Article

Losing home

Asmaa* is 16. She’s from Iraq. Eighteen months ago she had to run from the house she grew up in in Iraq as soldiers from the so-called Islamic State approached. Now it’s dawning upon her that she may never return. Facebook is the only connection she has with her friends.

It was just after her 15th birthday, in the summer of 2014, when Asmaa’s life changed completely overnight. Her eyes reveal that the memories of those days are still vivid; speaking about it still overwhelms her with emotions, only allowing her to speak in a soft voice.

Growing up in a Christian family in Mosul hadn’t always been easy, but at least Asmaa had her friends and family and a large Christian community there. And a place to call “home”.

All those things she has now lost.

Throughout her whole life there has been unrest in Iraq, something she’d accepted without consideration. At first, the Islamic fundamentalists of IS gaining ground in her country seemed to be another temporary threat her family would be able to recover from.

And even on that warm June night in 2014 when her family had to run from IS, leaving the house and almost all their possessions behind, she was convinced they would be able to return the next day to pick up life where they left it.

“What I miss most is my baby pictures and the gifts my friends had just given me for my 15th birthday.”

Now she knows better. IS only grew stronger, and in a few days’ time the fundamentalists had chased almost all the Christians from Mosul. “After we left, IS raided our house and took everything that was of value,” Asmaa shares. “We heard from our neighbors that the rebels threw our family photos in the street to get trampled on in the dust. It feels as if on that day all my hopes and dreams also got trampled on.”

Asmaa took only a few clothes with her. “What I miss most is my baby pictures and the gifts my friends had just given me for my 15th birthday.”

After living in a refugee camp elsewhere in Iraq for over a year, Asmaa’s family decided to leave the country for good this summer and to go and live in one of the neighboring countries for now. They plan to migrate to North-America, whenever they have the chance to do so. “There is no future for us in Iraq,” she says.

The worst thing about living as a refugee is not knowing what your future looks like. “All my dreams are gone,” says Asmaa. “Our hope is now to get to a country where I will be able to study and have a better life.”

One of the few lifelines she has is Facebook. This is the only means for her to keep in touch with her friends who are scattered across Iraq and the region. “I really miss my friends in Iraq. I am glad that we can keep in touch through Facebook, but still it is difficult. I realize I might never see them again in real life.”

*Not her real name…

Pray now…

• Pray for Asmaa and her family as they settle into life in a new country. Ask God to give them hope in a bright and new future.
• Pray for Asmaa’s friends who are still in Iraq. Pray for protection and that Asmaa will one day be re-united with them.
• Pray for an end to the conflict, terror, intolerance and violence. Ask God to bring peace and justice.

Find out more about persecution of Christians in Iraq

Iraq is No.2 on the World Watch List, the ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the worst persecution. Find out more and how you can pray for change…
More on Iraq…