ICC's January 2015 Persecution Magazine

WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG

JANUARY 2015

PERSECU ION

A Symbol of Hate Rallies ICC & Others To Help Iraq’s Christians FEATURE

ANSWERS

INTERVIEWS

ADVOCACY

ISIS Seeks Resurrection of Islamic Caliphate

What is ISIS? How are they threatening the Church?

Mosul Christians Share Their Stories

Giving a Voice to Christians in Iraq

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Table of Contents

In This Issue INTERVIEWS

8 | Terror in Mosul

Iraqi Christians recount the night they were forced to flee their homes when ISIS militants took control of Mosul.

FEATURE

12 | The Banner of Death

An in-depth look at ISIS and their efforts to establish an Islamic Caliphate across much of the Middle East.

ANSWERS

16 | Answering Your Questions

We’re answering your questions about what is really going on in Iraq and what you can do to help Christians in the affected areas.

12

ADVOCACY

26 | ICC Advocacy At Work

Our advocacy team is hard at work bringing the needs of Iraqi Christians before policymakers in Washington, D.C. So far, our efforts have helped direct funds and even shape policy.

Regular Features

3 Note from the President A few words from ICC’s President, Jeff King, on the present state of the persecuted church in Iraq.

8 20

26

4 World News A snapshot of the persecution that impacts our brothers and sisters daily, in every corner of the world.

20 Your Dollars At Work Learn how your gifts are helping strengthen and comfort displaced and suffering families in Iraq.

2

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

A Note from the President

CONVERT OR DIE! Blaring from mosque loudspeakers or on giant speakers mounted Jeff King, President on trucks, the message above burned fear into Iraq’s Christians as International Christian Concern ISIS raped and murdered its way through Iraq’s heartland. They and the Yazidis fled the flood of terror to Erbil. Their abandoned homes were painted with the symbol on the cover by ISIS fighters marking them as Christian homes that were to be taken.

Most fled on foot and were forced to cross the desert with only a few meager possessions.

Arriving in Erbil, they found only a modicum of rest, for Erbil was overrun with refugees, and the majority were without shelter from the sun and faced temperatures of up to 130 degrees in direct sunlight.

Sadly, many of the old and young did not survive the journey or the destination.

The Iraqi church, in partnership with Western believers, was doing an amazing work tending to the massive waves of displaced people who poured into the town. Our staff landed in Iraq in August, at the height of ISIS’ penetration, to work with the churches and relief workers in distributing water, food, tents, and baby formula.

While most of our work was among Christians, we also greatly enjoyed touching Muslim victims in Iraq, as well. Carrying out the Lord’s command to “love those who persecute you” has a devastating effect on hate.

There is only one reason we are able to do any of this. It is because of you! You are the answer and their rescuer; we are merely your hands and feet. We are your bridge to bring your touch to them.

I am profoundly grateful for your partnership with us as we build and bandage Christ’s persecuted body around the world.

As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically.

I promise!

Jeff King

President, International Christian Concern www.persecution.org

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

3

World News

Persecution News Christians In The Crosshairs

PAKISTAN

‘And then they threw them inside the furnace’ Family of Martyred Couple

A family spokesperson describes how a Christian couple was burned alive.

Riled by loudspeaker announcements from local mosques, a mob of more than 1,200 Muslims ripped the thatched roof off the office building, pulled the young couple out and broke their legs so they couldn’t run away.

A family spokesperson said, “They picked them up by their arms and legs and held them over the brick furnace until their clothes caught fire. And then they threw them inside the furnace.”

3 | UKRAINE Amid escalating violence in eastern Ukraine, evangelical Christians have increasingly found themselves caught in the deadly crosshairs of separatist rebels. These separatists, who claim to be defenders of Orthodox Christianity, are determined to purge Ukraine of any perceived threats to their Orthodox principles.

Time and again, they have shown they have no qualms with using abduction, beatings, and murder to achieve their aims. As the battle for Ukraine continues, persecution of Christians increases day by day.

This tragedy is yet another apalling example of how the blasphemy law is used to persecute Christians in Pakistan.

An ICC staffer displays the bones (bottom) of a Christian couple collected from the brick kiln (top) where a mob of Muslims burned them alive.

Couple Burned Alive 1 | PAKISTAN A young Christian Pakistani couple, parents to four with one on the way, were brutally martyred when they were accused of blasphemy and then refused to recant Christianity and embrace Islam. Sajjad Maseeh, 27, and his wife Shama Bibi, 24, were accused of burning pages of the Quran. They were locked in the offices of the brick kiln, where they were essentially indentured slaves, by the kiln owner.

4

Children Among Arrested In China 2 | CHINA Even Christian children are not safe in China.

On Sunday, September 21st, more than 200 police raided a house church. More than 100 church members, including children, were arrested during the Sunday service in Foshan City, in China’s Guangdong Province. As of Monday evening, more than 24 hours later, 30 parishioners still remained in police custody.

“We don’t know exactly why they raided our church,” a local believer told ICC during an interview. “The government does not want us to get together and worship as a church.”

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

Saint Catherine’s Church, Ukraine

Photography CBN

Family of slain pastor in Ukraine.

JANUARY 2015

World News

More than 100,000

Christians have been driven from their homes by Islamic militants in Iraq. Is this the final exodus for Iraqi Christians?

Photography ICC

An Iraqi boy who spoke with ICC staff while ISIS was fighting only miles away.

Losing Hope: What’s Next for Iraq’s Christians?

4 | IRAQ The ethnic and religious cleansing of Iraq has created a disaster of staggering proportions. For the Christian community that has called Iraq home for centuries, there are fears this may be the final exodus. More than 100,000 have been driven from their homes and are unsure if they will ever be able to return. The brutal attacks by the jihadist militants of ISIS and the atrocities they continue to commit against Christians and religious minorities are heart-breaking. Women — both Christian and minorities — are being sold and abused, treated as slaves and spoils of war. These acts caused one who fled his home to lament, “They are selling them! What century are we in?”

Al-Shabab Militants Massacre 28 in Kenya

Relatives of those slain in Nigeria weep.

Boko Haram Taunts Parents of Kidnapped 5 | NIGERIA In a video statement released by the leader of Boko Haram, the Nigerian extremist Islamic group responsible for kidnapping 200 girls (most of whom are Christians), the militant leader claimed he never agreed to a truce with the Nigerian government and had no intention of releasing the girls. Instead, he seems to taunt the parents, saying, “The issue of the girls is long forgotten because I have long ago married them off. If you knew the state your daughters are in today, it might lead some of you … to die from grief.” He also claimed that all the girls had converted to Islam and memorized at least two chapters of the Quran. Church leaders in Nigeria released a statement, saying, in part, “We are worried that the Christians are being systematically eliminated by members of the Boko Haram Islamic extremists. We are forced to believe that the whole attack is a deliberate plan to exterminate Christians living in the affected areas.”

6 | KENYA On November 22nd, al-Shabab militants forcefully boarded a bus in Kenya and divided the passengers. All those who were non-Muslim, which was decided if they could not recite from the Quran, were lined up and shot in the head. A Kenyan offical reporting on the incident stated that of the 28 killed, “most of them were Christians.”

IRAQ

‘They are selling them!

What century are we in?’

Iraqi Refugee A man who was forced to leave his home in Iraq laments the absurdity of the acts being committed against female ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq by ISIS militants.

Released from Prison in North Korea

7 | NORTH KOREA On November 8, North Korea released U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae, who was imprisoned in the country for his Christian faith. Bae is a KoreanAmerican missionary who was leading a tour group in North Korea when he was arrested and accused of crimes against the state on November 3, 2012. It is believed that Kenneth Bae Bae was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp due to his Christian faith. At more than 730 days, Bae’s imprisonment is the longest on record for an American citizen in North Korea, a country widely recognized to be among the world’s most repressive places for Christians.

Terri Chung, Bae’s sister, said, “Our family could not have been sustained without the knowledge that Kenneth was in God’s care, when it seemed we were helpless to do anything.” Words cannot adequately express our relief and gratitude … this ordeal has been excruciating for the family, but we are filled with joy right now.”

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

5

Overview

Iraqi Crisis Response ICC is reaching out to the dwindling Christian community in Iraq with practical assistance, comfort and advocacy on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

W

hen ISIS militants took the city of Mosul, Iraq, on June 10, 2014, the world once again opened its eyes to the dangers that Iraq’s Christian community is facing. One of the world’s most brutal jihadist militant groups had set its sights squarely on the heartland of Iraq’s Christian communities.

First Mosul fell, then Qaraqosh, Iraq’s Christian capital, and then many of the other Christian towns and villages across central Iraq were emptied. As many as 200,000 Christians fled their homes as ISIS militants solidified their hold on land across Iraq.

The jihadists’ from the group which calls itself the Islamic State (previously the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham or ISIS) systematically and brutally killed or abducted thousands of non-Sunni, nonArab religious minorities. By the end of 2014, the total number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) scattered across Iraq was more than 1.9 million people.

For many of Iraq’s Christians, this is just the latest — but many fear the last — chapter in a story that has been full of brutal persecution. Just since 2003, over 1 million Christians have left Iraq 6

‘One of the world’s most brutal jidhadist militant groups had set its sights squarely on the heartland of Iraq’s Christian communities.’ due to violence that rocked the country as a whole, but often included specific attacks on Christians and churches. Once numbering nearly 1.5 million, the number of Christians remaining in Iraq prior to the ISIS attacks in June was just about 300,000.

Standing with the Church As we witnessed what was happening to Christians in Iraq at the hands of ISIS PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

and the dangers they now faced as so many had fled their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs, we immediately sprang into action.

ICC exists to serve as a bridge between persecuted believers and the church that is free. We seek to help serve the persecuted church by providing assistance to those in need, raising awareness of what is happening, and being their advocate and speaking on their behalf when they JANUARY 2015

Photos

Top Left A truck

load of mattresses arrives to deliver aid and comfort to displaced families.

Top Right An elderly woman from Mosul shares the story of how she lost her home to ISIS militants.

Bottom Left

An Iraqi woman receives a donated blanket to help prepare her for the long winter ahead.

Bottom Right

ICC advocates traveled to Iraq to learn the needs of pastors, churches and families in order to bring their concerns back to policymakers in Washington, D.C. Photography ICC

these churches desperately needed. We also shared their story with our supporters and donors. They responded in an incredible way by giving to the Iraqi Crisis fund to help provide resources for tens of thousands of Christians in need all across the country (page 20).

As summer and the brutal heat started to change into winter and freezing temperatures, the nature of the needs changed but the urgency did not. We continue to provide heaters, blankets, and winter clothes to help sustain Christians in Iraq.

Listening to Their Stories In times of massive crisis, it is easy for numbers — 200,000 Christians, 1.9 million Iraqis … — to become just numbers.

A team from ICC went to Iraq not just to provide aid, but also to sit and listen to the stories of those who had lost almost everything. Each of these individuals has their own story, and we want to help make sure that those stories do not get lost (page 8).

We are also working to explain the crisis — what is behind the violence? — and helping to provide answers to questions that many have about the situation and what role they can play (page 16).

A Voice for Iraq’s Christians

‘A team from ICC went to Iraq not just to provide aid, but also to sit and listen to the stories of those who had lost everything.’ cannot speak for themselves. All of these facets of ICC’s ministry have been present as we’ve responded to the crisis in Iraq.

Meeting the Massive Need In the days immediately following the fall of Mosul, we spoke with local church leaders who were on the frontlines working to show Christ’s love to their hurting brothers and sisters and the many others (Yazidi, Shabak, and other groups) who

were now in intense need as a result of ISIS’ attacks.

As the first waves of IDPs started to arrive in Erbil and other parts of the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq, the immediate needs were for shelter from the brutal heat, food and water, and a place to sleep.

ICC started immediately working with local partners to provide the resources that

As the world was gripped with stories that have emerged out of Iraq, ICC has been working both on the ground in Iraq and with government officials in Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of Christians (page 26).

We visited Iraq to investigate firsthand about what was happening and whether assistance that had been sent by the U.S. government was actually reaching many of those in need.

Upon our return, we met with numerous government offices in Washington and hosted a major congressional staff briefing to discuss the ongoing threats and provide steps that could be taken to better assist the Christian community in Iraq.

The crisis in Iraq is still ongoing, and ICC continues to work to stand with the church in Iraq and with other persecuted Christians around the globe.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

7

Interviews

TERROR IN MOSUL Christians Share Their Stories With ICC Iraqi Christians recount the night they were forced to flee their homes when ISIS militants took control of Mosul, Iraq.

By Iraqi Christians in Mosul

As ISIS swept through Iraq, the resulting crisis displaced 1,968,516 people. More than 325,000 families are no longer living in their own homes but have been forced to seek shelter in one of at least 2,000 different locations across the country. Daily, hundreds are streaming out of the country, doubtful they will ever return.

What cannot be lost amidst the numbers that show the scale of the need is the reality that each of those people, each of those families, has their own story.

In the following pages, we invite you to read just a few of the stories that they shared with us, written in their own words.

8

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

Are You Nasrani?

By Pastor Karam

For five days we were hearing that we should stay off the streets. ISIS militants were approaching the city, there was fighting with the Iraqi army on the other side of the city. We hoped that the military would be able to defend the city.

Our church had gathered in a prayer meeting in our home. Many of us were there for three days, because we were not able to travel around the city. It was not long after midnight when we heard that the city was fallen.

We quickly decided it was time to go, and so we quickly piled into a car and

‘It was not long after midnight when we heard that the city was fallen.’

left the city. We heard that just fifteen minutes after we left, our neighborhood had been shut down — blocked off under ISIS control.

As we were going, we saw soldiers fleeing as well, throwing off their uniforms and changing into civilian clothes.

By the thousands, people flooded onto the road out of Mosul towards Erbil. Some were in cars, many were walking. All were leaving the city behind and fleeing for safety.

I returned to Mosul twice. The first time was to collect papers and documents from our home. The city was oddly quiet, but I did not have any problems. The second time I took a truck to take the furniture from our home. This was just one day before the deadline that ISIS gave to Mosul’s Christians. They had said you must either convert or leave, and if you don’t, then you will be killed.

As I was leaving the city, I had to pass through an ISIS checkpoint. They stopped me and examined my ID card. Then

‘Now we are living as refugees.’ the fighter asked me, ‘Are you Nasrani [Christian]?’ I told him yes. He pulled me to the side and had me sit and wait.

I was there for over four hours. I did not know what would happen to me. The fighters were from different countries; I could tell from the dialect that they were not all Iraqi or Syrian. After four hours of sitting, waiting, an Emir, one of the leaders, came over and returned my ID card and said I was free to go.

I was amazed. The whole time I was praying, but I did not know what would happen.

Now we are living as refugees — but we are serving, too. The whole church from Mosul is now in Erbil and helping in the aid to the other refugees. Even though we have our own needs, it is an opportunity to share the Gospel with them.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

9

Interviews

My Country Doesn’t Want Me

By Naefa, a 60-year-old woman who wept as she told us her story

I

am from Mosul. We had two homes.

Our family was well established and had been living there for years.

When ISIS came, we had to flee.

They were ravaging through the streets, and word spread quickly for Christians to get out.

So we left with only a few belongings, leaving everything else behind. But then we hit an ISIS roadblock, where they stripped us of everything, leaving us with just the clothes we were wearing.

We had no place to go, but fled to the streets and slept on the streets for a number of weeks with my family. Finally, we walked to a neighboring village where we slept in an abandoned school where my daughter and family, who had also fled, later joined us.

‘We hit an ISIS roadblock, where they stripped us of everything, leaving us with only the clothes we were wearing.’

ISIS eventually attacked that city, forcing us to uproot again, this time moving to this Christian village. Here, I am living in an abandoned house. We rely on the generosity of the few residents that remained in the village and aid organizations, but because it’s dangerous to visit this volatile area, we have very little aid that reaches us.

I only have summer clothes and am not prepared for the cold nights and harsh winter approaching. My hope is to immigrate because there’s only a bleak horizon saying, “My country doesn’t want me here. What am I to do?”

10

We Believe it is the End of Christians in Iraq

By Karam and Rana, parents of two young children

W

Mosul city. We heard ISIS was coming, but didn’t think it was a serious threat. When the Iraqi army left Mosul, ISIS began telling us to convert. e lived in

The chant of “convert to Islam or die” was blasting from speakers on trucks driving around the city. We even received a specific notice from ISIS reinforcing this message. Many people had already fled, so finally we joined, fleeing from the life we had established. We fled to Qaraqosh village, but it got dangerous too, so we had to leave again. In all, we’ve fled four villages.

Now in this village we don’t feel safe, either. Just two nights ago, we heard attacks by ISIS. They take place at the PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

‘The chant of “convert to Islam or die” was blasting from speakers…’ bottom of the valley just 10 minutes away from here, and ISIS has settled into the area. Here we have nothing except the empty house we live in with two other families.

We’re so nervous about the coming months: no schooling, no homes, no solution, and nothing to go back to. We have no idea what to do at this point. We believe it’s the end of Christians in Iraq.

All of us will leave.

JANUARY 2015

Nothing More Could Happen in Mosul

By Sinan, a 20-year-old university student

F

from ISIS entered Mosul. For about one week there was fighting on the outskirts of Mosul. We thought it would just be for a short time and then be finished. Nothing more could happen in Mosul. The army was there. irst a few soldiers

Something suddenly happened — the leaders of the army fled, then the soldiers fled. I remember in the middle of the night many people leaving. Some going by car, some by walking.

I was thinking, ‘There is something wrong — something is happening in our town.’ So I stayed awake from 10 pm until 2 am. Then a resident called and told us that the city was falling and we needed to leave the area. We saw a pickup truck of ISIS fighters coming through town. They were just shooting, setting cars on fire.

Our family left Mosul and started walking from Mosul. We left at 4 am, and it was after 11 pm when we arrived in Qaraqosh. As we were walking, we saw cars of the army coming through, and the roads were so crowded that they were shooting into the air to make room for them to get through.

I remember a mother with her young baby was afraid from the shooting. As she was running to get out of the way, I saw her drop her baby. I can’t forget seeing this, seeing all of these people running from their homes.

We stayed in Qaraqosh for over a month.

I returned to Mosul twice. When I went there, it was like a “ghost city.” Everyone still there was scared of ISIS. Every Friday they would issue new orders about what they can wear, how to grow their

beards, that women and girls were not allowed to leave their homes. Everyone was scared of them.

Mosul’s Christians — they were safe, but they lost everything. Their ID cards, their homes, their cars, even the ring of the hands of married people. ISIS took everything. They took the churches — all of the churches they took. Also, there is a statue of Mary in the city, they had destroyed that. Every cross on the churches, they destroyed those also.

For the homes of Christians, they took everything out of them and used them.

Then they marked the homes with the “N” for “Nasrani” [Christian]. Now, for many of them, they are using them as the homes for the families of the fighters. The foreign fighters brought their families to live in the Christians’ homes; from Pakistan,

‘I can’t forget seeing this, seeing all these people running from their homes.’

Morocco, Palestine, those families are living in the Christians’ homes.

We stayed in Qaraqosh for about one month before ISIS attacked and forced us to flee again from Qaraqosh. We went from there back to Mosul. We stayed there in my aunt’s house for about 10 days. We could not return to our home because it was taken by ISIS. For those 10 days we could not go out; we stayed in our house the entire time. We called a Christian station in Erbil and asked them to pray for us and to give us advice on what we should do.

They encouraged us that we should leave Mosul. We were worried about the road, but we were able to leave Mosul before the deadline, and now our family is living here in Erbil.

I left behind my university studies. I’m not sure what will happen to me, to my family.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

11

Feature Article

THE BANNER OF DEATH ISIS spreads their banner of death over Iraq, driving Christians from their homeland of the last 2,000 years.

I

sis’ flag has become a potent

and widespread symbol. Known as the “Black Banner” of Islam, the flag harks back to the 8th century when the Islamic Caliphate flew solid black banners to herald their own rise to power. Inscribed on the flag of ISIS is the shahada, literally “the testimony” of Islam.

The white lettering across the top of the flag is the first half of the creed, which reads, “There is no god but Allah.”

Below, in the white circle meant to symbolize the seal of Muhammad, the Arabic script completes the second half of the creed, “Muhammad is the messenger of god.”

Creating the Islamic State In essence, ISIS is flying the Black Banner of Islam, coming to be known by many as the Black Banner of Jihad, over its conquered land in Iraq and Syria to declare that they have resurrected the Islamic Caliphate. Historically, the caliphs of Islamic empires were seen as successors of Muhammad and meant to lead the entirety of the Muslim faith (the ummah) as a sovereign, Islamic state.

They have created this new “Islamic State” by employing some of the most brutal tactics imaginable. They do not carry out their atrocities in secret, but broadcast them to the world.

They seek to create a land for Sunni Muslims who adhere to the commands of Islam’s holy books, the Quran and Hadiths, and they are using the brutality and terror that Muhammad practiced and commanded.

They have committed mass executions of Shi’a Muslims, who they view as apostate. They have enslaved thousands of women — Yazidi, Christian, and others — to be sold off and abused as sex slaves and as a reward for their fighters.

12

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

13

Feature Article For Christians, ISIS has offered the choice to convert to Islam, pay a tax and live under dhimittude (a set of laws laid down by Muhammad to slowly strangle other faiths), or face the sword.

In light of this, as many as 200,000 of Iraq’s Christians fled their homelands, in some cases ahead of an impending deadline for conversion or the advance of the black flag that symbolizes the ISIS fighters. In total, almost 2 million have been displaced as a result of the conflict.

While ISIS has risen to prominence over the past nine months, leaping on to headlines when it captured Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, the group and many of its fighters have a long history of combat with Islamic terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda.

‘The jama’ah (group) would use the absent obligation of jihad as its fundamental means for change, implementing Allah’s command … ‘ — Dabiq, ISIS’ glossy monthly magazine that recruits, inspires, and disciples radical Muslims.

The emptying of Iraq’s Christian villages in Mosul and the Nineveh plain is just the latest chapter in a decade that has seen the population shrink from nearly 1.5 million to less than 300,000.

Masters of Communication Members of ISIS are masters of communication, using social media, magazines, and video to recruit, terrorize, and 14

inspire the faithful. Their first edition of Dabiq (sample pages above and at right), a glossy, Englishlanguage magazine, highlights two important elements of their ideology.

First, the return of the Khilafah, or the Caliphate, which is the Islamic political and religious order that identifies the objectives of establishing a political state for Muslims. The Caliphate is arranged around the leadership of a caliph — an approved successor of the prophet Muhammad.

ISIS proclaimed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as Caliph Ibrahim and is attempting to demPERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

onstrate he is a historical and legitimate descendent of Muhammad.

Second, the title of the magazine, Dabiq, is a Syrian city that is to be the site of a battle between Islamic and Christian forces that ushJANUARY 2015

ers in the end times. ISIS’ eschatological views drive much of its propaganda.

ABOVE AND BELOW: ISIS’ glossy monthly magazine, Dabiq, is named after a Syrian city which is said to be the site of an Armageddon-style battle between Islamic and Christian forces.

In the video portraying the brutal killing of 16 Syrian soldiers, as well as announcing the killing of an American aid worker, Peter Kassig, the ISIS spokesman announced that Kassig’s body has been buried in Dabiq and they are waiting there for the soldiers to arrive.

ISIS now surpasses rival Al-Qaeda as the largest and most dangerous Islamic terrorist group in the world. While much of ISIS’ attention is directed at solidifying control in Iraq and Syria and establishing an Islamic state over the vast stretches of land they control, they have yet broader ambitions.

They are openly hostile to Shi’a Muslims, especially those in Iran, who they view as heretics. They have also threatened Sunni countries, like Saudi Arabia and Jordan, who do not accept their authority.

ISIS is clearly looking to establish a farreaching Islamic state, and is not shy about its threats or intentions toward Europe or the United States.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

15

Answers

Q&A

The crisis in Iraq and its impact on Christians has been a headline news story for months, but there has also been lots of questions about what is going on and what Christians in the West can do to help. We had a number of supporters submit questions about the physical threats for Christians in Iraq, their spiritual condition, and what can be done to help.

Q:

Threats to Christians in Iraq

Are all the persecuted Christians still in Iraq or have they fled?

Are there any safe zones around them to take refuge in?

— Sandeep K.

A:

Nearly all Christians have left the areas under ISIS control (Mosul, Nineveh Plain) in Western and Central Iraq. There remain some who are trapped and were unable to leave because of medical reasons or other difficulties.

Most of them fled to the Kurdistan region in Northern Iraq. They are protected by the Kurdish peshmerga forces. In this area they are safe for now, but it will not be a long-term solution. Many have already left. Hundreds of families have already arrived in places like Lebanon, Jordan.

Q:

A:

Should the West repatriate Arab Christians to protect them from persecution?

— Ian F.

The best solution would be for people to be able to live in their homelands, free from persecution.

When there is conflict like this, it creates a struggle between the need to go where there is safety and opportunity for your family and what will happen to the country if all of the Christians were to leave.

There is no one right answer for each family, and we are grateful for governments that do open doors for those who are fleeing persecution to find refuge. It is a challenge to not encourage mass emigration but also provide humanitarian aid.

Q:

When are world leaders going to take action against this plague called ISIS? Why isn’t there a big outcry against these atrocities? Does the world think it is ok to kill Jews and Christians?

— Lloyd S.

A:

It did seem like the world was slow to realize what was happening. The conflict in Syria has created a humanitarian crisis larger even than the genocide in Rwanda. Those opposing the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad largely were not freedom fighters, but violent extremists like ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. Now the world seems to have woken up to this, but leaders are still unsure about what action to take.

‘The horrific abuses that ISIS has committed against women are heart treating women as slaves to be sold, sexually abused, forced into mar

16

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

The military engagement has started, but it remains limited as the United States and others are hesitant to start a new, long-term war in the Middle East. Across the world, we need to raise our collective voices to speak out to protect vulnerable communities who are facing persecution and threats. This can move governments to act. Our leaders will care about an issue when they know that their people care about the issue.

Q:

A:

Are Christian women and girls safe in Iraq?

— Nacky G.

The horrific abuses that ISIS has committed against women are heartbreaking.

While the total number of women who have been kidnapped is unknown, some estimate more than 7,000 — mainly religious minorities including Christians, Yazidis and others. ISIS has spoken openly about their justification for treating women as slaves to be sold, sexually abused, forced into marriages, and given as rewards to Jihadist fighters.

Q:

How many people are still trapped on that mountain? What are the chances that they will be able to leave soon? Is America still militarily protecting them from ISIS and still providing humanitarian assistance?

— John R.

A:

The crisis on Sinjar Mountain, when ISIS trapped thousands of Yazidis in the mountains with no escape route, was one of the incidents that sparked greater international intervention in Iraq. An escape route was opened up for them to be able to get down from the mountain, many actually crossing the border into Syria before making their way around to Kurdistan or back to relatively safe areas in northern Iraq.

While the imminent danger was solved, there remain villages across northern Iraq that still have nothing more than a few local men with rifles standing guard. If ISIS were to decide to retake those areas, they would face very little resistance.

Q:

A:

Are the Christians arming themselves to fight ISIS? — Ryan T.

This has been talked about, not so much in terms of fighting back as Christians but as citizens defending their homes and villages and participating with the Iraqi and Kurdish military.

In some villages, they have formed defense units, but these are very limited in the weapons that they have access to compared to what ISIS is using.

Christians are often known to be peacemakers in a region that is hostile and rife with sectarian violence, so the idea of them taking up arms is relatively new, but they are wanting to participate in protecting their homes and country from these threats.

So the answer is yes. Many Christians have joined the Kurdish forces and are protecting themselves in this way.

artbreaking. … ISIS has spoken openly about their justification for marriages and given as rewards to Jihadist fighters.’

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

17

Answers

Q&A

Spiritual State of Christians In Iraq

Q:

A:

How is their spiritual morale in the face of such danger? I am praying for them. — Rebecca A.

This is one of the most surprising and encouraging things we have seen during this crisis — how so many have shared that their faith has actually grown stronger. One woman told us, “When you have lost everything, you cling to God even tighter.” So in the face of danger, many have turned to God and held even tighter to Him and have seen their faith become more important to them.

Q:

A:

What are the priorities for prayer? — Janet S.

First would certainly be the prayer for protection and for peace. Many of the other needs are a result of the violent conflict that has driven so 18

many out of their homes. Also pray for the provision of needs — basics like blankets, coats, heaters, and food are big concerns.

Finally, pray for the faith of those in Iraq to not be shaken, but that they would continue to rely on God. There are many who in this time of crisis have had opportunities to speak of the love that God has shown in the Gospel. Church leaders have told us how there is a wide-open harvest to reach people that they have never been able to talk with before.

Q:

A:

Did you hear any stories of miraculous deliverance or other God-happenings?

— Kristin K.

One amazing story was that of Pastor Karam (told earlier) who was held at an ISIS checkpoint, asked directly if he was a Christian, and thought he was likely going to be killed, but was actually released. Another testimony of God’s working was when we asked leaders about whether there had been mass PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

killings of Christians. He answered that his only explanation for this was God’s protection, that he allowed many to flee before fighters came and protected many even through the dangers.

Q:

I would like to know their story, what is their dream, what do they hope for? We want to carry this story, dream and hope until it is fulfilled. Let us bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

— Ben V.D.M.

A:

Most of these families have lived in Iraq for centuries. Over the past decade, over 1 million Christians have left, so those who remain have chosen to stay. Their biggest dream was to be able to live freely and safely in their homes. Now that they have been driven out — many feel for the last time — most expressed not even knowing what would be the next step. Their dream would be for a peaceful Iraq where they are able to freely live as Christians.

JANUARY 2015

‘We are helping the church community invest heavily and consistently in hundreds of families and really make a difference in their lives.’

Q:

Physical Needs of Christians In Iraq

What did you encounter when you traveled to Iraq? How can you be sure the money goes to those who need it most?

— Grace L.

A:

On our trip we spent time together with our local partners, both churches and organizations, to assess their needs for ourselves and to also see how they assess their needs. By working together with local groups who are regularly going and visiting areas, it gives us a constantly updated picture of the changing needs.

We have been working in two ways to make sure that our aid is making a difference. We are helping the church community invest heavily and consistently in hundreds of families and really make a difference in their lives.

The other way that we have been working is to identify communities that have fallen through the cracks. Much of our assistance has gone outside of the main cities and is providing water, food, and winterization materials to people that have not been receiving aid from others.

Q:

A: — Ross F.

Apart from praying, how can we as individuals or as a group practically help in the crisis?

Two practical steps that can be taken are to speak and to give. Often, once an incident falls out of the news cycle, people quickly forget about it.

This has happened in many ways with the Syrian refugee crisis, and it could happen with Iraq, as well.

So keep following the story, keep sharing with others about it, and keep pressuring your members of Congress to engage on it.

Second, there remain financial needs to provide continued aid to the community in Iraq.

So support ICC and others as they continue to work alongside of local churches to help care for these communities that have been displaced.

Q:

— Diana G.

Did you take [the displaced Iraqi Christians] food, etc., or just take pictures and ask questions?

A:

Since June, shortly after Mosul fell, ICC has been providing assistance through local partners in Iraq. The needs have changed over the past few months, but we continue to provide tangible assistance, as well as helping to tell their stories so that the world knows and cares about what is happening.

Q:

When a person donates money to ICC, how is it used to help those brothers and sisters who are under persecution from ISIS? Is the money distributed worldwide where needed? Or can one designate a preference when giving? — Gary P.

A:

ICC offers our donors the ability to give toward specific needs in a few different ways. We have designated funds like Community Rebuild that go directly to projects like what has happened in Iraq. We also have our Hand of Hope funds that are geographically tied to a region, so you can designate funds to the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, or the Far East. Then, for projects like Iraq, we will have a campaign where donors give to a specific project.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

19

Your Dollar$ at Work As ISIS swept into central Iraq, taking Mosul and the Christian towns of the Nineveh plain, ICC put out a call to our supporters to help us stand with the Iraqi church and help to provide aid to thousands of those who were driven from their homes.

Œ

This is a snapshot of some of the work that your support has allowed ICC to do in the past six months.

ICC Visits Hurting Villages In Iraq

W

ICC staff was on the ground in northern Iraq, we not only had high-level meetings with church leaders and officials, but we were out visiting those in need and meeting those needs as quickly as possible. hile

We visited a makeshift camp set up on the grounds of a church that was housing more than 200 families. We distributed simple food packages that provided dinner for all of those families.

The next day, we visited a school that had nearly 700 people living in it. As we made our way through the school, we found over 100 people did not have mat20

tresses, and no one had pillows. We were able to find a local factory to make them and we distributed those the next day.

A kindergarten had converted its second floor into space for 25 families, more than 100 people, mostly kids, to stay. Most of their immediate needs for shelter and food were met, so we brought ice cream (right), a surprisingly normal thing, that in the midst of such hardships, was encouraging. We were blessed to be able to watch mothers step back and take a breath as they saw their children smile.

This time of assessment allows us to more accurately direct our partners as we continue to provide aid throughout Iraq.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

21

Your Dollar$ at Work

1 | Bandwaya, Dohuk, Iraq

T

Community Rebuild

his village is one of the closest villages to Mosul that is relatively safe and is housing IDPs. Security remains a primary concern for those living here. Aid rarely reaches to these groups because of the security and logistical challenges.

We sent three trucks filled with more than 85 food packages, 200 blankets, 200 heaters, cleaning supplies, and floor mats to those now living in Bandwaya.

These basic supplies are helping these families as they are preparing to experience brutal cold weather.

“I only have summer clothes. I am not prepared for the cold nights and harsh winter approaching,” Naefa, an elderly woman, told our team. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

22

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

2 | Akre, Dohuk, Iraq Community Rebuild

A

kre is a small village in rural northern Iraq. It began filling up with IDPs from the Christian villages that ISIS emptied across the Nineveh Plain.

By July, there were 1,000 families who had moved to the area. By September, that number had more than doubled to over 2,500 families. While many of these 12,500 people have been able to find shelter, there is no access to drinking water.

The government is trying to install a well that can provide for the new influx of IDPs, but until then water has to be brought from outside. We’ve rented trucks to daily deliver 36,000 liters of water to these families.

Providing clean water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning is keeping these families alive.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

23

Your Dollar$ at Work

Œ

3 | Atrish, Dohuk, Iraq

T

Community Rebuild

his small village is now hosting at least 140 families. When the assessment team visited in early November, the temperatures at night were already reaching into the teens.

Kids were still running around in short sleeves and sandals — they had no winter clothes or heaters, and blankets were in short supply.

For these families, getting these winter supplies was essential for them to survive the harsh winter ahead. While these families have been able to find shelter, they are far removed from any major city, and aid from the UN or other large organizations was not reaching them.

ICC and our partners have made an intentional effort to identify areas that have been overlooked and get assistance to these hard-to-reach areas.

24

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

JANUARY 2015

4 | Erbil, Iraq

E

Community Rebuild

rbil shouldered much of the weight of the IDP crisis. Because of its proximity to Mosul and the Nineveh plain, its security as the capital of the Kurdistan region, and an established church presence, it was the destination for hundreds of thousands of IDPs as they fled their homes.

While there is a large amount of aid going into Erbil, our partner described it as still just a “drop in the bucket.” By partnering with a local church, our aid is helping them to really invest in the lives of those in need and build relationships with them that will meet not just urgent physical needs but also spiritual needs.

Aid in Erbil has been ongoing, and has been providing food packages, as well as non-food items like blankets, mattresses, and basic medical goods. A recent distribution was at a four-story shopping mall; each floor is now housing 100 families.

Almost 2,000 people were living in this one building. Another building is housing more than 1,250.

All of these families have come with almost nothing and are still largely dependent on aid for even the next meal. For thousands of people, we are helping to meet that need.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

25

Advocacy

ICC Advocacy Goes to Work on Iraq

Our advocacy efforts are helping secure aid funds and shape policy.

By Isaac Six, ICC’s Advocacy Director

going out. Utilizing well-established relationships on Capitol Hill we let congressional offices discreetly know ahead of time that we would be visiting the very borders of the war zone with ISIS to assess the situation for the tens of thousands of displaced Christians. At this point, ISIS had been advancing rapidly on Erbil, and the U.S. consulate had ordered the evacuation of all non-essential U.S. personnel. With the U.S. consulate on lockdown and many NGOs sending their staff to safer locations, congressional offices were eager to get information beyond the media headlines.

A few hours after touching down in northern Iraq, our team was ushered past the high-security entrance of the U.S. consulate to meet with staff covering the political and refugee situation. They gave us their best overview of the situation, but admitted they were unable to leave the consulate to learn anything directly for themselves. We promised to relay important information back as we spent the next few days meeting and interviewing pastors. We were also eager to learn exactly how, or if, the more than $100 million in U.S. aid to Iraq for 2014 was being used to help the Christian community.

I

August of 2014, the specter of annihilation at the hands of the most savage terrorist organization of the 21st century hung over the 150,000 strong Christian community of northern Iraq. Driven from their ancient homes en masse, tens of thousands of Christians were confronted with a dark and uncertain future. n

Persecution and suffering on such an enormous scale demanded a proportional response greater than anything that could be mustered by the private community, so ICC’s advocacy department went to work. Our goals were straightforward: determine exactly what was happening on the ground and report back to leaders 26

in Washington D.C. so that, to the maximum extent possible, the tremendous resources flowing from the United States to Iraq were used to effectively assist the persecuted. Here is how we accomplished those goals.

Getting the Facts Right

Over the next three days, ICC’s advocacy director extensively questioned pastors, ministry leaders, and displaced Christians about the aid they were receiving. To our shock, it appeared that almost all of the food, water, and shelter reaching Iraq’s displaced Christians was coming from the local community or private organizations like ICC.

‘Despite millions of dollars in expenditures, little to no U.S. aid was reaching the Christian community.’

First, we went in as everyone else was PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

This situation was unsustainable. We discovered that almost the entirety of U.S. funding was being routed through various United Nations agencies.

JANUARY 2015

Near the end of our mission, we met with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and pressed them on what exactly was being done to aid the IDP communities. It quickly became apparent that even though Christians had been driven out of Mosul almost two months before, United Nations agencies were still trying to “gear up to capacity” and had not been able to provide much relief.

Finally, on October 16th, ICC held a major congressional staff briefing on Capitol Hill to help shape U.S. policy in Iraq. Enlisting the expertise of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Open Doors USA, we took the lessons learned from our on-the-ground work in Iraq to inform and educate more than 90 congressional staffers and representatives from the NGO community.

On top of numerous audio interviews, ICC’s advocacy department conducted four video reports, two television interviews, a livestream interview session from Erbil, eight in-country project updates, and a social media question and answer session for our Facebook and Twitter followers. Partially as a result, spiritual and financial support has poured in to bring life and hope to the displaced Christians of Iraq.

By time of writing, direct U.S. assistance to NGOs working in Iraq had increased to over $65 million.

Though the dark threat of ISIS still looms over many and great need remains, today the Church in Iraq is learning that their brothers and sisters around the world have not forgotten them, and that there are a few even in the halls of Congress who will take up their burden as if it were their own.

Our staff met with Iraqi Christians to learn their needs.and advise policymakers accordingly.

Time for a Change Immediately after returning to the United States, ICC was called in to brief the International Religious Freedom office at the State Department. We relayed what we had seen on the ground and strongly emphasized that despite millions of dollars in expenditures, little to no U.S. aid was reaching the Christian community.

The problem, it seemed, was that U.S. funding needed to go directly to “implementing partners” or NGOs on the ground that could actually get help to those in need.

The World Needs to Know

In addition to our work to re-route millions of dollars of U.S. aid to assist the persecuted church, we also launched a strong effort to make America and the rest of the world aware of what was taking place on the ground.

BELOW: In addition to being a voice for the persecuted to policymakers, ICC has conducted numerous interviews to help educate the public on this ongoing crisis.

We followed up our meeting with the State Department by meeting with key religious freedom allies in Congress.

Soon, the State Department started receiving much closer scrutiny about the use of U.S. funding in northern Iraq. On September 10th, just a month after our visit to Erbil, the U.S. announced an additional $48 million aid package to assist the nearly 1.8 million internally displaced persons in Iraq. This time, however, there was a key difference: $28 million dollars would go directly to NGOs on the ground who could then get badly needed help to Christians and others faster than anyone else.

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

27

You Can Help Today!

PERSECU ION.org

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

SEND DONATIONS TO: ICC PO BOX 8056 SILVER SPRING, MD 20907 OR ONLINE AT WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG OR BY PHONE 800-ICC-5441

GIVING TO ICC VIA YOUR WILL Provide now for a future gift to ICC by including a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. If you would like more information on giving to ICC in this way, please give us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441.

International Christian Concern (ICC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all donations tax-deductible).

ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to gifts. Occasionally, situations arise where a project is no longer viable. ICC will then redirect those donated funds to the fund most similar to the donor’s original wishes. ICC uses 7.5 percent of each restricted donation to carry out the mission of its segregated funds. © Copyright 2015 ICC, Washington, D.C., USA. All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce all or part of this publication is granted provided attribution is given to ICC as the source.

facebook.com/persecuted

@persecutionnews