Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says, “People you speak to on an everyday basis are far more opposed to that form of Islam because of what they saw and experienced during the time of ISIS.”

Iraq’s second-largest city fell to Islamic State control on June 10, 2014, as government forces retreated. Then, terrorists gave Mosul’s 1,200 Christian families a choice: renounce Christ and convert to Islam, pay a tax, or die.

“That (warning) doesn’t mean that all Christians could make it out. But many were able to make it into Iraqi Kurdistan,” Samuel says.

Huddled in refugee camps, believers followed devastating reports of their city under ISIS control. In 2017, Iranian-backed militia helped Iraq’s government wrestle Mosul back from ISIS control, but the ensuing battle left the city in pieces.

“International governments, as well as the UN, have done a wonderful job of trying to rebuild Mosul,” Samuel says.

“There is a sense of hope not just in terms of Christianity returning but also in the economic flourishing that’s taking place.”

Mosul remains primarily devoid of its once-thriving Christian community. “However, within the past few years, there has been some movement back, particularly into the villages on the outskirts of Mosul,” Samuel says.

“Christians are returning, mostly due to work and work opportunities.”

So far, only about 50 families have resettled in Mosul. Pray for more Iraqi Christians to return to share the Gospel with Muslim neighbors.

Pray specifically for “More encouragement, more boldness, so that God might do something big because people are asking questions,” Samuel says.

“They’ve seen the failures of Islam through ISIS, and they are beginning to ask more of those existential questions.”

Pray also for the provision of critical services like education. “There aren’t as many schools [available], so be praying that God would raise up opportunities for (local) churches to engage with education ministries so that more Christians may be able to return,” Samuel requests.

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts an ISIS militant with the ISIS flag. (Wikipedia)

“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.

On Friday, analyst Hussain Abdul-Hussain highlighted potential consequences of keeping Shia militants around:

Kataib Hezbollah has been busy building a “statelet” within Iraq. If the government does not act quickly, it will soon become stronger than the Iraqi state itself; it will dominate Iraq in the way Hezbollah dominates in Lebanon and will seal Iraq’s slide into failure as a client state of Iran.

On Saturday, Hashd al Shaabi supporters set fire to Kurdish Democratic Party offices, stirring tensions between Kurds and the Iraqi government. Security forces were slow to respond, TRT World reports, and “could not do much in reaction to the incident.”

Last week, a coalition of pro-Iranian militias agreed to a conditional ceasefire with the U.S. Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says the truce hinges upon a complete U.S. troop withdrawal by December 31st. “It creates an opportunity for the U.S. to pull out troops, which is its stated desire,” he explains.

Will troop withdrawal cost minorities their safety? The U.S. wants “the Iraqi government to deal with the Iranian militias that are across the country, and particularly up there in the north with the Sinjar province,” Samuel says.

“So far, they have been unwilling to do so.”

The conditional ceasefire described above and a Sinjar agreement signed several days ago are two of many multifaceted issues clouding Iraq’s future.

“It’s like this quagmire, for lack of a better term, that affects Iraqi politics, Iranian politics, U.S. politics, and then also Turkish [politics],” Samuel says. “I’m sure Russia’s got a hand in there somewhere as well.”

Why it matters

Last year, Gospel workers began voicing concern about Iranian militants’ budding power in Iraq. Seeking to control strategic geographic locations, the militants openly persecute believers and other Iraqi minorities.

Christian homes in Mosul were marked with the Arabic letter “N” for Nazarite and “Property of the Islamic State.”
(Image, caption courtesy of Vision Beyond Borders)

“That northern part of Iraq – Mosul, Sinjar province – has been under dispute for a long time. There have been lots of different factions fighting for that land, including Turkey,” Samuel says.

Iraq’s government may not be able to protect believers, but you know the God who can.

“[Pray] that they would stand under the midst of this persecution; that they will be faithful to share the Gospel and to communicate Christ as they live among Muslims, Yazidis, and many other unique unbelieving sects throughout that area,” Samuel requests.

Pray also for Gospel workers assessing security changes and how they will affect the ability to help persecuted Christians.

“We need to care about the politics that affect [Iraqi Christians], but then also we need to pray for them.”

*– Name changed for security purposes.

Header image depicts woman walking through rubble in West Mosul. © European Union 2017 (Photo by Peter Biro/Flickr/CC2.0)

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)

But after hundreds of years, people in Iraq’s historically Christian communities were primarily Christian because, well, they weren’t Muslim. This led to a lot of rote religion that didn’t always include a true relationship with God.

That all changed when ISIS entered the picture.

Steve Van Valkenburg with Christian Aid Mission says, “When ISIS came in and persecuted them and chased them out, many of these Christians went to places like Erbil and Dohuk and Kurdistan. In those locations, there is a ministry assisted by Christian Aid Mission that was able to reach out and feed and clothe and share the Gospel and give out Bibles and disciple new believers.

“Many Muslims have believed in Christ, but also many of the historic Christians have believed. So for them, being a Christian means a lot more than just not being a Muslim. Now being a Christian means that they’re born again, they believe in Christ as their Savior and Lord, it means that they begin to read the Bible and they attend Bible studies and they’re discipled.”

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

Then in October 2016, they got the news: Iraqi forces had retaken Qaraqosh from ISIS. Since then, some residents have returned to Qaraqosh. But many have not since there isn’t much to go back to. Homes, businesses, and churches were demolished. The infrastructure for sewage, power, and water was destroyed.

For those who have returned to Qaraqosh, however, they are hopeful. In December 2016, a Catholic church celebrated Christmas for the first time since ISIS’ takeover. But still, no evangelical Christians had gathered in their newly-liberated city.

Nasim was a nominal Christian who fled Qaraqosh before ISIS came in. While living displaced in Erbil, a ministry leader led Nasim to a true relationship with Christ and discipled him. When Nasim went back to Qaraqosh, he began building a two-story house. On December 7th, Nasim led a small group of Christians in worship for the first evangelical church meeting in Qaraqosh.

Now, in the midst of the Christmas season — which goes until January 6th in Iraq — these evangelical Christians are celebrating Christmas for the first time in liberated Qaraqosh.

“For them this year, Christmas in their hometowns is a very different kind of feeling, because to them now they know the one who was born on Christmas day 2,000 years ago and now they have a relationship with him and they have a new identity as Christians.”

Van Valkenburg asks believers around the world to celebrate and pray with our Iraqi Christian brothers and sisters as they finish their Christmas festivities.

“Pray that they would find great encouragement and that they would be people who would walk with Christ and that this Christmastime would be a time when they’re encouraged spiritually and they know how to reach out to those around them and show the love of Christ.”

Right now, some of their biggest needs are supplies to rebuild homes and earn a living. Iraqi Christians also need more audio Bibles as an oral culture so they can continue to grow in their faith and witness to their neighbors.

You can be a tangible encouragement by giving to Christian Aid Mission. Click here to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of displaced people in Iraq.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors)

But that’s only part of the story. As people return to the city, they’re coming back to destroyed homes, businesses and schools, along with power and water shortages.

“One of the families that we’ve heard from, their whole house was destroyed, gutted, because ISIS had broken in and stolen everything that they had left, and then it was burned, and then anything that was left remaining was destroyed after a bomb had hit the water tank, and so everything was destroyed,” Open Doors USA‘s Emily Fuentes says. “There was barely any structure left of the building. There was nothing. So they returned home to be homeless.”

So why come home at all? Fuentes says there are numerous reasons. Many of those who have been displaced long to return to anything familiar. For others displaced outside the country, starting a new life brings numerous complexities.

“Many were displaced in the Kurdistan region, which up there, it’s a different language, it’s a different currency, different permits for work, different schooling permits,” Fuentes says. “And so that’s a life of almost rebuilding there, too, and not being permitted to work, and working through all these new applications there as well.”

Still others seek to be the light of Christ in Mosul and refuse to give ISIS the satisfaction of having wiped out Christianity. Fuentes tells of one pastor who chose to continue his ministry amidst the violence.

“He was talking about the significance of the church bells ringing again, and having people to come and people to minister to and people to reach out to the community for, and remaining that beacon of hope,” Fuentes says. “So I think it’s an encouraging time for pastors like him and others who did choose to remain to see that it’s coming to fruition of people coming back home, that Christianity was not destroyed.”

Pastors are seeing fruit all over the Middle East. Fuentes shares the story of a pastor in Syria who witnessed an extremist come to Christ.

(Photo courtesy of Open Doors via Facebook)

“One of the pastors who chose to stay there talked about how he was hosting a church event, feeding the community who was remaining in this city, and they would feed the community and have a sermon where they shared the Gospel message,” Fuentes says. “And as he’s preparing to do it, he and the other pastor saw a Muslim extremist man with a beard without a mustache, which is an indication of a more fundamental, extremist Muslim, so they were concerned.

“They prayed about it, but invited the man in and just kept an eye on him, fed him, and he heard the sermon and he gave his life to Christ.”

The Middle East is still in a desperate time, but it’s clear God is moving. Fuentes asks that you pray for strength for these people as they work to rebuild their lives and share Christ’s love.

Open Doors works with partners in Mosul to assist families and churches by rebuilding homes and providing physical resources, as well as career skills training. You can support their work financially here.

This week United States-backed Iraqi special forces took most of Mosul, dealing another blow to the ISIS caliphate. They’ve lost ground in Iraq and Syria, and Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada calls the extremist group “demoralized”.

But Musselman says the fight is far from over. “Even though they have been defeated in terms of land in the Middle East, that does not mean that they are going to stop trying to cause havoc and enforcing their brand of Islam on the rest of the world.”

Losing land does not mean losing power.

That’s what makes ISIS so unique. Instead of being centered around a region or a nation, ISIS is focused on a set of extreme beliefs, and thanks to media and the internet, it’s easy for like-minded radical Muslims to connect with the group. “They had this caliphate and that was very attractive to those who are buying into this militant Islam from all over the world,” Musselman says.

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Musselman explains ISIS members are beginning to move from group assaults to “lone wolf attacks”, and because these attacks are so removed from the main part of ISIS, the group can pick and choose which events to claim based on the “success” of the project — the body count.

And those attacks are becoming more and more common. Musselman points to Indonesia as an example. With 203 million Muslims, Indonesia has a larger Muslim population than any other nation in the world and has remained relatively peaceful.

However, there has been a rise of recent attacks in southern parts of the country that indicate, though ISIS may not make a massive grab for territory, the group might be facing relocation, not extermination. “With that many Muslims, chances are you’ll find a few willing to join the radical side of Islam,” Musselman says.

ISIS pulls in followers by appealing to Muslims dissatisfied with their societies. “We do know that the propaganda that is happening and ideology that is being pushed by many of these leaders to inflame people says, ‘See? We’re being persecuted, we’re being oppressed, and we need to stand up.’ That’s the rallying cry that they’re using,” Musselman says.

But ISIS’ power doesn’t just come from ideology and physical might. “The Bible says that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and that’s what’s happening. These people are being used by the enemy to cause havoc and destruction.”

(Photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor)

That means there’s a very real threat to ISIS idealism: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “They’re against anybody that opposes them, but the Christians are at the front of the line in their mind because of our message as followers of Jesus that Jesus is the only way. It’s not through violence,” Musselman says.

We show our God’s power through love and compassion, while the ISIS agenda says God’s power comes from physical might and aggression. “The message of the Gospel is the opposite of Islam. It’s not about rules, it’s about a relationship with Jesus.”

Christianity is an affront to ISIS ideals, and many Muslims are paying attention. “Often in these kinds of chaotic, tumultuous places, people tend to be more open to the Gospel,” Musselman says.

But Christianity isn’t just a threat to ISIS; it’s a target. That’s why the Church needs to unite in prayer and support. “We need to pray a prayer of protection for our brothers and sisters in Christ, that they will not bend under fear, that they would be bold, that the Lord would give them wisdom.”

Christina Abada reunited with her family; mother, Ayda, in the backseat. (Photo courtesy of Steven Nabil via Twitter @thestevennabil)

After three years of separation, and her family fearing the worst, Christina was reunited with her parents and siblings last Friday.

When young Christina was taken, ISIS was starting its sweep of terror in Iraq, going through Mosul and Qaraqosh and targeting minorities — mostly Christians and Yazidis. Those who didn’t escape were given a choice: convert to Islam, pay a protection tax, or die.

Christina’s parents were Christians in Qaraqosh, and her kidnapping became a focal point worldwide for the horrific persecution Iraqi believers were facing at the hands of ISIS.

Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada met Christina’s mother, Ayda, a few years ago in Erbil, Kurdistan and was able to hear her story. “They were preparing to leave that part of Iraq and go into Erbil, into Kurdistan, which was a safer area. While they were on the bus, Christina was in her mother Ayda’s arms, and an Islamic soldier came onto the bus and started looking around.

“Ayda was telling us she got very scared, and this particular Islamic soldier…came up and took Christina away from her mother Ayda. Ayda ran after her daughter, of course, as any parent would do, and was told that if she didn’t get back on the bus, she would be killed right there.”

After Christina’s kidnapping, her traumatized family met up with the rest of their children who had already fled to Kurdistan. But they never stopped looking for her, and a network of friends persisted in searching with them over the next several years.

Then they received the phone call that would change everything. Christina had been found alive and well in Hayy al-Tanak, a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq.

(Map courtesy of Christian Aid Mission)

According to Fox News sources, Christina had lived in Mosul for the past three years with a Muslim family who had allegedly found her alone in a mosque. Her family says it seems like she was well-cared for.

Musselman says the newly-reunited Abada family is now integrating young Christina back into their lives, but it’s going to be a process for the child, now nearly six-years-old.

“The little girl, as you can imagine, is totally confused. She doesn’t even know who these people are, or the fact that they’re her parents…. She’s traumatized, and she’s going to need counseling and she’s going to need help. Ministries like VOM and others will be there to help her out.”

For now, says Musselman, Christina’s safe return is a wondrous answer to prayer — especially since so many other stories like hers never get any closure, or when they do, it’s not often good.

“To be honest, when I was involved in this story, in interviewing [Ayda], I remember it was a very dark room in this unfinished mall and as Ayda was giving us her story, in the back of [my] mind going, ‘You know what, this is probably not going to have a good ending.’ And I don’t know if it’s a lack of faith, but these girls just disappear and they’re never heard from again. But in this case, she has been reunited.

“I admit, even now, I get emotional about it because it is an answer to prayer.”

Christina and her parents and siblings currently live in a small cabin in Ankawa, a Christian suburb of Erbil, Kurdistan. They hope to eventually emigrate out of Iraq as there is nothing for them to go back to in Qaraqosh, reports Newsweek. Their old home has been destroyed.

Please pray for the Abada family as they begin the process of healing and restoration with young Christina in their lives.

Musselman also says that Christina’s story should encourage believers around the world to persist in prayer for those other names and faces who have been taken as victims in ISIS’ rampage — those we know, and the thousands more we don’t know.

“You think of the other young girls that are still being held captive, and mothers and the rest of it by Islamic State. We need to be praying for those girls and families, that there would be more of these stories.”

He also challenges us to pray for Muslims during this Ramadan season. The Arab world is seeing Saul-to-Paul-type conversions, as the God of the Bible reveals Himself to the lost and the persecutors of His Church.

“It’s during Ramadan that many Muslims have visions and dreams of Jesus, and in the last 20 years when there has been this really concentrated prayer effort towards the Muslim world…more Muslims have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 1,400 years of Islam.”

Musselman says, “Our prayer really needs to be towards the Muslim people, that they find the Lord. And then, on the other hand, we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering, because during Ramadan there’s groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda and Boko Haram and many other militant Islamic groups that are targeting Christians.”

Click here to learn more about Voice of the Martyrs Canada and their work with the persecuted Church.

Steve Van Valkenburg with Christian Aid Mission says as the war for control over Iraqi territories and cities wages on, we need to remember the Iraqi people. “They’ve been through a lot of trauma, and I guess the question is, even if ISIS is kicked out, what’s going to happen with all those people who’ve been influenced and have seen the trauma that they’ve seen? What’s going to happen with them?

“Ultimately, what they need is to have something happen within their hearts, which only Jesus Christ can provide for them.”

If Iraqi forces can drive ISIS out of western Mosul, which ISIS had declared the capital of their caliphate, it would strike a significant blow against the terrorist group. But ISIS’ reign over the city for so long has taken a toll.

“The children within Mosul have been indoctrinated and they’re confused. In a sense, they’ve been abused by ISIS and now a lot of them are in camps or free areas in Kurdistan. The parents realize the kids have a lot of problems…. They are seeking any kind of comfort they can get. They need answers. They’re looking for hope.”

Especially in light of Easter Sunday yesterday, the hope that Jesus Christ gave us through His resurrection and the defeat of death is needed more than ever for those who are starved of hope.

“I think that’s one reason the parents are very interested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because they see something that may give them hope. They see everything around them disintegrated, [but] they see there is hope when the Christians talk about the love of God as expressed in Jesus Christ dying on a cross and being resurrected.”

(Photo courtesy of Christian Aid Mission via Facebook)

Ministry partners with Christian Aid Mission distribute physical aid in critical regions of Iraq, provide medical care, host children’s programs, set-up prayer tents, and give out mp3 players with Scripture materials.

“They can provide mp3 players for like $10; those are loaded with the New Testament and Gospel presentations, and it’s in their language and they can listen to it even though they may be illiterate. Many people really long to have New Testaments and they long to have people just share hope with them — and that’s what the Gospel message is for them, is hope.”

And the Christians carrying out these outreaches? They’re from the area and have had boots on the ground since day one. “Some of those who have escaped from Mosul are now working full-time just in ministry in reaching out to displaced people. We send funds there regularly to them so they can continue to reach out and meet the needs of people. These are local people who are from that area. They are mature Christians and they can have a very good ministry there among those people.”

If you’d like to support Gospel outreaches among displaced people in Iraq, click here to give to Christian Aid Mission and enter the CAM gift code 444SHM.

And the best thing every believer can do to encourage our Iraqi brothers and sisters in Christ: pray. Pray for their faith journey, their fervor in ministry, their hope in Christ, and their daily needs — that God would provide for Iraqi Christians as they pursue His glory.

“There’s always a need for reaching out, and I think even though we know as Christians that ultimately our end-goal is that people come to know Jesus Christ, still the kind of aid that can be given out is a bridge to those people to be able to connect with them. Jesus Christ has always shown care, compassion, healing people, and that’s really the arms and feet of Jesus Christ right now among those people are the local believers who can give out and help and meet needs.”