The Christians of Iraq and Syria have for decades suffered from persecution and instability caused by oppression by the Ba’ath regimes, the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the outbreak of Sunni-Shiite fighting in 2006, al-Qaeda terrorism, the 2014 genocide by ISIS, ongoing Turkish airstrikes on Iraq and Syria, and in many cases, pressures and harassment at the hands of their Muslim neighbors. All this persecution has forced many of them to leave their home countries and seek asylum elsewhere.
According to a report by Open Doors:
“Iraq is home to a number of traditional Orthodox and Catholic churches, but all are seriously affected by intolerance, discrimination and persecution from local leaders, government authorities and Islamic extremist groups….In the Nineveh Plains region, church leaders have been kidnapped in the past; those speaking out against local militias or political leaders are particularly at risk.”
Since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the country’s Christian community has dwindled from around 1.5 million to fewer than 200,000. The persecution of Christians peaked with the takeover of large areas of Iraq by ISIS in 2014.
After ISIS captured the Iraqi city of Mosul in June of 2014, Christians were given the option to either convert to Islam, pay taxes (jizya), leave, or be killed. ISIS marked Christian homes with the Arabic letter “N,” for Nasrani, or Christian. Two months later, in August 2014, ISIS took control of Christian towns in the Nineveh Plains, resulting in a second wave of mass displacement, according to a report by the University of Minnesota.
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In Syria, Christians also continue to face severe persecution. Open Doors reports:
“Christians in Syria still grapple with daily persecution that may become violent, despite the public threat from so-called Islamic State having largely subsided…. Sharing the gospel is very risky, and church buildings have often been completely destroyed. The abduction of church leaders continues to have a considerably negative impact on Christian communities.
“The number of Christians in the country continues to decrease, as many have fled conflict and persecution.
“All Syrians and Iraqis have experienced hardship in the past decade, but Christians have faced more than most. In many regions, they were targeted by Islamic militants – losing their jobs, their homes and even their lives. Many had to flee, displaced either within Syria or abroad.”
Many persecuted Christians from Iraq and Syria, since they were forced to leave their home countries, are still looking for a new homeland.
Read more: Gatestone Institute
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