For Iraq's Christians, a bittersweet first Christmas home after Islamic StateTELESKOF, Iraq (Reuters) - Inside the newly renovated Church of Saint George in the Northern Iraqi town of Teleskof, Hayat Chamoun Daoud led children dressed as Santa Claus singing  Jingle Bells  in Aramaic. Like every other resident of Teleskof, this was Daoud s first Christmas back home in three years, since Islamic State militants overran her town and forcibly displaced its 12,000-strong Chaldean Christian community.    It s so special to be back in my church, the church where I got married, the church I raised my children in,  the school headmistress said, tears in her eyes. Faced with a choice to convert, pay a tax or die, Daoud, like many other Christians in the Nineveh Plains, chose to flee. Most sought refuge in nearby towns and cities, but many sought permanent asylum abroad. Though the militants were only in Teleskof for a few days, residents only began returning home earlier this year.  On Sunday, they celebrated their first Christmas together again at the town s main church, which was overflowing. Hundreds of congregants, dressed in their finest, poured in to pray and receive communion from Father Salar Bodagh, who later lit the traditional bonfire in the church s courtyard, a symbol of renewal he said. Despite the obvious joys of being able to celebrate openly once again, it was a bittersweet Christmas for most across the Nineveh Plains, the epicenter of Iraq s ancient Christian communities which can trace their history in the country back two millennia. Though Iraq declared full victory over the militants just two weeks ago after a brutal three-year war, the damage done to Christian enclaves was extensive, and left many wondering whether they could overcome their recent history. Islamic State ravaged Christian areas, looting and burning down homes and churches, stripping them of all valuable artifacts and smashing relics.  The damage in Qaraqosh, a town 15 km (10 miles) west of Mosul also known as Hamdaniya, was extensive, particularly to the town s ancient churches. At the Syrian Catholic Church of the Immaculate, congregants gathered for midnight Mass on Sunday surrounded by scorched and blackened walls, still tagged with Islamic State graffiti. They also sat on donated plastic chairs - the church has not yet been able to replace the wooden pews the militants used to fuel the massive fire which engulfed the church. Most families will require tens of thousands of dollars to repair their homes and replace their stolen goods. But most say they can overcome the material damage, unlike the forced separation of their families. Before the militant onslaught, Qaraqosh was the largest Christian settlement in Iraq, with a population of more than 50,000. But today, only a few hundred families have returned. Entire congregations have moved overseas, such as the Syriac Orthodox congregation of the Church of Mart Shmony. On Saturday afternoon, Father Butros Kappa, the head of Qaraqosh s Church of the Immaculate was trying hard to summon any sense of hope to deliver his congregation during Christmas Mass.  We ll have a Christmas Mass like in previous years, but this year, ours will be a joy soaked in tears, because all of our people have left Iraq,  said Father Kappa.  Holding Mass in the singed and upturned ruins of his church was therefore important, he said,  to remind everyone that despite the tragedies that have befallen us, we re still here.  In Teleskof, 30 km (20 miles) north of Mosul and itself one of the oldest continuing Christian communities in the world, some families were skipping Mass altogether upset at their forced dispersal.   We usually celebrate with our entire family,  said Umm Rita, as she prepared the traditional Christmas Day dish of pacha (sheep s head, trotters and stomach all slowly boiled) at her home.  But how can we be happy this year? Our brothers and sisters, even my own daughter, her husband and child I ve never met have all moved away.  Community leaders estimate more than 7,000 of Teleskof s residents are now scattered across Iraq and it s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, the United States, Australia, Germany, Lebanon and Jordan.  Amid ongoing tensions between the central government in Baghdad and Iraq s Kurds after a referendum on Kurdish independence was held over Baghdad s objections in September, Teleskof s residents fear violence once again.  We just want to live in peace,  said Umm Rita.  We are more anxious now than when Islamic State was in our homes.   Our community has been gutted,  said Firas Abdelwahid, a 76-year-old former state oil employee, of the thousands who have sought permanent shelter overseas. Watching children play by the church bonfire, he felt melancholy.  But what do we expect? The past is tragic, the present is desperate and well, there is no future for us Christians in Iraq.  worldnews
for iraq christians bittersweet first christmas home islamic stateteleskof iraq reuters inside newly renovated church saint george northern iraqi town teleskof haat chamoun dated led children dressed santa class singing jingle bells dramatic like every resident teleskof dated first christmas back home three years since islamic state militants overran town forcibly displaced chaldean christian community it special back church church i got married church i raised children school headmistress said tears eyes faced choice convert pay tax die dated like many christians nineveh plains chose flee most sought refuge nearby towns cities many sought permanent asylum abroad though militants teleskof days residents began returning home earlier year on sunday celebrated first christmas together town main church overflowing hundreds congregate dressed finest poured pray receive communion father solar bondage later lit traditional bonfire church courtyard symbol renewal said despite obvious joys able celebrate openly bittersweet christmas across nineveh plains epicenter iraq ancient christian communities trace history country back two millennia though iraq declared full victory militants two weeks ago brutal war damage done christian enclaves extensive left many wondering whether could overcome recent history islamic state ravaged christian areas looting burning homes churches stripping valuable artifacts smashing relics the damage qaraqosh town km miles west mosul also known hamdaniya extensive particularly town ancient churches at syrian catholic church immaculate congregate gathered midnight mass sunday surrounded scored bracketed walls still tagged islamic state graffiti they also sat donated plastic chairs church yet able replace wooden pews militants used fuel massive fire engulfed church most families require tens thousands dollars repair homes replace stolen goods but say overcome material damage unlike forced separation families before militant onslaught qaraqosh largest christian settlement iraq population but today hundred families returned entire congregations moved overseas syria orthodox congregation church mart simon on saturday afternoon father button kappa head qaraqosh church immaculate trying hard summon sense hope deliver congregation christmas mass we christmas mass like previous years year joy soaked tears people left iraq said father kappa holding mass singer returned ruins church therefore important said remind everyone despite tragedies fallen us still in teleskof km miles north mosul one oldest continuing christian communities world families skipping mass altogether upset forced dispersal we usually celebrate entire family said umm rita prepared traditional christmas day dish each sheep head brothers stomach slowly boiled home but happy year our brothers sisters even daughter husband child i never met moved away community leaders estimate teleskof residents scattered across iraq kurdistan region united states australia germany lebanon jordan amid ongoing tensions central government baghdad iraq kurds referendum kurdish independence held baghdad objections september teleskof residents fear violence we want live peace said umm rita we anxious islamic state homes our community gutted said firms abdelwahid former state oil employee thousands sought permanent shelter overseas watching children play church bonfire felt melancholy but expect the past tragic present desperate well future us christians iraq worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: For Iraq's Christians, a bittersweet first Christmas home after Islamic StateTELESKOF, Iraq (Reuters) - Inside the newly renovated Church of Saint George in the Northern Iraqi town of Teleskof, Hayat Chamoun Daoud led children dressed as Santa Claus singing  Jingle Bells  in Aramaic. Like every other resident of Teleskof, this was Daoud s first Christmas back home in three years, since Islamic State militants overran her town and forcibly displaced its 12,000-strong Chaldean Christian community.    It s so special to be back in my church, the church where I got married, the church I raised my children in,  the school headmistress said, tears in her eyes. Faced with a choice to convert, pay a tax or die, Daoud, like many other Christians in the Nineveh Plains, chose to flee. Most sought refuge in nearby towns and cities, but many sought permanent asylum abroad. Though the militants were only in Teleskof for a few days, residents only began returning home earlier this year.  On Sunday, they celebrated their first Christmas together again at the town s main church, which was overflowing. Hundreds of congregants, dressed in their finest, poured in to pray and receive communion from Father Salar Bodagh, who later lit the traditional bonfire in the church s courtyard, a symbol of renewal he said. Despite the obvious joys of being able to celebrate openly once again, it was a bittersweet Christmas for most across the Nineveh Plains, the epicenter of Iraq s ancient Christian communities which can trace their history in the country back two millennia. Though Iraq declared full victory over the militants just two weeks ago after a brutal three-year war, the damage done to Christian enclaves was extensive, and left many wondering whether they could overcome their recent history. Islamic State ravaged Christian areas, looting and burning down homes and churches, stripping them of all valuable artifacts and smashing relics.  The damage in Qaraqosh, a town 15 km (10 miles) west of Mosul also known as Hamdaniya, was extensive, particularly to the town s ancient churches. At the Syrian Catholic Church of the Immaculate, congregants gathered for midnight Mass on Sunday surrounded by scorched and blackened walls, still tagged with Islamic State graffiti. They also sat on donated plastic chairs - the church has not yet been able to replace the wooden pews the militants used to fuel the massive fire which engulfed the church. Most families will require tens of thousands of dollars to repair their homes and replace their stolen goods. But most say they can overcome the material damage, unlike the forced separation of their families. Before the militant onslaught, Qaraqosh was the largest Christian settlement in Iraq, with a population of more than 50,000. But today, only a few hundred families have returned. Entire congregations have moved overseas, such as the Syriac Orthodox congregation of the Church of Mart Shmony. On Saturday afternoon, Father Butros Kappa, the head of Qaraqosh s Church of the Immaculate was trying hard to summon any sense of hope to deliver his congregation during Christmas Mass.  We ll have a Christmas Mass like in previous years, but this year, ours will be a joy soaked in tears, because all of our people have left Iraq,  said Father Kappa.  Holding Mass in the singed and upturned ruins of his church was therefore important, he said,  to remind everyone that despite the tragedies that have befallen us, we re still here.  In Teleskof, 30 km (20 miles) north of Mosul and itself one of the oldest continuing Christian communities in the world, some families were skipping Mass altogether upset at their forced dispersal.   We usually celebrate with our entire family,  said Umm Rita, as she prepared the traditional Christmas Day dish of pacha (sheep s head, trotters and stomach all slowly boiled) at her home.  But how can we be happy this year? Our brothers and sisters, even my own daughter, her husband and child I ve never met have all moved away.  Community leaders estimate more than 7,000 of Teleskof s residents are now scattered across Iraq and it s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, the United States, Australia, Germany, Lebanon and Jordan.  Amid ongoing tensions between the central government in Baghdad and Iraq s Kurds after a referendum on Kurdish independence was held over Baghdad s objections in September, Teleskof s residents fear violence once again.  We just want to live in peace,  said Umm Rita.  We are more anxious now than when Islamic State was in our homes.   Our community has been gutted,  said Firas Abdelwahid, a 76-year-old former state oil employee, of the thousands who have sought permanent shelter overseas. Watching children play by the church bonfire, he felt melancholy.  But what do we expect? The past is tragic, the present is desperate and well, there is no future for us Christians in Iraq.  worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: for iraq christians bittersweet first christmas home islamic stateteleskof iraq reuters inside newly renovated church saint george northern iraqi town teleskof haat chamoun dated led children dressed santa class singing jingle bells dramatic like every resident teleskof dated first christmas back home three years since islamic state militants overran town forcibly displaced chaldean christian community it special back church church i got married church i raised children school headmistress said tears eyes faced choice convert pay tax die dated like many christians nineveh plains chose flee most sought refuge nearby towns cities many sought permanent asylum abroad though militants teleskof days residents began returning home earlier year on sunday celebrated first christmas together town main church overflowing hundreds congregate dressed finest poured pray receive communion father solar bondage later lit traditional bonfire church courtyard symbol renewal said despite obvious joys able celebrate openly bittersweet christmas across nineveh plains epicenter iraq ancient christian communities trace history country back two millennia though iraq declared full victory militants two weeks ago brutal war damage done christian enclaves extensive left many wondering whether could overcome recent history islamic state ravaged christian areas looting burning homes churches stripping valuable artifacts smashing relics the damage qaraqosh town km miles west mosul also known hamdaniya extensive particularly town ancient churches at syrian catholic church immaculate congregate gathered midnight mass sunday surrounded scored bracketed walls still tagged islamic state graffiti they also sat donated plastic chairs church yet able replace wooden pews militants used fuel massive fire engulfed church most families require tens thousands dollars repair homes replace stolen goods but say overcome material damage unlike forced separation families before militant onslaught qaraqosh largest christian settlement iraq population but today hundred families returned entire congregations moved overseas syria orthodox congregation church mart simon on saturday afternoon father button kappa head qaraqosh church immaculate trying hard summon sense hope deliver congregation christmas mass we christmas mass like previous years year joy soaked tears people left iraq said father kappa holding mass singer returned ruins church therefore important said remind everyone despite tragedies fallen us still in teleskof km miles north mosul one oldest continuing christian communities world families skipping mass altogether upset forced dispersal we usually celebrate entire family said umm rita prepared traditional christmas day dish each sheep head brothers stomach slowly boiled home but happy year our brothers sisters even daughter husband child i never met moved away community leaders estimate teleskof residents scattered across iraq kurdistan region united states australia germany lebanon jordan amid ongoing tensions central government baghdad iraq kurds referendum kurdish independence held baghdad objections september teleskof residents fear violence we want live peace said umm rita we anxious islamic state homes our community gutted said firms abdelwahid former state oil employee thousands sought permanent shelter overseas watching children play church bonfire felt melancholy but expect the past tragic present desperate well future us christians iraq worldnews