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A young seminarian named Shan, who now lives in Amman, said he hopes the elections will help deal a blow to the insurgency. "Perhaps the resistance will be weakened because the Iraqis have been empowered by voting in a new government." Six Christians will serve in the new National Assembly.

"For me," he said, "it doesn't matter whether a Christian or a Muslim is at Iraq's helm. What matters is whether the Christian voice there is being heard."

Dale Gavlak, a journalist based in Amman, Jordan, has covered the Middle East for 15 years.

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Posted last week was an article about Christians in the broader Middle East: "The Risks of Regime Change | Middle Eastern Christians might end up more repressed under democracy than under dictators."

Other Christianity Today coverage on Iraq, along with a special section on the war, includes:

Voting Against Anarchy | The greatest threat to liberty in Iraq is not international terrorism. (A Christianity Today editorial, Feb. 18, 2005)

Losing Jesus' Language | The Assyrians, Iraq's main Christian population, struggle to keep their heritage and their ancient language. (Feb. 04, 2005)

Iraq's Christians Disenfranchised at Home and in U.S. | Assyrians are fighting for survival in a region that has long sought their ouster. (Jan. 31, 2005)

Fighting Flight | Christians call for commitment in wake of church bombings. (Sept. 03, 2004)

Iraq's Church Bombers vs. Muhammad | Attacks defy the Prophet's wish for the area's millennia-old Christian community, which is now on the edge of oblivion. (Aug. 06, 2004)

Emerging from the Shadows | House-church Christians start renting buildings, and dream of evangelism. (March 11, 2004)

Iraq's Good Samaritans | This past summer, pundits predicted that Iraqis would resent Franklin Graham's ministry. What really happened when the workers showed up? (Oct. 24, 2003)

Daring to Dream Again | Chaldean Christians connect with other believers. (July 14, 2003)

Damping the Fuse in Iraq | A veteran peacemaker discusses how religion can help stave off religious conflict after Saddam. (July 09, 2003)

The Mother of All Liberties | Full religious freedom for Iraq is not negotiable. (June 2, 2003)

No Strings Attached | Christians seek to balance relief work and evangelism in Iraq. (May 20, 2003)

Mercy in Baghdad | North Americans endure bombing to chronicle the war's effects on civilians. (May 7, 2003)

Before the Refugee Dam Breaks | Agencies prepare to help up to 900,000 people in Iraq War. (April 24, 2003)

Apocalypse Again and Again | The Bible doesn't tell us when to go to war but how to live in a war-ridden world. (April 16, 2003)

As Baghdad Falls, Agencies Brace for Flood of Work | Aid and mine removal teams could move into Iraq within days. (April 11, 2003)

Mixing Iraq Aid and the Gospel Stirs Debate | Critics say proselytizing can reflect negatively on other relief groups and governments. (April 04, 2003)

Evangelicals Plan to Minister to Iraqis' Needs—Physical and Spiritual | Evangelism efforts will join relief work, say Southern Baptist Convention and Samaritan's Purse (March 27, 2003)

Relief Agencies Prepare to Help Iraqi Refugees | Meanwhile Christians in Baghdad fear the worst. (March 26, 2003)

Keeping Their Heads Down | Vital but dwindling Christians face many pressures. (Nov. 8, 2002)

Death by Sanctions | Iraqi Christians persevere in spite of Saddam Hussein and 10 years of an economic embargo. (Oct. 2, 2000)

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April 2005, Vol. 49, No. 4