Iraq
Leader: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Population: 33.7 million (330,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Parliamentary democracy
World Watch List Rank: 4
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism
Christians in Iraq are on the verge of extinction. Large numbers have fled abroad or to the (until recently) safer Kurdish region, where they face unemployment and inadequate schooling, medical care and housing. The church faces many challenges – members being killed or abducted, and a lack of capable leaders. In central and southern Iraq, traditional Christians suffer as much as Muslim-background believers, as a result of their visibility. In May 2012, 20 Christian families in Mosul received threats, and the house of another Christian was set on fire.
Please Pray:
- For the many Christians displaced from their homes by threats of murder or abduction
- Ask God to raise up godly, wise leaders to shepherd the church
- For Open Doors trauma counsellors working with children and families affected by persecution.
Persecution dynamics
There is a long history of Christians living in Iraqi cities such as Baghdad and Mosul. Christians have lived here for two millennia but are currently on the verge of extinction. Sharia is the primary source of law and makes it impossible to apply freedom of belief.
There are estimated to be approximately 330,000 Christians left of the 1.2 million in Iraq at the beginning of the 1990s. Large numbers have fled abroad or to the (until recently) relatively safer northern Kurdish region where they face problems such as unemployment and inadequate schooling, medical care and housing. The situation in Kurdistan used to be better than in the areas around Bagdad or Mosul. However, the situation there is now rapidly deteriorating; Christian businesses were attacked in December 2011.
Structural uncertainty, conflict and instability are on the rise since US troops started to withdraw at the end of 2011. The church faces many challenges –members succumbing to pressure, fleeing or being killed or abducted and a lack of capable leaders. The situation is worst in the middle and south of the country where traditional Christians are suffering as much as Muslim-background believers and possibly encounter more violence as a result of their visibility. There is a lot of fear among Christians in the country, ever since the bloody attack against Christians during a church service in Baghdad two years ago. Many Christians have been attacked in church during 2011 and 2012 as well.
Open Doors in Action
The role of Open Doors is:
- To distribute Bibles and Christian literature to churches and Internally Displaced People
- To support translation of Bibles and Christian literature into the Kurdish languages
- To train Iraqi church leaders and new Christians (including Muslim-background believers)
- To provide training in trauma counselling, especially for traumatised children
- To give assistance with income generating projects to help Christians earn a living.
