Recalling the Jewish expulsion from Arab lands

Part 1: Comparing realities in Israel and her neighbours

A plea from the mountains of Kurdistan

Evangelist Mark van Niekerk reports on his latest trip to the war-torn region

Hope amid brokenness.

God is doing wonderful things!

We are delighted to bring you another update from Mark van Niekerk, a South African evangelist who has been partnering with believers in Iraq and Kurdistan to spread the Gospel, amid difficult and dangerous circumstances. Read on and be inspired!

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Dear family in Yeshua,

Once again I’ve been privileged to visit an area of the world very few manage to get to. If truth be told, without us knowing of someone going there and hearing about the people and their circumstances, we’d be none the wiser. I’m deeply conscious of the enormous privilege I have in being called to the Muslims of Kurdistan along with suffering Christian and Muslim refugees of the Nineveh Plains. Is there a place more needing of the good news, the great balm of Gilead, than the land where Jonah was sent and where Nahum served the Lord?

This was my third visit, each time flying into Irbil in the semi-autonomous region of Iraq known as Kurdistan. The ‘work’ in Iraq has pretty much settled into three different areas:

1. The Kurds living in the border region with Iran
   
2. Refugees in Irbil
   
3. Returning refugees and Muslim inhabitants of the Nineveh Plains

There is nothing easy about evangelism in this part of the world. Great care needs to be taken at all times. The costs of leaving Islam remain high - Shariah shows no mercy to apostates. Even though many Kurds are leaving Islam they are not necessarily all turning to the God of Scripture. Some who have turned to Messiah are bold enough, while others, understandably, remain cautious.

A young Peshmerga widow asking about the Jesus at a food distribution. I’m not sure we in the West can fully grasp the enormity of leaving a cloistered, structured and familial society to follow Messiah. An interesting aspect is this: it seems for the most part that it is the men who are coming to faith, while the women hold back. They are no doubt acutely aware of their close family ties and tribal identity which will be negatively impacted by any serious decision to follow Jesus. We need to be praying particularly for the wives of believers.

Coming together is not easy as groups of Christians draw unnecessary attention. Consequently, larger gatherings are held in the privacy of the mountains. Every single night we had visitors, both young and old, who came to meet with us to discuss Scripture. Bibles were handed out to all who asked. Peshmerga widows, a Mullah and numerous men took Bibles. It’s truly an incredible experience to hear a knock on the door at midnight and find men asking for a Bible! It reminded me of Nicodemus.

I’m not sure we in the West can fully grasp the enormity of leaving a cloistered, structured and familial society to follow Messiah.

A meeting with a brother who we visited on the way to Iran was hugely inspiring. He is taking Bibles into Iran regularly where he tells us home groups are exploding.

Writing in bibles destined for Iran. So, on to Irbil. Those fleeing from the marauding ISIS on the Nineveh Plains headed straight to Irbil as their closest place of relative security. They have languished here for four years in various refugee camps spread throughout the city and other Kurdish cities. All camps are divided into religions, Christians and Muslims. None are mixed. Tens of thousands were housed here.

The latest refugees arriving in Irbil are those driven out by the chaos in Syria. Those we met have left for good and seek asylum in any country that will take them.

We had daily meetings at the fellowship of a local pastor. He has been an incredible servant these four years, reaching out with food supplies and the Gospel to the cultural ‘Christians’ (mostly from Chaldean Catholic backgrounds). This group of people are so desperately in need of the Gospel. The notion of these Christians being beheaded by ISIS, literally going as sheep to the slaughter, is haunting. It would appear that most of them were proud of their Christian heritage and culture and were willing to die for it - as opposed to being born-again believers laying their lives down for Christ. This is deeply disturbing – but thankfully we serve a God who is able to know the hearts of all men and who we know judges righteously.

Messages to this ancient Christian community always include the need for God’s saving grace by faith. A works-based righteousness ethic remains entrenched. The Gospel is sneered at and attacked by bishops and priests. Their power is abusive and their spirit controlling. They are no doubt in the character of the Pharisees that Jesus condemned for shutting up Heaven to those wanting to enter.

In one camp, Syrians were flooding in literally minutes before I was privileged to address them. It is not easy delivering a message to a people already broken - mentally, emotionally, financially - and yet we know this is the message that gives hope. I’ve truly sensed the suffering of Messiah, to some degree, when speaking to these people. They too need to appreciate that the Lord enters into these trials with them.

It’s truly an incredible experience to hear a knock on the door at midnight and find men asking for a Bible.

After we left I was told the man sitting next to me was a member of ISIS, himself living in fear of being executed. While in this camp he cannot be arrested, but will be the minute he steps outside. Many of these murderers are back in their communities. They fled cities like Mosul with the liberated inhabitants. All they needed to do was shave their beards, change their clothing and merge in with those leaving.

Muslim women in refugee camp who have lost everything to ISIS - including husbands and children. One group of women were all open to listening to the Gospel. While we visited them three men walked in and sat down. The wife had immediately left once they entered and the conversation was stilted with these intruders. After a few minutes evaluating this new situation, a brother entered the tent and told us to get up and follow. We were leaving. The wife had told him they did not know who these men were and there was possible danger. They had obviously seen us walking around the camp and had caught up with us to hear what we were saying. It was not the first time this had happened to us. But this is life in a world that does not know Messiah.

I left this ancient land, which has been so torn apart, feeling burdened for this people I’ve come to know and love. There is so much to do and there is great need. I’ve realised major players can only do so much. Someone like myself with individuals supporting, along with one or two churches, can truly have a major impact – and just our encouragement, our going and being with them, means a great deal. Paul speaks so much about encouraging the brethren in Scripture. It’s an honour to do this.

I believe it’s the Lord’s will I continue supporting these brave men and women. Your support is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Again, I do not personally take any money for ministry; our business covers my costs. Finances that have been raised have gone towards provision of food and household materials, kerosene for widows and orphans during the winter, the purchase of Bibles, urgent medical needs and financial aid for Christian families in dire need.

I also value your prayers. I am under no illusion that this is your average mission. I’m desperately in need of being bathed in prayer, not only for my safety, but for those turning to the Lord from Islam who continue to live in these hostile conditions.

Thanking you all in Messiah Yeshua, who alone sustains us and enables us to serve him.

Mark van Niekerk

Additional Information

If you would like to give towards Mark’s work in Kurdistan, please make a direct payment to Prophecy Today (details below) and include the instruction ‘Kurdistan’ – we will collect the gifts and send them directly. Please do not give via our Paypal account – Paypal will take a cut!

Bank transfer details: Prophecy Today Ltd / Account Number: 19560260 / Sort Code: 77-66-03

Please click here and here to read previous updates about the mission work in Kurdistan.

Below, from left to right: Muslim refugee camp where we sat with Islamic fighters of ISIS and their families / A Muslim family who invited us to come and speak to them (this is nothing less than a work of God’s Spirit!) / Distribution to Syrian refugees / Our gracious hosts in Kurdistan - please pray for them.

Latest updates from outreach in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Before Christmas, we published a report about missionary work being done amongst Iraqi Kurds and refugees on the Nineveh Plains. We were able to send some money to aid this work, thanks to your support, and we anticipate a fuller report soon.

In the meantime, the following update provides a sneak preview of the spiritual fruit being borne in this region, amidst trials and tribulations we can barely imagine.

Teaching on Israel…in Iraq!

“You crossed a red line.” These were the words of my dear friend and interpreter, Z, after the meeting that night. I have previously been warned never to mention Israel and the Jews in Iraq. “The walls have ears”, I was told. As the Lord would have it, I spoke extensively on Israel, her history, the present and the future, as spoken by the prophets.

“Man, my spirit soared as you mentioned Israel, it was like I was on air hearing these words”, Z said. “We have shackled the Scripture regarding this subject. People are fearful. Your words were what we needed to hear. No-one was arrested and we can now have the strength to speak openly as believers. The time of being fearful is over.”

That night we had a packed meeting where many were left standing. More Syrians came than had been anticipated. We just could not cater for the people who arrived over and above the list of names we had. We have also been asked to help a new list of the latest arrivals in Erbil. We will try to move as the Lord leads.

Refugees from Nineveh Plains Cities and Syria

Our outreach in this region focuses on three groups, thanks to the contacts the Lord has given us: Muslims in towns on the Nineveh Plains, Muslims nearer the border with Iran and refugees living in camps in and around Erbil.

During our trip we have been meeting with Syrian Kurds who have fled the chaos of civil war, as well as Nineveh Plains refugees.¹ Even as I was addressing the refugees at one camp, more were arriving from Syria. The situation is overwhelming. And what do you say to exhort those who have languished for years now in the camps, confined to small rooms?

I have previously been warned never to mention Israel and the Jews in Iraq.

The believing community on the Nineveh Plains comes under extraordinary attack, particularly from the Orthodox Church. One Christian man was arrested five times earlier this year by the Nineveh Plains Militias for preaching the Gospel. He had been reported by the Church as “speaking against the priests”. It’s just like the days of the early Church!

One of his arrests afforded him the opportunity to speak to one of the security members. He spoke about the distinctions between the Quran and the Bible. At 3am the next morning his phone rang. It was the man he had witnessed to. “I can’t sleep since you spoke to me”, he said. “I’m phoning to tell you I believe all you told me is the truth.”

Meeting in SmilaneIt is important to realise that the Orthodox Christian community is decimated and will soon disappear. It is part of the fabric which has held society in this region together for centuries - heaven help the people once it is erased. As one believer says:

[The orthodox clergy] no longer mention the blood of Yeshua, probably to appease Muslims who say Issa never died. So there is no salvation, there is no hope. We see or hear from no-one like you. Someone who has compassion and is able to exhort from Scripture. More than anything these people need the Bible to be opened up and explained.

Please thank everyone who helped you. Thank them from the bottom of our children’s hearts.

Ministering to Muslims and Muslim-Background Believers

We have also been on the Nineveh Plains meeting Muslim converts in Mosul and elsewhere. We were invited to visit some Muslim villages which suffered from ISIS atrocities - the leaders wanted us to come and talk about the Bible.

In one Kurdish village, we met with senior members including the Mullah to discuss the teachings of Messiah and biblical prophecy that concerns them. We then gave the Mullah a new Bible in the Sorani dialect, recently translated. He asked me to pray before we left. I've not experienced such emotion in praying for anyone before.

Late that evening a Muslim convert called us to come and see two young men coming to get Bibles. That was not the only night: men kept coming asking for Bibles. How many in the West would respond this way?

Young men kept coming asking for Bibles. How many in the West would respond this way?

We have also been approached recently by a Muslim involved in the clearance of land mines along the Iran-Iraq border. Many of his workers have been killed. He heard that one of the widows is on our list for food distributions so he came to thank us:

I want you to thank all the Christians who have donated to you for us. Tell them we appreciate it more than they know. When you have no food even a plate of food is a blessing. They don't expect the world - they are just grateful for whatever you've given them.

Our country needs to hear the message of Jesus, the message of love. You are doing a good work here. We welcome you as family.

God Looks at the Heart

A similar message of thanksgiving and encouragement came when we made an extraordinary visit to two Kurdish villages in the Zagros Mountains, in an area where no outsiders have been – only Kurds. “There was one person came to our village, but you are the first one to come up here to these two villages", said IB, as we sat discussing Scripture.

In the Zagros mountains.I had the unique opportunity to speak to them about the words of the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 19. At one point, our young interpreter remarked, “God looks at our heart, not the outside.” His father had previously received a Bible - I wondered if he had heard this from him.

Later on, we were met at the municipal offices, where widows of the Peshmerga (the Kurdish military) had gathered for our food distribution. They were all called into the hall and I was asked to address them. I spoke about God putting a burden on my heart for the Kurdish people, especially them. They have suffered much and the world doesn't care. But there is a people who do, I told them - they are the people of Messiah, believers in Jesus. These are the people who had sent money to help provide for their needs. I was moved by their response - they were really very grateful.

That day we said our goodbyes with much joy, promising if possible to see each other again. Is God working among the Kurds? Absolutely - they are hearing his voice.

Mark van Niekerk

Notes

1 The refugee crisis in this part of Iraq is partly caused by the Syrian civil war. There has been a massive influx of Syrian refugees, particularly since 2013, and four permanent camps now exist in Erbil, holding about 40% of the refugees. Read more here. The other cause of the refugee crisis is internal. ISIS’ capture of Mosul in 2014 caused half the city to flee to surrounding towns and villages on the Nineveh Plains, and from there to Erbil. ISIS has now been pushed back, and some refugees are beginning to return to their homes. Read more here.

Editorial Comment

This outreach in Iraqi Kurdistan owes to the efforts of a number of missionaries, linked to an Israeli Messianic group called Voice in the Wilderness and supported internationally. Our contact, Mark van Niekerk, is a South African missionary.

Our thanks to all those who contributed to our winter appeal, and to those who have been praying for this amazing outreach effort. We hope to bring you a fuller report soon.

News of church growth in Iraqi Kurdistan.

It is not making news headlines here in the UK, but there is a growth of believers in Christ Jesus in Kurdistan. They are getting saved from Islam in the wake of the withdrawal of ISIS.

Below is a collection of reports from personal contacts who have visited the area and comments from believers there. The aim is to encourage believers in the West to think of these brothers and sisters in Christ and hold them in prayer as they struggle in difficult circumstances, often facing persecution and hardship.

They are so very gracious and encouraging in their communications - they need encouragement and whatever support we can give.

In Yeshua,

Peter Adams

The Untenable Situation of the Nineveh Plains Christians

Iraq is split into three general areas: Kurdistan in the north, Sunni Islam in the centre-north of Baghdad, and Shi’a Islam in the south.

The Nineveh Plains of central Iraq are the biblical areas where the Prophets Jonah and Nahum preached. Jonah gave them the besorah (news) and they repented and turned to the God of Israel. 150 years later, Nahum brought news of impending judgment from God. They had, in that short time, turned away from him.

However, Christian societies have survived in this same area for 2,000 years. Those who remain today are facing an existential threat. Their future literally hangs in the balance.

ISIS has all but decimated Christian towns like Qaraqosh and Bartella. I’ve seen their disastrous conditions. There is little or no support from central Government. The powerful Orthodox priests (think of the Jewish priesthood of Yeshua’s day) managed to undermine and ruin the help that was promised by Franklin Graham’s Samaritans Purse. They could have had 500 homes repaired and made habitable, but Evangelical help is not wanted by these men - they’d rather the people suffer.

There is a growth of believers in Christ Jesus in Kurdistan, getting saved out of Islam.

The latest attempt to undermine the demography of the Christian town of Qaraqosh, which has a massive cross at the city entrance that can be seen from miles around, is to infuse Shi’a students into its Christian college. Incredibly, these students are now angered because there is no accommodation for them in town! Meanwhile, 1,000 Christian refugee families returning to the area are themselves desperately trying to repair homes so as to settle down, after three to four years away living in camps.

These people, like my friend RS, need our prayers more than ever before. They are fighting what seems like a losing battle, but for their hope and faith in Yeshua. I do not know how they continue, how they even have the zeal to fight on. But what alternatives do they have? Christians are not welcomed into Europe and America - only Muslims. Such is the skewed world in which we live.

Surely God is coming swiftly and his recompense is with Yeshua, who will wage a ferocious war against his enemies - even these who are destroying the lives of his children.

Thank you father for having a godly heart for the people and the new believers in Kurdistan. It’s true, our area is under threats and [there has been] a hard situation of the economy recently. Please, whenever you guys give help…to the people in Kurdistan, at first pray about it for the families for…grace, peace and [that] hearts would be soft. (HK)

Great Numbers Departing from Islam

I am reliably told that many, many Muslims are departing from Islam in Kurdistan and Iraq. Although they still go to mosque and play the part out of fear, they are no longer practising their faith. This is an indication that the ‘prince of power of the air’ (Eph 2:1-2) is to some degree being challenged.

Yes my father, many Muslims leave Islam. I was a Muslim 5 years ago…I believed in Jesus Christ… (XS)

Many are simply becoming atheists, while others are turning to Christianity. This has been driven by a realisation that the god of ISIS is no god worth following. Attending the mosque has become perfunctory, a way to not draw attention to themselves.

This does not mean all are coming to faith in Yeshua, but it does mean the grip satan has had in these areas is loosening. And in this atmosphere, Kurds in particular are being saved.

These people need our prayers more than ever before. They are fighting what seems like a losing battle, but for their hope and faith in Yeshua.

Meanwhile, the example being set by Christians in the West is no help to these new believers. “It does not inspire Muslims to come to Messiah”, ZH said. “We are coming to Yeshua because of direct revelation from God, reading the Bible and seeing our fellow Muslims in the face of persecution willing to leave Islam to follow Jesus”.

Another commented: “The strength of Islam is the weakness of so-called Christianity in the West...we are bending over backwards to please everybody except Jesus Christ, instead of living to the Glory of the One and Only God the Father.”

Revelations of Jesus

Nevertheless, the Spirit of God is at work in Iraq – for which we need to rejoice! Yeshua, the great revelation of God to man (which the Allah of Islam is incapable of producing), has been causing many Muslims to lose hope in Islam. As they understand and grasp the Judeo-Christian message they are filled with hope.

And the fact that Yeshua suffered persecution gives them greater strength to endure their difficult conditions. It is a motivation to live for him and not to fear any coming tribulation. They are not forsaken, they sense His presence, and KNOW His peace.

A message from XS in Kurdistan who has left Islam:

A God who cannot reveal Himself is not a god…Thanks be to God, the faith is much stronger because God created us in His image. And he revealed [himself in] human flesh to let us not have any doubts about Him...! …that’s the reason we are feeling so pleased because Jesus has been persecuted before each of us, and this persecution is [bearable for] us for the sake of His name.

Others are coming to faith as they see the steadfastness of the believers who have counted the huge cost of leaving Islam. This is truly different from our Western idea of people coming to Jesus to see what they can get out of him. But coming to the Lord is not a formula to a better lifestyle. The reality is that most Christians who come to Yeshua in earnestness find themselves literally surrounded by problems.

Our brothers in Kurdistan see the life of a believer quite differently. They see Yeshua walking beside them in the midst of their storms. This is the type of faith that draws unbelieving Muslims to Yeshua. They are not coming for a better lifestyle; they are coming because he is the only hope we have in this life. A new lifestyle, or a new life? There is a huge, huge difference.

New Death Threats for Kurdish Believers

Recently I had a video call to Christian friends in Kurdistan who I visited a couple of months ago. They have bad news concerning their safety, yet in this darkness there is the encouragement of seeing the light of new believers coming to faith.

After a recent distribution to Muslim widows and mothers who lost sons fighting ISIS, they’ve received death threats. This has unfortunately meant they have had to leave their homes for the safety of Irbil. Quite incredibly, in the midst of these tribulations, they are seeing Muslims come to faith. Another two men have come to believe in Yeshua in these last days.

It seems almost bizarre that while we in the West are busy discussing and debating the rapture, and whether Christians are due to go through tribulation, our brothers are faced with some very trying and testing times. Consider the domestic difficulties on top of this, with some spouses not being saved and the pressure on these marriages.

While we in the West are busy discussing and debating the rapture, and whether Christians are due to go through tribulation, our brothers are faced with some very trying and testing times.

Apart from this, they have the looming political spectre of Iran hanging over them, barely half an hour away. Iran is pushing to have a crescent running from ancient Persia through Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon opening the way to the Mediterranean Sea. And of course poised to take Israel from her northern border.

Thankfully we have the scriptures full of exhortation to those enduring hardships and living under an anti-Christ system already. These are two we discussed recently:

They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. (John‬ ‭16:2‬)‬

While the context John speaks about is Judaism, exactly the same applies to those put out of the mosques. The Mullahs have been speaking about our brethren and their need to be put to death.

…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God’. (Acts‬ ‭14:22‬) ‬‬

Paul gives further warning here that followers of Yeshua must not expect to enter the Kingdom any other way than by tribulation.

I ask you who care to please pray for them. And those already praying, please continue praying the Lord’s protection over them and their families. These people do not have other Christians to look to for guidance and support. They are in desperate need of our prayers and have asked that I convey their deep appreciation for our love and concern towards them.

Points for prayer:

• Please pray for Muslims departing from Islam in Kurdistan and Iraq: that the Spirit of our Lord God may draw them to himself, and that they do not stay in a spiritual vacuum, only for it to be filled by something else. Our prayers can be influential in the redemption of these people, for whom Yeshua died.
  
• Please pray for the believers in Kurdistan who have left Islam - that they continue in this new faith in Yeshua the Messiah.

Point for action:

There are some believers in Kurdistan who cannot afford kerosene for their heaters, and those in Soran and Irbil also need food support through the winter. Temperatures drop below freezing and I am planning to send some money to my contacts there who will see it gets into the right hands.

If anyone has a desire to help, any amount will be greatly appreciated. It would not take much for us believers to make a huge difference in their lives of our Kurdish brethren this winter over a three-month period.

If you would like to contribute, please make a direct payment to Prophecy Today (details below) and include the instruction ‘Kurdistan’ – we will collect the gifts and send them directly.

Bank transfer details: Prophecy Today Ltd / Account Number: 19560260 / Sort Code: 77-66-03

Editorial note: These reports were received via email and have been edited slightly and anonymised for publication. The content remains unchanged. Names of believers have been abbreviated for their protection.

“If one part of the Body suffers, the whole suffers with it” (1 Cor 12:26).

In Britain, the Christmas period invariably brings with it a seasonal focus on cold weather and keeping warm by the fireside. Stoves and hearths suddenly become wonderfully inviting, comforting places – we even sing songs about them.

As you spend time near your own fireside over the next couple of weeks, remember our brothers and sisters around the world who are standing in the fire, suffering because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m convinced their songs are a lot more meaningful to God.

Eye on the Middle East

According to persecution watchdog and charity Open Doors, approximately 1 in 12 Christians worldwide is suffering from ‘high’, ‘very high’ or ‘extreme’ persecution.¹

Its annual ‘World Watch List’ charts the 50 most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian. This year, nine of the top 10 countries are in the Middle East and North Africa (20 out of the top 25). Holding the top spot for the 15^th year in a row is Communist dictatorship North Korea. But for the most part, around the rest of the world, pressure on Christians is coming from Islamic fundamentalist communities and regimes.²

Figure 1: Open Doors’ ‘World Watch List’ of the 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted. See Photo Credits.Zooming in on the Middle East, we are greeted by an ominous, uninterrupted corridor of red (‘extreme’ persecution), stretching from Pakistan in the east to Syria in the west (see Figure 1). These are five of the worst countries in the world for Christians, united by Islam as a shared source of oppression.

The grim realities for Christians in these countries are rarely exposed or understood by the Western media, so why not make a point this Christmas of finding out a bit more? Read on for a taste of the situation in each one – and for some relevant resources.

Pakistan

World Watch Ranking: 4

Pakistan, the only modern state to be created in the name of Islam,³ has some 4 million Christians among its 198 million population – barely 2%. Its increasingly hard-line Islamic culture means Christians are frequently subject to attacks by ordinary Pakistanis and members of groups such as the Taliban and ISIS.

In 2013 a suicide bombing of a church in Peshawar left 100 dead, and only last year another targeting Christians celebrating Easter in a Lahore park killed over 75, mainly women and children. These are particularly vulnerable - according to Open Doors, around 700 Christian women and girls are abducted each year in Pakistan, and usually raped, then forced to convert and marry Muslim men.

Christians also often fall foul of the state and its notorious blasphemy laws, which carry the death sentence. Known churches are registered and monitored by the Government. But the brunt of persecution is born not by pre-existing Christian groups, but by Christian converts from Islam.

Remember: 17-year-old Sharoon Masih, a Christian teenager who was beaten to death by his classmates in August after drinking from the same glass as a Muslim.

For the most part, around the world, pressure on Christians is coming from Islamic fundamentalist communities and regimes.

Afghanistan

World Watch Ranking 3

In Afghanistan, where tribal society is intrinsically Islamic, conversion is illegal. There are no churches and the Government claims there are no Christians. Converts are seen as betraying their clan and are subjected to destitution, occult practices, being sent to a mental hospital, torture or execution if they are found out. Baptism is punishable by death.

As in Pakistan, believers face the dual threat of violence from their immediate communities and attacks from groups such as ISIS and the Taliban, which ruled the country completely during the late 1990s. Christians must go it alone - even meeting in small groups is too dangerous, and use of the internet is closely monitored – or flee the country.

It is impossible to know how many followers of Jesus there are, for they are all in hiding. There is one Jew in the whole country – who has his own Wikipedia page for the privilege! Even with all this, however, in 2015 Operation World named Afghanistan as having the second-fastest growing church in the world.

Remember: The three Afghan Christians (at least) who have been attacked and/or killed this year in German refugee centres.

Iran

World Watch Ranking 8

Armenians and Assyrians in Islamic republic Iran are allowed to be Christians, but they are treated like second-class citizens and remain a tiny minority (<1% of the population). Muslim converts to Christianity, by far a larger group, run the risk of the death penalty. Missionary activity in Farsi (Iran’s first language) is illegal, Christians are frequently imprisoned or subject to abuse, and house churches are often raided by the secret police.

Despite this, the number of Muslim-background believers is growing, with many reporting having dreams or visions of Jesus. Operation World has named the Iranian church as the fastest-growing in the world, and Open Doors notes that “more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries put together”.

Remember: Yousef, Mohammadreza, Yasser and Saheb, four Iranian Christians who were landed with 10-year prison sentences in the summer for promoting ‘Zionist Christianity’. They appealed the sentence this week in court. At the time of arrest, they were also sentenced to 80 lashes for consuming alcohol, having been found taking communion.

Despite – or because of - intense persecution, the church in Iran and Afghanistan are the fastest-growing in the world.

Iraq

World Watch Ranking 7

In the early 2000s, Iraq was home to 1.5 million Christians – one of the world’s oldest Christian communities - now just 230,000 remain, with hundreds of thousands fleeing ISIS and the more general rise of Islamic fundamentalism since the US-led invasion in 2003. Many are fearing the total disappearance of this group.

Evangelism is illegal, and in ISIS-held areas churches have either been demolished or seized, public meetings have been banned and Christians have been subjected to violent punishments. Many have fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, which has been subjected to attacks from the Iraqi Government and Iranian-backed forces after trying to declare independence earlier this year.

As with other countries in the region, Muslim-background believers face the most severe persecution, ranging from social ostracism to execution. And yet, their number is growing apace, especially in the embattled Kurdish regions.

Remember: Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan, some testimonies from whom we will be featuring next week.

Syria

World Watch Ranking 6

Christians make up a larger minority in Syria, some 4% of the population – but this used to be about 10%. The civil war has forced about one million believers to flee in amongst the other refugees, and life for those remaining behind is very difficult.

Though officially Syrian Christians have much more freedom than other believers in the region, the Assad regime is no real friend. They are also being targeted by ISIS and other radical groups for bombings, abductions, abuse and murder.

Remember: The 116 Christian civilians slaughtered in a mass execution by ISIS in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain in October.

Light in the Darkness

Next week we hope to publish some testimonies from the believing community in Kurdistan. Amongst the stories you will read, one comment is particularly telling: “The weakness of Christianity is the strength of Islam”.

What does the unbelieving world see when it looks at Christians in the West? Compromise? Self-indulgence? A weak, watered-down faith with no effect whatsoever on the culture around it?

But while we see little fruit in our own nation, God is growing his Church – under the radar and away from the attention of the global media.

While we see little fruit in our own nation, God is growing his Church – under the radar and away from the attention of the global media.

Just as he has always used the humble things to shame the wise, the weak things of this world to shame the strong, the things that are not to nullify the things that are - so he is growing his Church through underground networks in the Middle East, through the single believers that choose to stay behind in warzones just so they can reach others with the Gospel, and through dreams and visions that reach Muslims who are otherwise beyond the reach of any Christian.

Resources and Encouragement

It is a sobering subject at Christmas time, but we would like to invite you all to join with us over the festive period in committing to pray for our brothers and sisters. There are also plenty of resources below for you to grow in your own understanding and raise the profile of the persecuted Church in this country – and please do add more by commenting below.

• Open Doors: Learn more about the persecuted Church, get prayer resources and write to persecuted Christians through Open Doors, which is also launching a 7-year campaign to get Christians around the world involved in bringing hope back to the Middle East. If you and/or your church could get involved, click here.
  
• Barnabas Fund: Hope and aid for the persecuted Church, and plenty of resources for believers in the West.
  
• Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW): A Christian charity that defends religious freedoms around the world. They provide plenty of information, resources and opportunities to take action.
  
• Operation World: Resources for praying for the nations.
  
• The British Pakistani Christian Association: A network for Pakistani believers that also aims to raise awareness about their plight in the UK. The BPCA is very close to the ground in Pakistan and provides insightful reports on the situation there for Christians.
  
• Elam is a charity that exists to establish and strengthen the Iranian Church.
  
• You might also be interested in our round-up of resources on Islam.

Notes

1 Statistics and information, unless otherwise stated, taken from Open Doors' 2017 report.

2 Islam may be the primary threat to Christian freedoms worldwide, but it is not the only threatening religion. Hindu nationalism is consistently a problem for churches in India, and hard-line Buddhist nationalism is making a come-back in south-east Asia. Let’s not also forget secular humanism in Europe and North America.

3 Pakistan was created as an independent home for Indian Muslims in 1947.

Things are getting tougher for Christians in the West. But what we face is nothing compared to millions of our brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world.

Many Christians both in Britain and in the USA have suffered for their faith in one way or another in recent years. Street preachers have been arrested for quoting passages of Scripture that don’t accord with political correctness.

Doctors have lost their jobs for refusing to do abortions and nurses have been disciplined for praying with patients. Air hostesses have been forbidden to wear a cross and bakers have been fined for refusing to write a pro-same-sex-marriage message on a wedding cake.

We make a lot of fuss about these things saying that persecution of Christians is now taking place in Western nations. Certainly, Christians are having to learn to live in societies that are now hostile to the Christian faith, which is a new experience in nations that have enjoyed Gospel freedom for centuries and have taken a leading part in worldwide missionary activities. A handful of Christians have actually suffered for their faith, but this is not persecution! It does not come anywhere near martyrdom!

Christianity Being Wiped Out in the Middle East

Since the beginning of this year, thousands of Christians in Mosul, northern Iraq have been faced with the stark choice between converting to Islam or being killed. Many have been beheaded and vast numbers have fled their homes, joining the hundreds of thousands of Christians who have been driven from their homes in Syria and other parts of Iraq. According to the Open Doors World Watch List, the situation for Christians is not much better in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and even worse in Afghanistan and Pakistan.¹

The extent of the tragedy taking place today in the Middle East is indescribable! Christianity is virtually being wiped out from the whole region where the Gospel was first preached and where communities of Christians have lived and worked for 2000 years.

The tragedy taking place today in the Middle East is indescribable.

Why is it that we make such a fuss about a handful of Christians who have experienced hardship in our nation (not to belittle their suffering in any way) but there is no outcry about what is happening worldwide with vast numbers of Christians being savagely murdered?

Though accurate statistics are notoriously difficult to find, the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity in the United States estimates that 90,000 Christians died in 2016, targeted because of their faith – that is one every six minutes!² Meanwhile, around 500 million believers live in areas of the world where they are unable to express their faith freely.³

Hundreds of Millions Facing Persecution

Christians are jailed in Pakistan on trumped-up charges of blasphemy against Islam, whilst Pakistani Christian girls are systematically targeted for rape and murder; churches are burned and worshippers are slaughtered in Nigeria and in Egypt. Approximately 215 million Christians are reported to be currently experiencing ‘high’, ‘very high’, or ‘extreme’ persecution in different parts of the world today.⁴

North Korea is said to be the most dangerous place to be a Christian with large numbers languishing in jail and regularly suffering brutal torture. But, according to an Open Doors report, it is Islamic militant extremism that remains the global dominant driver of Christian persecution.⁵

The report says that 35 out of the 50 countries on the 2017 World Watch List are Muslim-majority nations where systematic persecution of Christians is taking place. The killing of Christians by Muslims in Nigeria last year rose by 62%.⁶

Around 500 million believers live in areas of the world where they are unable to express their faith freely.

The Western Church is Silent

Why are church leaders in the West so pitifully quiet about the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Why do we hear nothing from our church leaders? Why do we hear nothing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, bishops in the Church of England or the leaders of the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Catholic church and other denominations?

Prince Charles has done more than the leaders of the churches to draw public attention to the incredible suffering of Christians in many parts of the world. He even devoted his contribution to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4 just before Christmas to speaking about the plight of Christians.

It surely is nothing less than a scandal that the Western churches remain so silent whilst their brothers and sisters are cruelly slaughtered or tortured and imprisoned simply because they refused to renounce their faith in Jesus, their Lord and Saviour.

Prince Charles is perfectly right in saying that Christians are the most persecuted people in the world. According to the International Society for Human Rights, a secular group with members in 38 countries, 80% of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed at Christians.⁷

Why are church leaders in the West so pitifully quiet about the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Leaders Must Speak Out

Yet still we hear nothing from church leaders in the USA, or Britain and Europe! Why is this? Is it because most of the killing of Christians is the work of Muslims and church leaders are afraid to say anything that might incur the wrath of Islamic leaders – especially if they are based in the oil-producing parts of the Middle East? Is it global politics that is shutting the mouths of Christian leaders? Or is it simply a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’?

Church leaders should be seeking dialogue with Islamic clerics, who are the only ones who have the authority to say that the verses in the Qur’an calling Muslims to fight against Jews and Christians are not valid today. It is these verses that are used by terrorists to justify their actions: such as “Fight against those to whom the Scriptures were given (Jews and Christians) as believe in neither Allah nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and his Prophet have forbidden, and do not embrace the true faith, until they pay tribute willingly and are utterly subdued.” (Surah 9:29).⁸

But Christians should not be waiting for Church leaders to act – they should also be seeking dialogue with their Muslim neighbours. A good starting point is to compare the teaching of Jesus with that of Muhammad quoted above. Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said, ‘love your neighbour and hate your enemy’. But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:43-44)

Church leaders should seek dialogue with Muslim clerics, and Christians should also be seeking dialogue with their Muslim neighbours.

We Can Each Respond

There are many other things Christians can do, such as responses suggested by Open Doors, which include prayer, writing to persecuted Christians, signing petitions, writing letters to local papers, writing to MPs and generally raising the subject with friends and neighbours and promoting discussion in the public square. We could even offer to take a refugee family into our home – or is that asking too much?

Jesus warned his followers that there would be persecution in the last days but he also said that God would hold us accountable if we do nothing to care for our brothers and sisters who are suffering and in need. Jesus said that when he returns in glory and brings the nations before him he will say to those who ignore the needs of others:

I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison you did not look after me. (Matt 25:42-43)

References

1 Open Doors Country Profiles.

2 Hallett, N. Christians most persecuted religious group in the world, study says. Breitbart, 28 December 2016.

3 Ibid.

4 Weber, J. ‘Worst Year Yet’: The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian. Christianity Today. 11 January 2017.

5 Open Doors: Persecution Trends.

6 See note 4.

7 Sherwood, H. Christianity under global threat due to persecution, says report. The Guardian, 13 October 2015.

8 There are many similar verses in the Qur’an. Click here for more information.