Baghdad’s Zeytoon St. was also decorated as part of the Christmas and New Year celebrations, along with other parts of the city. Iraq’s Christians have been heavily persecuted by ISIS, and their population began dwindling since the U.S occupation of Iraq in 2003, as takfiri militants targeted them on several occasions. Thousands of them fled Mosul when ISIS gained large amounts of land in its sweeping offensive in the summer of 2014.“ (Bericht auf MuslimPress: „Iraqi Muslim Soldiers Erect Largest Christmas Tree in Iraq in Solidarity with Christians)