December 6, 2010

More than 100 Christians killed or wounded in an attack on an Assyrian Catholic church a few weeks ago, churches damaged or destroyed by car bombs, rockets fired into Christian neighborhoods, the ongoing threat of kidnapping and torture . . . for Christians in Iraq, there's little else but Christ's birth to celebrate this Christmas season.

According to AG World Missions Communications Director Randy Hurst, the situation for Christians in Iraq is growing more dangerous on a daily basis. "I talked with one of our representatives in the Middle East and he reports that Christians are fleeing one city in fear for their lives, with many small Christian villages now overflowing with refugees. He said that Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia has vowed to force all non-Muslims out of Iraq and their threats are more than mere words. The representative also says that Christian refugees are now in desperate need of the basics of life. Food and shelter is in short supply."

Christians have been steadily leaving Iraq since 1991, dwindling from 1.1 million to an estimated 200,000 to 500,000. And, since 2003, the number of attacks on Christians by radicals has increased significantly. The violent attack on Our Lady of Salvation Church on October 31, 2010, left 50 Christians dead and dozens more wounded.

Hurst states, "Christians in the United States and around the world need to unite in prayer that God will protect and provide for our Iraqi Christian brothers and sisters. We are asking our churches to pray earnestly and faithfully this month for believers in Iraq who are suffering for His name."

AG News