Iraq fetes diversity with Christian party

BAGHDAD — Trying to demonstrate just how much safer Baghdad is these days, Iraqi officials threw a party for Christians on Saturday, complete with huge posters of Jesus Christ.

A skinny Santa Claus draped in an Iraqi flag also made an appearance.

Despite being slightly outnumbered by the huge security detail protecting the event, the crowd of Christians and Muslims called it a positive sign for the country.

"Such activities make me feel happy and joyful," said Saba Tariq, 40, a Shiite who attended the celebration. "It reminds me that we are rejecting the ideas of sectarianism. Before, it was getting to the point where we didn't trust our neighbors."

Amu Baba, a well-known Iraqi soccer coach and a Christian, said he wasn't sure what to expect. But when he saw the mixed crowd celebrating different religions, he said, "This should prove to Christians who live abroad that they should return to their beloved country, which is Iraq."

Brig. Gen. Alaa Al-Taie, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry that sponsored the event, told the Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that the main goal was "to take another step forward in improving the social relations among Iraqis, especially for our Christian brothers who share this homeland with us."

Al-Taie said more than 400 Christian families have returned to Dora, which had been plagued by violence against Christians.