Easter in the Land of the Martyrs

I just finished reading this great article over at the National Catholic Register called Easter in the Land of the Martyrs.  It's a touching account of what some Iraqi Christians suffer, as well as how the church has grown stronger as a result of persecution.  Here's a small snip, be sure to read the rest.

Some radical Muslims want to “cleanse” Iraq of Christians. Others associate Christians with the West, and therefore with the enemy, and feel justified in attacking them.

Especially in Archbishop Rahho’s Mosul.

After radical Muslims misrepresented Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Regensburg, Germany, to anger their followers, it was in Mosul that an Orthodox priest was kidnapped and then beheaded.

Archbishop Rahho’s secretary, Father Ragheed Ganni, described modern life in the ancient town that was known as a rough place even in Old Testament times, when it was called Nineveh.