Reporters on the Job
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Fictional Killings? Correspondent Janaki Kremmer was one of those who was caught up in the hype of what looks like a hoax. She bought a copy of the nonfiction book "Forbidden Love" (
see story) before the Australian media discovered a string of factual errors that has left most observers doubting its veracity. "Growing up in India, I had read a lot about Pakistani honor killings," says Janaki. "This book got a lot of publicity in Australia as a 'true story' about honor killings. What intrigued me was the impression I had that Jordan was more progressive, so it wouldn't have this kind of problem.
"The author single-handedly raised the awareness about honor killings in Australia. She sold 200,000 copies of her book here. But now, the same people who donated money to support victims of these crimes feel betrayed," she says.
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Back to Pakistan: Staff writer Scott Baldauf had a moment of déjà vu while talking to Iraqi Christians for today's story about the church bombings in Baghdad and Mosul (
see story).
In 2002, Scott covered the bombing of a church in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, which killed five people including two Americans. That attack was the first in a series of attacks on Christian sites in the country. Then, as now, he encountered the same blend of fear and bravado he saw in Baghdad.
"The mood was very similar. No one wanted to admit they were intimidated, but they're clearly very worried," says Scott. He says there are other similarities as well, which makes him worried that this won't be the last such attack in Iraq. "Just as in Islamabad, the attackers appear to be using the local Christians as a proxy, in a way, for the Americans, who are harder to hit."
David Clark Scott
World editor
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CHURCH BOMBING:
Two Iraqi priests Monday viewed the wreckage of car inside the gates of the St. Peter and Paul Chaldean Catholic church in Baghdad. It was hit by one of five coordinated bombings of churches in Baghdad and Mosul on Sunday.
KAEL ALFORD/SPECIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
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