Fresh threat to Christians who are leaving in their droves
Latest intelligence reports from Iraq reveal that Islamic State terrorists are regrouping in the country. According to the BBC, there are some 10,000 IS members in Iraq, who are digging in to relaunch their insurgency.
The re-emergence of IS poses a fresh threat to Christians, who have been leaving the region in their droves. Some 80 per cent have been driven out by insecurity. Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, the Rt Rev Bashar Warda, has warned ‘one of the oldest churches in the world is perilously close to extinction’. Christians who remain, he says, could face martyrdom.
Release International is working with partners in Iraqi Kurdistan to support Christians who are reaching out to refugees of all faiths. Kurdistan has declared itself a safe haven for Christian refugees, a rare thing in the Middle East, and the churches there are growing.
James Maidment-Fullard of Trans World Radio spoke to Release International’s Andrew Boyd…
Watch Release International’s film, Forced to Flee here
News release on Christian exodus from Iraq here
BBC News report on IS gaining ground in Iraq here
BBC News report on Iraq Christians close to extinction here
