08/03/2004: "And now a word from the 8th dimension..."

In response to the horrendous bombings of churches in Iraq, this just in from the World Council of Churches:

Responding to the news, the general secretary of the WCC, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia said "I was appalled to learn about the bombing of churches in Iraq. This action further undermines efforts to rebuild Iraq as a democratic society where all religious communities and peoples can live in harmony. The WCC has worked for many years to foster understanding and dialogue among Muslims and Christians, which have a long history of peaceful co-existence in the region.[That's a reference to dhimmitude, which apparently is an acceptable form of communal relationship for the WCC.-Ed.] The Council has been at the forefront of ecumenical efforts to promote peace in Iraq and condemned the US-led intervention in the country. WCC and its member churches have actively supported humanitarian relief work in Iraq since the conflict started. We strongly condemn all forms of violence which target religious communities or any group of people, and which seek to introduce religious enmity into this conflict." [Emphasis added]

I appreciate his expression of concern, but what rock has Kobia been living under? Sure, some of the people waging war against the US and the Iraqi people are secular Baathists, but many of them are Islamist fanatics. Al-Qaeda is run by Islamist fanatics. As far as it goes, much of the terror directed by the Saddam Hussein gangsters against their fellow Iraqis was religiously based, as the ruling Sunnis oppressed the majority Shiites. "Seek to introduce religious enmity into this conflict"? When will people like Kobia wake up and recognize that the murderers behind the Iraqi church bombings have been at war--excuse me, religious enmity--with the West for years? September 11 and all that?