Displaying items by tag: Iraq

Ecuador’s government has moved out of the capital after week-long violent anti-government protests over austerity measures and fuel price rises. The disturbances began with transport workers before spreading to students and then indigenous peoples. An 8pm to 5am curfew has been imposed around key state installations, government buildings, airports and oil refineries, which have been targets for protests. See Meanwhile, Hong Kong streets have been racked by anti-government protests that began in June. Hard-core protesters have clashed with riot police and those with opposing political views, in conflicts leading to more entrenched divisions that carve right through society. See Iraq’s latest wave of unrest has killed 100+ and injured thousands more, calling for the downfall of a corrupt political system that has brought unemployment and poor public services. See Extinction Rebellion activists are protesting in Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and London - see Finally, Americans are protesting against Trump ending support for Kurds in Syria: see the next article.

In North Korea leaders put workers' wages into a government fund used to strengthen defence power, including nuclear development, importing luxury goods, operating the Labour Party, and constructing political achievements. Workers’ complexes are surrounded by barbed wire and under military surveillance, like labour camps. Peru’s power struggle is creating the worst political crisis in decades, with both the president and the vice-president claiming to be the country’s rightful leader, and its congress closed while surrounded by riot police. Peru’s dysfunctional and corruption-ridden political system has courted crisis for years, with three of its past presidents under investigation and one dead after shooting himself during his arrest. In Iraq at least ten are dead and 286 wounded, after riot police fired on thousands of demonstrators against unemployment, government corruption, and poor services. In Cape Town civil unrest and anarchy on the roads is being created by taxi operators displeased by strong-arm police tactics over their reckless driving. See also and and

There are almost 20,000 ordained ministers in England; in Iraq there is just one, Rev Faez Jirjees, the parish priest at St George's church in Baghdad. Christians make up about 1% of Iraq’s population, but most fled when IS were at their most brutal. Despite being bombed several times, St George's became a hub for interfaith relations, providing healthcare to Christians as well as Shia and Sunni Muslims at its clinic, dentists, pharmacy, laboratories, a nursery, primary school and a 'hope centre' that helps train young people with vocational skills for jobs. Rev Jirjees' parents dedicated him to become a priest as a child, and he served in the Anglican church close to his house as a boy. Pray for the congregation of 300, who worship in a church protected by concrete bollards, security gates, and armed guards. Pray for the Christians fearful of returning to war-torn Iraq.

Recently there have been four attacks on weapons storage facilities belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) militia. Some factions of the PMU are believed to be Iran proxies, which might explain why there have been accusations of possible US and Israeli involvement. The latest attack took place even though prime minister Mahdi had closed Iraqi airspace to all unauthorised flights of drones, spy planes, jets and helicopters; including the US-led coalition. With Israel being suspected of organising these attacks, some claim that the United States and Russia have allowed them to do so. Iraq’s president said his country does not want to become a battleground for other countries at the expense of its people. ‘Iraq's interest comes first, and the nation will not allow others to turn it into a land for competition.’

Lebanon opened fire on Israeli surveillance drones on 28 August, heightening the conflict between the warring neighbours. Lebanon does not usually attempt to down Israel’s unmanned surveillance planes, but its Hizbollah military wing said it was preparing a ‘calculated strike’ against Israel, in retaliation for an Israeli raid on its position near Damascus and a drone attack in Beirut on its Iranian missile-making equipment. Sources believe Lebanon will target Israeli soldiers on patrol near the border. Israeli media reported that Israel had targeted and destroyed machinery used for the production of precision-guided missiles. It is trying to disrupt the flow of weapons and technology from Iran to its proxies in Syria and Lebanon. In response to constant rocket attacks, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against Hizbollah and Iranian positions in Syria, so far with little response. Lebanon’s president is increasingly influenced by Hizbollah, which is also represented in the country’s parliament.

17 June 2019 marks five years since IS told Christians living in Mosul to ‘convert, pay or die’. Three thousand Christian families were among the half million citizens who left Mosul. Most of them fled to the city of Erbil or to the Kurdish region in the north of Iraq. Only 25 Christian families stayed in the city after the ultimatum - those who were too old, ill, or disabled to flee. Open Doors started working through local churches and partners to support internally displaced people, giving humanitarian aid and providing monthly food packages. By 2015 they were employing 86 local people, distributing food to 75,000 people, and handing out Bibles, Christian materials, hygiene baskets, clothing vouchers and support for medical expenses. Next they gave churches training on trauma care, and provided three trauma centres.

Displacement by IS has inflicted trauma on Iraq’s Christians, particularly the elderly. Reconstruction goes on, but for elderly believers, displacement has placed them in a living coffin. Their relatives have fled the country and many are completely alone and unable easily to access the aid available to others more mobile. Sara doesn’t know her age, just the memories of at least 60 years gone by. Looking at her tattered furnishings, one would never know that until very recently, Sara’s life was completely different. She lived comfortably in a beautiful house surrounded by family. Now, sickness traps her in this small closet and her family is scattered across the world. Sara is alone, with only the Rubik’s Cube in her hands to keep her company. Her front door is slightly ajar, a signal of hope that someone will walk by and choose to pass the time with her.

International Prayer Connect write: ‘As worship and prayer have begun to rise across the Middle East, an unprecedented harvest is taking place among Muslim peoples. We hear the same testimony in multiple nations. “As soon as we started the House of Prayer, we saw more salvations, healings and deliverance than ever before.” “We have been doing 50- and 100-hour prayer and worship gatherings in Turkey and north Iraq.” In 2018 many Middle East nations joined our symphony of prayer and worship for 50 hours. From 11 to 13 April, Christians in Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Egypt will be praying for five promises that the Lord has been speaking to us over recent years. We invite you to join our intercessions for children/youth revival across the region, for the rebuilding of devastated Syrian cities, for joy and strength for pastors, leaders, and indigenous church planting movements, and for a great harvest among unreached peoples.’

21 Yazidis who were held by IS have returned home to Iraq from Syria. Most are children, young boys who were held by IS for five years and whom experts believe were likely to have been forcibly trained in IS military camps. The parents of many of these children remain missing. Yazidis are an ethnic religious group. IS targeted both Christians and Yazidis for genocide, although Yazidis were far more heavily targeted for enslavement and captivity. The effect of IS on the children of both groups is profound. Many suffer deep psychological trauma, and were denied the opportunity of childhood. With an entire generation impacted by genocide, many Christian and Yazidi leaders are concerned about the future. The brutality of IS across both Iraq and Syria has left behind deep scars, and has decimated the religious minorities who once lived in these countries.

Recent weeks have seen answered prayer and God’s protection over His people. Pakistan’s police foiled an attack on Christmas worship in Karachi. A police officer tragically lost his life when the bomb he was defusing detonated outside a Cairo church, but his brave intervention thwarted Islamist plans to take many more lives a few days before Orthodox Christians’ Christmas Day. Iraq’s government made a landmark announcement declaring Christmas Day a national holiday for all Iraqis, wishing its Christian citizens a ‘happy Christmas’. Meanwhile, an anti-Christian tirade by the Grand Mufti fell flat when the country’s Sunni authority condemned it as irrational and offensive, pointing out that Christians don’t try to prevent Muslim celebrations. In Egypt, the Ministry of Justice produced a remarkable animated public information video cautioning Muslims not to ‘fall prey to the extremists’, and encouraged them to extend greetings to their Christian neighbours during the Christmas holidays.