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"Unlike other mainly Islamic countries, Turkey does not follow provisions of Islamic law that forbid Muslims to change their religion or exact the death penalty on those who do. But conversion to Christianity is discouraged, and Diyarbakir Kilisesi has endured two lawsuits filed by the local governor's office to shut it down."

But the congregation won both lawsuits, which Mattix says may be because of Europe's pressure for Turkey to clean up its human-rights abuses.

Still there is a long way to go. "The laws aren't in place to make us fully legal," Mr. Mattix said. "We need full legality to function as a church and to run a children's program. But any work with children needs permission from the Ministry of Education. But this will take massive rewriting of Turkish law."

Giovanni Scognamillo, 75, believes his is the last generation of his community. "The young now go live abroad."

Hopefully, with EU membership, other Christian communities in Turkey will fare better.

More on Turkey & Christians:

• Explosion damages Istanbul cathedral | An explosion shattered windows at the seat of the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians in Istanbul on Thursday, officials said. There were no reports of injuries. (Associated Press)
• Turkish P.M. says people of different religions can worship freely in Turkey | Answering questions of members of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Erdogan said that all Christians and Jews could perform their religious ceremonies in Orthodox and Catholic churches, and synagogues, and noted that nobody could claim that religious ceremonies were obstructed in Turkey. (Turkish Press, Turkey)
• Christian church may hold key to European Union | Some governments — among them those of Britain, Greece, Finland and Poland — favor Turkey's admission to the union. Others, including Denmark and Austria, oppose it. Turkey's lackluster human rights record, especially regarding political prisoners, and slowness to allow religious freedom are two of the sticking points in the debate. (Washington Times)

Muslims in the U.S.:

• Mystery of the Islamic scholar who was barred by the U.S. | Nine days before his family's scheduled departure for the United States, Mr. Ramadan, 42, a Swiss theologian of Egyptian descent who is probably Europe's best-known Muslim intellectual, received an urgent message from the American consul in Switzerland: Washington had just revoked the visa granted him after a security review last spring. (The New York Times)
• Islam has place in U.S. studies, educator says | That governments should spend more money on education than weapons is a given, but if educators spent more time teaching about peaceful heroes, there might not be a need for weapons. (Gary Post Tribune, Ind.)

Iraq's women begin wearing head scarf:

• Secular Iraq women take up the head scarf | Many women who bared their heads and dressed in Western-style clothes in Saddam Hussein's secular Iraq have started covering up -- some out of Islamic devotion, others in a desperate bid to shield themselves from the torrent of violence that has swept the country since the dictator's fall. (Associated Press)
• Veil has only recently reappeared in Iraq | Although associated with Arab tradition, the head scarf came to modern Iraq relatively recently. (Associated Press)

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October (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48