Iraq (MNN) — Two Christian girls were recently murdered in Mosul, Iraq, as al-Qaeda members stormed their home. The terrorists then blew up their house, wounding the two sisters' mother.
"This is another incident of how Christians have been targeted for extermination by al-Qaeda in Iraq from the city of Mosul," says Carl Moeller of Open Doors USA. Moeller says that violence against Christians has been rising, forcing many to flee to the Nineveh Plain and live as Internally Displaced People.
"What's even more troubling is that just recently we heard that the Iraqi government was going to step in and protect the Christians in the city of Mosul in particular. Many Christians, about 10,000 or so by some estimates, had started to move back into the city," says Moeller. Unfortunately, these attacks are proof that the government has being inadequate in its attempts to protect Christians. This likely will mean a second mass flight from Mosul.
Any attempts to stop the growth of Christianity in Iraq, however, have failed miserably. "It's quite a paradox in some places because as persecution increases, the Church also increases," notes Moeller. Unfortunately, as more and more come to faith in Christ and live that faith out, persecution becomes more prevalent as well. This has not swayed ministry, however, as Christians become confident that this pattern of persecution and growth has been intact ever since the book of Acts.
"We know in Iraq the light is not going out," says Moeller. "We must stand with those Christians in their suffering. We must let them know that they're not forgotten."
Pray that these continued waves of anti-Christian violence would end in Iraq and that the Church would indeed continue to grow. If you would like to help Open Doors encourage and exhort these Christians, click here.
