News / Thoughts

Iraq: Urgent prayer needed

In the last week we received this urgent prayer request from one of our contacts in Iraq:

“Just now I heard that a cell of self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has been arrested in Erbil. Some days ago a cell of IS was discovered and arrested in Sulaymaniyah. They found many guns, ammunition and explosives in several houses. For several days now, there have been violent demonstrations half way between Sulaymaniyah and Halabja.

“The people inside Erbil are afraid that IS plans an attack against Erbil. People are really concerned and afraid. In the news here in Iraq, I read that IS is building its troops in another area of the frontline with the Kurdish region: the Peshmerga is worried that they are planning a massive attack.”

Please pray for the situation in Northern Iraq, he asks. “There are too many serious news items making the rounds, only giving more ground to people wanting to flee, Kurds as well as Christians. Please pray for something good to happen, so that people might have trust again to stay.”

In 2014, tens of thousands of Christians fled from the advance of IS militants to the Kurdish region. Many remain there in refugee camps for internally displaced people, where Open Doors has been working with local partners and churches to provide emergency relief and support.

Persecution in Iraq

Iraq has become the second worst country in the world for Christians to live, according to the 2016 Open Doors World Watch List. Christians, as well as the Yazidi people, have been particularly singled out by IS militants and face abduction, attack and sexual abuse at the hands of extremists.

Source: Open Doors

Pray now

• For safety for those who are living in Erbil and northern Iraq, that any potential attacks by IS in the region would be unsuccessful
• That Kurds and Christians would receive positive news, and that they would be able to maintain hopes for the future and be comforted in the present
• For peace in this war-torn region.