Political Quotes

“With the exception of Israel, the Bible contains more references to the cities, regions, and nations of ancient Iraq than any other country. The patriarch Abraham came from a city in Iraq called Ur. Isaac's bride, Rebekah, came from northwest Iraq. Jacob spent 20 years in Iraq, and his sons--the 12 tribes of Israel--were born in northwest Iraq. A remarkable spiritual revival as told in the Book of Jonah occurred in Nineveh. The events of the Book of Esther took place in Iraq, as did the account of Daniel in the Lions' Den. Monday's New York Times' piece also quotes a Muslim woman at a prayer service on Sunday at a church in Baghdad, whispering to a Christian woman sitting in the pew next to her: ``You are the true original people here. We are so sorry for what has been done to you in the name of Islam.'' On June 16, for the first time in 1,600 years, there was no mass said in Mosul. Pope Francis on Sunday expressed concern about what was unfolding in Mosul and in other parts of the Middle East, noting that these communities since the beginning of Christianity have ``coexisted there alongside their fellow citizens, making a significant contribution to the good of society. Today, they are persecuted,'' the Pope said. ``Our brothers are persecuted. They are cast out.…”