Four ways you can support Christians in Iraq
Please join us as we stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters.
In the last few months, members of Islamic jihadist group IS have been attacking and killing thousands of Christians and those from other minority religious groups. The situation has intensified in the last weeks with horrific reports coming in of murder, abuse and forced slavery. You can find out more about the situation by viewing this timeline.
Here are four ways you can support those suffering in Iraq and the Middle East.
1. Pray
Our first (and most important) response to persecution should be to pray. The Bible is full of the prayers of faithful people crying out to God. David encouraged the Israelites to pour out their hearts to Him (Psalm 62:8) because He is our refuge. God’s word is full of verses that can help us pray through these kind of circumstances.
While prayer at any time is a good idea, there will be a Day of Prayer for Iraq held in Sydney on the 23rd of August. Many other meetings are taking place around Australia and the world!
2. Be informed
Having a truthful and genuine understanding of the situation that our brothers and sisters are facing is one of the best ways to love and support them. By knowing what’s really going on, we can pray more specifically, give more thoughtfully and tell their stories with more integrity and passion.
3. Give
There are many organisations including Open Doors that are currently calling for donations for the Middle East. IS (Islamic State) is operating across Iraq, Syria and beyond, and thousands of people are fleeing to neighbouring countries. By giving to these organisations, you are helping them to be equipped to deal with this tragedy as it affects the whole region, not just one country.
4. Tell their story
In Mosul, Christian homes were sprayed with the Arabic letter ن – the letter representing ‘N’, for Nazarene, or Christian. Social media has gotten behind this symbol with the international #WeAreN campaign, as a sign of solidarity for Christians in Iraq. We want to stand with them, and make sure people know about the suffering they are going through to raise support and prayer. To find out more on how you can make a difference by changing your Facebook profile pic, check out Dave Mier's blog. And there's more ideas on the Open Doors website — check it out to discover how you can help spread the word about this tragic situation — and keep praying!
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