In a coffee house in Ankawa, Erbil's Christian quarter, Barcelona fan Mustapha Ergushi puffs on a hubble-bubble as he muses on the explanation for this strange infatuation.

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The tally was better in the south, but whereas turnout in Shia areas averaged around 50%, it was less than a quarter in Christian towns.

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"Over the next seven years we are launching 30 new or refreshed cars, which averages out to about one new car per quarter, " Mercedes-Benz spokesman Christian Bokich said.

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For example, Syria's authoritarian rulers deal harshly with political dissent from any quarter, but it is easier to be a Christian there than in many neighbouring countries.

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The Christian research group Theos claims that "even amongst atheists, the most sceptical group in the population, nearly a quarter (23%) believe in the human soul, 15% in life after death, and 14% in reincarnation".

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