Temperatures climbed to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) as Baghdad hosted the Gulf Cooperation Council on Monday. Iraqi leaders want to connect their power-poor country to the GCC power grid.

A Gulf deal could provide aid sooner than Iran, the traditional go-to for Iraq. Samuel* of Redemptive Stories explains, “Since the U.S. pulled out [of Iraq] a few years back, the connection between Iran and Iraq has become stronger and stronger.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Iran International Conference Hall in July 2020.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Mehdi Ghorbani/Wikimedia Commons)

The U.S. uses Iraq to keep pressure on Iran, sanctioning 14 private banks in Iraq on Thursday. Nearly a third of Iraqi banks are now blacklisted. “Certain banks are funneling money to Iran through Iraq,” Samuel says.

“Thus, sanctions are imposed primarily on these banks, but [they] will also have a secondary effect on the overall economy.”

Iraq’s war-torn economy is already faltering. “Anywhere from 50 to 60 percent of the population are under the poverty line and struggling to make ends meet,” Samuel says.

The latest sanctions will “most likely result in increased inflation, which we’ve seen in Syria, and then that will only exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis.”

And yet, hope remains. “God seems to use bad things to make amazing things happen,” Samuel says.

“Whenever an economic crisis occurs, unique new opportunities arise because there’s more need and desperation.”

Pray that Iraqi Christians will be faithful to share the Gospel with those searching for truth. Pray for Muslim-background believers in Baghdad, where persecution is rising.

“Pray for governmental transformation in Iraq,” Samuel requests.

“[Iraq] has amazing natural resources. [It] could be another beautiful place of human flourishing. But because people in power use those resources for their own gain, the regular people suffer.”

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts a pile of Iraqi money. (Photo courtesy of Haider AL_Baghdady/Unsplash)

Muqtada al-Sadr

Tuesday, rival Shia factions continue to battle each other, some aligned with popular cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Others support Iran.

Samuel with Redemptive Stories says, “al-Sadr got up and did a press conference. He said, ‘I’m just going to quit politics. I’m not going to be a politician anymore.’ And this was after his people had already begun to occupy things to have peaceful protests and demonstrations. And then when he said that, it kind of just set them off.”

Al-Sadr ordered his supporters to leave the Green Zone, which they did quickly. Experts say he wants to demonstrate his control over the crowds, intimidating his opposition. Al-Sadr has promised to quit politics before and has backtracked each time.

Could this lead to further unrest? Samuel says, “I have been talking to our local partners and local friends there. They were very concerned. Maybe we’re moving back towards a peaceable solution. But still, it’s on the knife’s edge as it always it is in Iraq. Because what does this mean for elections?”

“Does this throw out the elections that were done last year? Do we have to redo them again?”

Ask God to strengthen Christians in Iraq. Pray they would be a source of hope. Samuel says, “Just be praying that God would be faithful to intervene here on behalf of all of Iraq and bring peace to the situation. Pray our partners there will continue to stand strong, to speak into the formation of a new government, and to speak into what true and eternal hope looks like in Jesus Christ.”

The header photo shows supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad after an election. (Photo courtesy of Fars Media Corporation, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

On Wednesday, protestors stormed the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad. Hundreds pushed into the building, waving flags in support of powerful Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr. They only left after al-Sadr asked them over Twitter.

Nine months after the 2021 elections, Iraqi politicians have been unable to form a government. Samuel with Redemptive Stories says, “Iraq is so fragmented, especially right now, because of the political instability as well as even just social instability.”

Civilians killed

Meanwhile, tensions between Iraq and Turkey remain high. On July 20, artillery fire killed five Iraqi tourists at a resort in Kurdistan, near the Turkish border.

The attack was meant to target the PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party), which Turkey considers a terrorist organization. The PKK fights against Turkey for independence in Kurdish areas. Samuel says, “They often have forces that hide in Kurdistan. And Turkey was targeting one of them. Apparently, the targeting went awry, and shells landed in a populated area.”

Samuel says these incursions happen regularly. “They are drone strikes, but also missile strikes. These happen on a weekly basis, or maybe even twice a week. But this was one of the first attacks that actually caused civilian casualties.”

“So there are protests all throughout Kurdistan and down all the way into Baghdad.”

This region has a Christian community that always seeks to engage its neighbors. Ask God to give them a voice during this time. Samuel says, “Pray they can also be a light to their Kurdish brothers and sisters who have suffered great loss. They too have continually faced traumas as a persecuted minority group within the context of Iraq.”

The header photo shows Muqtada al-Sadr in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

“Three months ago, there was an election, and [Sadr’s] group won. This is not aligned with what [Iran wants]; they are not trying to do what Iran tells them to do,” Fadi Sharaiha with MENA Leadership Center says.

“Iranians lost their seat in the parliament, and they (Iran’s leaders) did not take this lightly. They are challenging this in the courts and the streets.”

Attacks on various political institutions in Iraq fill the headlines continuously. Shooters attacked a Kurdish leader last week, days after twin explosions rocked Kurdish-owned banks in Baghdad.

“This is a clear impact of the proxy war in Iraq, as it is happening in Yemen, Lebanon, and in Libya, unfortunately,” Sharaiha says.

He adds that the battlefields change, but most of the conflict traces its roots to one issue.

“Sunnis and Shiites are fighting for control. The war is not only on land; the war is because of dogma, because of faith.”

Stay or go?

Yesterday, Iraq’s Supreme Court met to decide whether the results of a January 9 election are valid, a critical step in the process of government formation. Middle Eastern politics are complex; the Iraqi government formation process has taken three months so far. Previously, the timeline from elections to government was five months in 2018 and eight months in 2010.

Meanwhile, Islamic State militants are taking advantage of this transition period. On Friday, the terrorists killed 11 Iraqi soldiers in a night raid. Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in late 2017, but remnants of the group have been carrying out a low-level insurgency.

Between political tensions and terrorist attacks, Iraq is full of instability. Often, the battle for control claims innocent victims.

Some believers leave Iraq and find a safer place to call home. Others sacrifice everything to serve the Lord.

“They are going through a lot. Last night, I talked to one of my friends over there; he is a leader at one of the big churches in Iraq. He was saying, ‘At this point, I feel that ministry needs me more than anything else,’” Sharaiha says.

(Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

By choosing to stay in Iraq, “he’s sacrificing a good future for his kids, meaning education,” Sharaiha continues.

“He’s sacrificing [personal safety]; he might be targeted by militias or killed because of his faith.”

Pray Iraqi believers won’t be discouraged by the chaos surrounding them. Pray they will understand and trust in God’s sovereignty. Learn how you can equip Iraqi church leaders through MENA Leadership Center.

“What an encouragement for us [who live] in the U.S. and Canada; wherever we are living our comfy lives. They are living in obedience to the Lord, and being blessed by that,” Sharaiha says.

“Let’s not pity them; let’s not feel bad for them. This is a great opportunity to be blessed by partnering with those leaders, by praying for them.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of 12019/Pixabay.

The Islamic State quickly took credit, stirring fears of a resurgence. Samuel of Redemptive Stories says believers are shaken, but they’re pressing on to make Christ known.

“I had the privilege to talk to a pastor on the very night of the suicide attacks and he said, ‘Our spiritual condition as a church is well; our physical condition is well; but our emotional state, as a church, is sad,’” Samuel shares.

“The Church in Iraq had seen three years of almost peaceable activity. Now suddenly, out of nowhere, there are these significant attacks.”

The hope of Christ shines brightly amid such tumult. Pray this attack will not stop believers’ progress.

(Photo courtesy Open Doors)

“So many Christians have run away to the West. Those that remained [have] seen these beautiful signs of hope – maybe things are moving forward, perhaps we’re finally coming back to some sense of peace and cooperation,” Samuel says.

“Yet, when this happened, I think it shook that foundation they had been hoping for.”

Now that you know, how will you respond? Use the prompts listed alongside this article to guide your intercession for Iraq, or use this video resource from our sister ministry, Prayercast.

“I may sound like a broken record whenever this question comes up, but prayer is first and foremost,” Samuel explains.

“To pray, you have to be informed; you have to be aware of what is occurring. As you begin to understand, you can pray appropriately.”

Search our Iraq archives to learn more about this Christian community and the challenges they face. “When you pray about something, Jesus was very clear – where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Samuel continues.

“We encourage people to give to opportunities that exist in this part of the world to help our brothers and sisters so that they might stay and grow and be stronger.”

Header image is a screenshot from Prayercast|Iraq.

Samer Jawad* joined thousands of others in Tahrir Square frustrated at a faltering economy and breakdowns in public services. Demonstrations went on for months, spreading to central and southern provinces, with various groups in Tahrir Square setting up tents.

Protestors included scientists, doctors, engineers and intellectuals, and Jawad visited tents filled with well-documented books on political and economic issues.

The leader of a ministry based in Iraq also set up a tent in Tahrir Square – eager to show solidarity with the protestors’ desire for basic rights and seeing a unique opportunity to reach a broad cross-section of the population with the gospel. Over the ensuing weeks, local missionaries maintained their presence in the square even as demonstrations met with tent-burnings, armed militias and a government military response that killed at least 700 people and injured more than 2,700 others.

Intrigued by the Christians’ tent, one day Jawad happened by and found a wide variety of Christian books, the scope of which he had never imagined.

“Samer is an educated and rational person who always faces any argument using logic,” the ministry leader said. “He got a copy of the gospel after he expressed a strong desire to read it. He said, ‘Throughout my entire life, I had hoped to get the Bible, but I had no opportunity.’ He had many questions about the Christian faith during the months of protests and visits to our tent.”

The tent was staffed by a well-trained team to proclaim the message of Christ’s salvation and, if necessary, to discuss objections that Muslims might have, the leader said.

“Samer asked Jesus Christ to be his personal savior and started attending local church meetings,” he said. “He told us, ‘Who would have believed that I would meet Christ in the midst of this great revolution in Tahrir Square in Baghdad?’ He has now shared Christ with his three brothers and three sisters.”

The arrival of the novel coronavirus in 2020 helped put an end to the crowds in Tahrir Square, but not before the Lord used the protests to reach many people with the message of eternal life, the leader said.

“Despite the tension in Tahrir Square, the burning of tents and the intervention of armed militias, the Lord gave us a great opportunity to share the gospel with hundreds of people, distribute more than 4,000 New Testaments to the protestors, pray with many of the wounded and offer condolences to the families of those who were killed during the demonstrations,” he said.

Word and Deed

Local missionaries delivering aid to refugees and internally displaced people in Iraq are also trained to proclaim the gospel, and they have had more opportunities as the coronavirus pandemic has ratcheted up the need for aid.

“Our work for the Lord also allows us to present the gospel message and Bibles to every house and tent we enter,” the leader said. “We pray with each family and present Christ to them.”

In the early months of the pandemic, local missionaries were able to bring aid and the gospel to needy people throughout the country – distributing 4,000 Bibles to Muslims and seeing 14 families put their faith in Christ, he said.

“We know that the Lord is being glorified through these difficult circumstances,” the leader said. “Trials and affliction soften hardened hearts and prepare the way for the Holy Spirit do His work as we present the gospel of salvation.”

Establishing churches was more difficult as measures to contain the pandemic came into effect, but individual families held worship meetings in their homes, he said. Local missionaries were able to disciple newly believing families online, holding Bible studies through WhatsApp texts or social media chats.

Displaced and Ill

Most of the native ministry’s work is directed toward the continually growing number of displaced people and refugees, especially as they have been hit hard by the pandemic.

“The pandemic has placed its weight heavily on them, which opens the door for us to intervene and help,” the leader said. “As we do this work, we present Christ and share the gospel with many, and the results of people interacting with the work of the Holy Spirit are amazing.”

Workers continue to serve thousands of suffering people through a mobile medical clinic, providing treatment and medicines to those who would otherwise have no access to health care, he said. At the same time, local missionaries focus on the children of refugees and the internally displaced.

“Children are the most affected,” the leader said. “We do our part by providing them with food, medicine and clothing, with a focus on delivering the Bible and the gospel to every child we serve. We sometimes reach more than 200 children a month.”

Local missionaries are tending to such needs throughout Iraq. You can help them bring healing and salvation to suffering people through Christian Aid Mission.

*Name changed for security reasons

Header image courtesy of Christian Aid Mission.

At the time of this article’s publication, the Islamic State did not claim responsibility.

Is the attack a reaction to potential changes in U.S. leadership? Officials and activists voiced concern yesterday that a Biden presidency could empower pro-Iranian factions in Iraq. More about Iranian militant groups here.

However, “[this time of year] marks about three years since ISIS was ‘defeated’ in Iraq. I think it was related to the anniversary of that; more so than anything between the US and Iraq,” Samuel* of Redemptive Stories says.

Continual strife is all-too-familiar for believers in Iraq. More Iraq headlines here. “Today, I was asking one of our partners about this [attack], and he’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, that happened. I forgot about that,’” Samuel says.

“It happens so often that they are almost immune to it, but they are obviously saddened by the loss of soldiers who were fighting on their behalf.”

According to Samuel, there is at least one silver lining of Iraq’s instability.

“When there’s instability and uncertainty, people begin to ask questions about eternal things; much more so than if they’re comfortable and happy and safe and secure.”

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis raises Iraqi stress levels, but it may be for a purpose. “What we’re seeing now is mostly related to COVID,” Samuel says of current Gospel opportunities.

“People are responding in a way that they had never responded before.”

Find your place in the story

(Photo by Limon Das from Pexels)

Iraqi believers are pointing seekers to Christ through videos and social media. Ask the Lord to bless their efforts. “They are doing a great job of responding to the opportunities that God is presenting them with,” Samuel says.

Pray God directs Iraqi authorities according to His will. “[There are] some important governmental meetings coming up,” Samuel notes.

“Pray that God would transform their thought processes to see the value of religious freedom for all peoples, because that’s a pathway to opportunity for the Gospel to grow.”

Visit our partner page to learn who’s working in Iraq and how you can help. Find more ways to pray for Iraq here.

*– Name changed for security purposes.

Header image is a representative stock photo by Ali Tareq via Unsplash.

The departure comes nearly two decades after the first U.S. forces invaded Baghdad in 2003. Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says believers had more stability in the early 2000s than they do now.

“If you look back at the history of Iraq during Saddam’s era, the Christians were actually ‘protected’ people, which is kind of ironic considering all of the terrible things that Saddam did during his reign,” he states.

In this 2011 article, university professor Adeed Dawisha told PBS Newshour, “There was a kind of a social contract in Iraq. Under Saddam, it was understood that if you don’t interfere in politics, then you are provided with a good life.” Eight years earlier, a bishop from Baghdad told AsiaNews that believers suffered persecution during Hussein’s rule.

Fear factor

Prior to 2003, more than a million believers called Iraq “home.” Today, only an estimated 250,000 believers remain. Pointing to Christians’ response following the Beirut blast as an example, Samuel says this remnant lives constantly on the edge.

One of the towns outside Mosul destroyed by Islamic State terrorists. (Caption, photo courtesy of Christian Aid Mission)

“For the past 40 calendar years of war they have been able to survive, but they’ve always had this ‘fear complex’ because there’s always such strife around them,” Samuel says.

“There [are] constant issues of fear.”

Though conditions have improved slightly in recent years, Iraq remains one of the world’s most difficult places to follow Christ. Two weeks ago, the UN warned of increasing Islamic State activity in Iraq and Syria.

How to help Christians in Iraq

To learn how you can support Iraqi believers, contact ministries like Christian Aid Mission, Cry Out, Middle East Concern, Open Doors USA, SAT-7 USA, Voice of the Martyrs Canada, and Voice of the Martyrs USA. Above all else, pray. Use the prompts listed alongside this article to guide your intercession, or use this free resource from our sister ministry, Prayercast.

“If you look across the swath of the region – Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq – so many Christians are facing extreme hardships,” Samuel notes.

“We, as Christians, want to help Christians so that they can continue to be a beacon of hope to the nations, and particularly to the Middle East.”

*–Name changed for security purposes.

In the header image, U.S. Army Soldiers from Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division scan for enemy personnel during a patrol through a village southeast of Salman Pak, Iraq, on February 15, 2008.  (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston) (Released)

After China, Iran was one of the first countries hit hard by the coronavirus. In neighboring Iraq, the prime minister had just stepped down in response to the “Occupy Baghdad” protest, says Samuel of Redemptive Stories.

He explains what happened next. “A few weeks later, they elected a new prime minister. But even then, the protesters were still not happy . . . because they felt like he was just another crony that was just going to continue . . . to deepen the relationship with Iran. He then subsequently  . . . kind of took a step back. Then they elected an intern prime minister, who then, just as of Thursday, also himself stepped down.”

Protests in Baghdad this past October. Many protestors wanted less influence from Iran in Iraq’s government. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Why this chaos?

What is so hard about keeping a prime minister? Samuel says, “For Americans, it’s like having five different political parties. You have the Christians that have their own party. You have the Shia Muslims that have their own party. The Sunni Muslims, and then even the other minority religious groups within the country also have their own political parties. And all that affects regions as well.”

Samuel says these regions and parties even sometimes have their own militias. The opinions diverge so wildly that no one is going to always be happy. Samuel hopes that once the pandemic goes away, people in Iraq will be able to have a better dialogue about how the government should run.

The worry and fear in Iraq over the coronavirus has caused many to turn to the risen Christ for hope. The government, after all, seems unable to help them. Samuel says he has seen this response primarily through social media and satellite television.

“In unprecedented times,” Samuel says, “God is doing unprecedented things.”

Samuel asks Christians to pray that God would comfort his Church in Iraq, and that they would be able to gather digitally until the lockdowns lift. Pray also, “That God would use all these different things that are happening to shake the foundations of the Middle East. To shake the pillars of Islam and bring more and more people to Himself.”

A meeting of the council of representatives in Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Prime Minister Allawi is slated to name his cabinet members this week – a crucial step that will reveal the sincerity of his promises to avoid political interference. Some of the protestors’ complaints include the prevalence of government corruption, the lack of jobs, and poor public services.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs says another group is also wary of this new appointment – Iraqi Christians.

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs)

“Really, that’s not new,” Nettleton says. “They have been concerned. Many of these are believers who…have been displaced by ISIS. Some go back even before ISIS. They have seen persecution. They know that serving Christ in Iraq is a risky proposition.

“When the government changes hands [and] new leaders come to power, there are new areas of emphasis. The Christians watch that and say, ‘Okay, what is this going to mean for us? How is this new leader going to respond to the needs of the Christian community?’”

One of the big questions for Christians: how much sway will Iran have in the formulation of new Iraqi leadership?

Nettleton explains, “Iran is one of the world’s most closed…countries aggressively persecuting the Church in Iran. So if Iranian leadership have influence on how Iraqi leadership sets up what their priorities are, that is not something in favor of Iraqi Christians as well.”

Iraq is ranked as the 15th worst country to be a Christian on Open Doors’ World Watch List. So it’s understandable that many believers flee Iraq and seek asylum status in other countries.

“It is not a safe place for them. It is not a safe place to raise their families,” Nettleton says. “Intellectually and in the earthly sense, it makes all kinds of sense for them to want to get out of the country and go someplace safer and go someplace with more opportunities.”

(Image courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs)

However, Nettleton was amazed and encouraged when he spoke with a pastor in Iraq about the situation for Iraqi Christians. “At the end of our conversation, I said, ‘I’m going back to the United States. How can we pray for Christians in Iraq?’

“His first prayer request, without a pause, he said, ‘Pray that God will call Christians to stay here…because we need Christians in this country. We need a lighthouse. We need people who are sharing the Gospel.’”

Please join VOM in praying for our Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq during this leadership change. Ask God to provide a courageous witness for the Gospel in Iraq. Pray that Iraqis who are dissatisfied with the government will find hope — not in new leadership — but new faith in Jesus Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.