"An increase in violence against Christians in northern Iraq has increased the flow of Christians leaving the country. The north, generally considered a relatively safe area of the country, had become home for many Christians fleeing from the tumultuous central and southern regions. However, several bombings in the north in recent months have caused panic among the Christian community. ... A group of Christian young people said that policemen told them that they 'should not be in Iraq because it is Muslim territory.' Violence in the south of the country is also escalating. Church leaders in Baghdad say that there are attacks on Christians every two or three days. A spokesperson for Open Doors, a Christian charity which supports Christians under pressure for their faith, said that although many Christians are still choosing to stay, the fear is that if the violence continues, they may decide they have little choice but to leave. 'It remains urgent to pray for the future of Christianity in this country,' he said. 'If the present trend continues, there might be no Christian left in the whole of Iraq by 2020.'" ("Northern Iraq No Longer Safe," Religion Today, Oct. 22, 2013) Comments are closed.
|
Archives
February 2020
|