Christians in Iraq are holding their breath as protests and violence in parts of the Middle East continue over comments made by the Pope last week on Islam.
The minority faith group in Iraq has managed to withstand not only the turmoils of more recent months but also the pressures of the last few centuries, all by keeping a low profile. But now they are fearful that anger among both Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims could turn into violent confrontation with churches and their followers in Iraq."We're not afraid of our neighbourhoods turning against us, because we've lived with them for generations," said 35-year-old Christian grocery shop owner Iskandar in Baghdad, according to Reuters.
"But our fear is that the al Qaeda types will start targeting churches again, like they have with Shi'ite mosques."
Christians in Iraq remain anxious that the Pope's comments on Islam have made their lives less safe, and some have even joined with their Muslim neighbours in calling the remarks offensive.
"We, Christians and Muslims, have lived together for thousands of years in this city," said Qais abu Saimon, a Christian in Mosul, an ethnically and religiously mixed northern city with one of the country's largest Christian communities.
"Anything that offends them offends us also."
Uttor, a nun in the same city said: "If I were sitting there when the Pope was delivering his speech, I would ask him not to talk about this subject because it is very sensitive."
The fledgling government in Iraq was quick to urge the Muslim majority in the country not to take revenge on members of the Christian community following the Pope's remarks.
