BAGHDAD, December 25 (IslamOnline.net) – Thousands of Iraqi Christians forwent the joy of celebrating the birth of Jesus partly over deteriorating security in the country and partly in solidarity with fellow grief-stricken Muslims.

For the first time in Iraqi history, most Christians would not hold traditional Christmas services, put up tinsel-covered trees or listen to the tinny-voiced children's choir.

The archbishop of the northern city of Kirkuk, Louis Sako, decided in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net, to cancel Christmas celebrations this year, consoling the Christian community that prayers were most needed now to bring back peace and security to the war-torn country.

"This decision was also taken in solidarity with our Muslim brothers, who failed to celebrate `Eid Al-Fitr with their loved ones and relatives and with our Christian brothers whose churches had been bombed in Baghdad and Mosul," read the statement.

It further made clear that Iraqi Christians should not be placed in one basket with the foreign occupation authorities because of their religion, asserting that bombing churches and terrifying people would not force the occupiers out of the country.

"Christians and Muslims in Iraq have been living in harmony and peace for decades and I don’t think that Iraqis are behind such terrorist attacks (on churches) but rather foreign hands to pit our communities against one another," bishop Peous, the pastor of a church in Baghdad’s posh Al-Mansour district, told IOL.

Iraqi Muslim leaders strongly condemned the string of blasts that targeted churches across the country as an "inhumane" bid to disrupt Iraq’s national unity.

Under Shari `ah, non-Muslims shall enjoy special rights and protection. Islam makes it clear that Muslims are not allowed under any circumstances to burn holy places or books of non-Muslims or to abuse them.

Home Service

Many Iraqi Christians spent the Christmas Eve home and held low-profile services because of the deteriorating security situation.

"I invited my relatives and brothers to my home here in Baghdad. We decorated a small Christmas tree with lights and toys and ate confectionary," Jihan Nasri, a housewife, told IOL.

Inside, however, she was distraught at missing the traditional carol concert at the church.

"We can’t feel Christmas this year as our country is beleaguered with grisly indiscriminate bombings that claim innocent lives and devastated worship places mosques and churches alike," added Ravi Polus.

In a statement Wednesday, the bishops council of the northern governorate of Ninawa also called off Christmas celebrations and said churches would only host prayers.

The instability has taken its toll further to Christmas tree sales.

"Last year I sold a record 500 trees against only 100 this year," Hassan Sadek told said.

Christians reportedly account for about three percent (around 800,000 people) of the population of Iraq, where attempts to provoke sectarian strife have mainly focused on Sunnis and Shiites.

The main Christian denominations in Iraq are the Assyrian, the Chaldean and the Orthodox.