their governments to follow the wonderful example set by the Danes. We pray that we will find favour in the eyes of those in authority; it is in their gift to enable this vital work to continue.
St George's church; we are not alone
It is really important to me, to Faiz and to all the congregation of St George's to know that we do not stand alone. As well as having countless brothers and sisters like you all around the world, we are also part of the Anglican Communion.
This past week, we have been very blessed as our Bishop Michael Lewis and Archdeacon Bill Schwartz have been here, teaching us, praying with us and, in particular, supporting Faiz as he takes his last steps towards being ordained as a priest in the summer.
Bishop Michael has also been able to meet with fellow bishops from other denominations and tomorrow he will have a very important meeting with Cardinal Deli.
It has been so good having the Bishop and Archdeacon here, working alongside us, but we were also able to take them to the incredible Khadamiyah Shrine, which is one of the Shia holy sites. The Bishop said this was one of the highlights of this trip.
Just after they leave we will be having two American filmmakers visiting us who are making a Christian programme about young people in Iraq, which will feature many of our own young people.
Despite all of the busyness, the hard work and the late nights, we continue to give thanks to the Almighty, the one who was and is and is to come.
