Iraqi Christians face turmoil

Open Doors, a worldwide ministry that focuses on the persecuted Church, reported April 10 that Iraqi Christians and churches are being seriously affected by the internal turmoil in Iraq. The ministry cited information from several unnamed sources.

The report said that in addition to foreigners being kidnapped in increasing numbers, indigenous Iraqi Christians are also disappearing. According to a bishop of an Assyrian-speaking church, four members were kidnapped in mid-May. The Iraqi believers stress that in most cases where Iraqi Christians are the victims, the violence is not being caused by radical Islamists, but more often by young people trying to make some easy money.

In several cities, including Baghdad, both Christians and Muslims are trying to stay at home as much as possible, according to Open Doors. Various churches have canceled meetings. Although the violence seems to be the strongest in the central regions of the country, it has also reached the north.

The ministry also reported that according to some Christian leaders, there is little hope for major improvement in the near future. They cite the difficulty of finding capable people to govern the country.

Many Christians are hoping for new leadership by the fall of this year. They hope new leaders may bring peace and stability. Open Doors said stability and security are the two top prayer requests mentioned by Iraqi Christians, who number approximately 500,000.

Open Doors said it has limited travel by foreign staff members, based on advice of Iraqi Christian leaders. Meetings with Iraqi Christians continue in the region, but for the moment take place outside of Iraq. “Due to a big mine explosion on a U.S. convoy, I missed the first plane when traveling to Jordan,” one of Open Doors’ Iraqi co-workers said in a statement. “Also on the highway from Fallujah to Baghdad, there were a lot of difficulties.” But the contact said he was warmly welcomed in Amman to discuss the progress of Open Doors’ special support project for Iraq.

According to Open Doors, all Arab teachers who were invited by the ministry to give seminars in Iraq in April, May and September have been asked to postpone their trips due to the volatile security situation in the country. “We have to expect some hindrances because of this increase of violence,” said one worker. – E.P. News