Iraqi Christians Attend Easter Services at Church in Baghdad

Dozens of Iraqi Christians gathered at Mar Yousuf Catholic Church in central Baghdad to celebrate Easter Sunday and attend Mass.


For Christians, Easter is a day of joy and hope, as they mark their belief that Jesus triumphed over death by resurrection following his crucifixion.


In Iraq, two decades of back-to-back conflicts have left ancient Christian communities, that were once a vibrant and integral part of the landscape, scattered and in ruins.


Iraq was estimated to have nearly 1.5 million Christians before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime.


Christians were among the first groups targeted amid the breakdown in security and sectarian bloodbath that prevailed for years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.


Christians in Iraq date back to the first centuries of the religion and include Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian and Armenian churches.