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Iraqi Christians Face Escalating
Violence: Urgent Appeal For Prayer
And Action
 The
Christian community in northern Iraq
is facing ever mounting intimidation
and violence. Since the beginning of
the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan
(15th October) the situation has
escalated, with the apparent aim of
forcing the Christians out of their
homeland. Tens of thousands are
fleeing. International media
reported the first incident, when
explosions occurred at five churches
in Baghdad just after 4.00 a.m. on
Saturday 16th October (2nd Ramadan).
But the other threats and attacks on
Christians go largely unreported.
Photographs of three senior bishops
in Mosul are being circulated
around, with the message that they
are agents of the USA, infidels, and
action must be taken against them.
The church leaders serving the
Christian community of Karakush,
Mosul, have received two letters
from the Islamic militants. The
first ordered them to allow
Christian women to marry Muslim men
(which in Muslim eyes means the
women effectively convert to Islam).
This, said the letter, would enable
the women to be "blessed" and
"purified" by their marriages.
 The second letter to church leaders,
received yesterday 2nd November,
announced the militants' intention
of killing one person in every
Christian family, as a punishment
for the women not covering their
heads and not going to university.
This follows up pressure and threats
from Islamic extremists against all
women in Mosul, requiring them to
cover their head with the hijab
(Islamic headscarf). A Christian
woman was killed around 26th October
for having her head uncovered. Two
other Christian women who were seen
bareheaded in a market had nitric
acid squirted in their faces.
Specific threats about the clothing
of female students at Mosul
University have so frightened the
Christians that an estimated 1,500
Christian women have stopped
attending their classes.
 Islamic militants are knocking on
the doors of Christian homes in
Mosul, demanding money. They argue
that since the Christians do not
contribute weapons and do not fight,
they must make a financial donation
instead. This follows exactly the
model of classical Islam, whereby
Christians and Jews were excluded
from fighting for the Islamic state
but instead required to pay a
special tax ? jizya ? to cover the
costs of their protection.
Leaflets are being distributed with
the message: "Christians go; leave
Iraq." Word is being passed around
in the mosques, telling Muslims not
to buy anything from the Christians.
Not only are they infidels, it is
said, but also they will soon be
leaving, so the Muslims will be able
to take their homes and property for
free. PRAY
* In this grave situation, the
Christians in Iraq beg for the
prayers of their Christian brothers
and sisters elsewhere. Ask the Lord
to protect them from those who would
harm them, and to fill their hearts
with faith and hope.
 * Please also write to your MP
(or other local political
representative) asking them to raise
the suffering of Christians in Iraq
as a matter of utmost urgency with
the Foreign Secretary (or equivalent
in your country) and call for their
immediate intervention to protect
Iraqi Christians. Please also write
to the US embassy in your country
urging a similar course of action.
* Barnabas Fund will shortly be
sending out a lobbying request
through its Rapid Lobbying Network
with further information about
writing to MPs and others. Please
contact Barnabas Fund if you would
like to receive this.
The Barnabas Fund
The Old Rectory
River Street, PEWSEY
Wiltshire, SN9 5DB
UK
Tel 01672 564938, Fax 01672 565030
E-mail
info@barnabasfund.org
Web
www.barnabasfund.org
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