Iraqi Christians cautious about new constitution

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (BP) -The draft constitution Iraqis will vote on Oct. 15 resembles the buffet at your local cafeteria: There’s something for nearly every taste, but mixing it all together promises unpredictable results.

That goes double where religion is concerned, according to some analysts. Even if the constitution is adopted with strong guarantees of religious freedom for all, Iraqi Christians say, it won’t protect the rights of religious minorities unless majority Muslim groups respect those guarantees.

“The government cannot guarantee what the local community refuses to allow,” a spokesman for Iraqi evangelical Christians said in early September. “Society and the [Muslim] religious communities do not yet grant us freedom to worship as we see fit, but only within their context. Even if there are statements about freedom of worship in the constitution, the local community will interpret what is honorable worship and behavior.”"
The Kurdistani