by Ben Cohen, Open Doors
The Palm Sunday celebrations in Northern Iraq usually are big celebrations to commemorate Jesus entering Jerusalem.
Celebrants wave palm branches, carry olive leaves and wave small flags declaring “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hallelujah.”
It’s an all-age event with everyone from small children singing with big smiles, to elderly believers walking slowly along the route as they pray. Often you will see thousands of Christians on the streets, following the cross.
It’s a day when girls and women dress up in their traditional, glittery and colorful clothes. Many of the boys and men also wear their traditional clothes.
That is how Palm Sunday should look and sound in the country’s predominantly Christian towns. However, as hostilities continue across the region, the events, usually a high point of the Christian calendar, have all been cancelled.
The war in the region has put paid to all this. Iraq is one of Iran’s neighbours and there are several Iranian backed militias present in the country.