The civil war that erupted in Iraq last week has placed Christians in great peril and forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The group known as ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) seized Mosul, a city of two million people, and Tikrit, the hometown of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. More northern towns fell to the insurgents over the weekend, as they continued to advance southward toward Baghdad.
The Sunni jihadist group seeks to overthrow Iraq´s Shiite government and impose strict sharia law on the populace.
That´s bad news for Christians in Iraq, and for the two Mosul-based ministries that contacted Christian Aid Mission with grim reports of violence and a mass exodus out of their region. The following email was sent by a ministry that has planted churches and led many Muslims to Christ:
Please pray for us. We are scared. Last night they came in our church building and started breaking everything they saw. They took our pulpit down and removed the cross. Then they threw gasoline on it and burned everything.
We were all hiding in the church basement but we had to go out because of the smoke. As we started running out they saw us and started shooting at us. Some did not make it, but those who did ran in all directions.
Those who were captured were killed on the spot. Most of those who attended the meeting are Muslim background believers. Please pray for us. We don´t have a place to go to and we don´t know what to do.
The ministry reported that soldiers distributed leaflets stating sharia law was now in effect. The leaflets mandated that all citizens are required to pray five times a day, the hands of thieves will be amputated, and women should not walk the streets except during an emergency. If women have to go out in the streets, they must be fully covered.
ISIS militants have also been waging war against Assad´s government in Syria. Now with the attacks on Iraq´s Shiite government, the group is moving closer to its goal of creating an Islamic caliphate that encompasses territory in Iraq and Syria.
The ministry leader said the group is more fanatical than the one it branched off from—Al-Qaeda. “The ISIS fighters are more brutal and bloody,” he said. “They believe killing gets them into heaven quicker.”
Adding to the political chaos, the Kurds in northern Iraq took control of most of the city of Kirkuk last week. The Kurds want to incorporate the long-disputed, oil-rich area into their autonomous region.
Meanwhile, the world watches to see if Iraq will eventually be carved into Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish-controlled territories.
In the midst of the turmoil, where is a safe place for Christians? For now there is no clear answer. Many are heading to Kurdistan, where there is more religious freedom and prosperity.
Before 2003, Mosul had a significant Christian population of some 130,000 people. Since then the number has dwindled to a reported 10,000 due to frequent attacks on Christian homes, businesses, and churches. The city may soon be emptied of nearly all Christians now that ISIS militants have taken full control.
Another Iraqi ministry friend of Christian Aid described just how desperate the situation has become in Mosul. Christians are running for their lives, fearing there will be no future for them in a sharia law-based society.
“The Islamic militias started burning churches and killing Christians and Shiites. I have already talked with the church members in Mosul. They shut down the church, and all Christians left their homes and are fleeing to Erbil, along with thousands of Mosul residents,” he stated.
“The trip from Mosul to Erbil is like 45 minutes, but it took them 12 hours. Some of them are walking and some others were stuck in the long traffic.”
The ministry leader did see a silver lining in the chaos. “In a crisis like this, we experience a revival time and an awakening everywhere among the Muslims,” he said. “People will get closer to God and be more humble and heartbroken. They will listen to what we say about Jesus and accept our message easier. We need your prayers.”
