On Behalf of Yousif Al-Saka, General Secretary of Presbyterian Churches in Iraq

I received the following letter through my connection with MERF (Middle East Reformed Fellowship), which details the plight of the Christian churches in Iraq. Please read it, and pass it along to anyone whom you think might be interested, and/or perhaps consider posting it on your own website:

Dear friends

In these days Iraq is passing though very difficult circumstances which affect the daily life of the citizen in the form of hardships. These circumstances can be summarized in absence of security, destruction of the infra structure and scarcity of main items to maintain health and clean water. The daily hardships are evident in the stoppage of electricity and water in a country where temperature in summer can exceed 60celcius which equal 140F, shortages in fuel and combustibles lead to stoppage of communications and transportations and inability to operate electric generators.

Shortage in drugs and health services in addition to the fleeing of doctors and medics as a result of threats or murder, which has lead closure of a large number of private clinics and also many hospitals. In addition to explosions of car bombs and the falling of projectiles randomly on Baghdad without discrimination and on no particular target whether residential, market, place, hospitals or any other places that takes the lives of tens and sometimes hundreds of innocent people women, children and elderly without discrimination. And beside all these the economic wheel has stopped, unemployment spread and bribes and corruption are the order of the day.

The situation in Iraq has been classified by the United Nations as the worst and most dangerous country in the world. Iraq in placed last in the list of countries classified for security and administrative corruption.

As a result of these deadly circumstances and fleeing from imminent killing, group migrations took place by many sections of population from various social and culture walks of life looking for secure shelter. The number of Iraq’s immigrants according to United Nations reports is estimated at four millions.
This figure is considered the highest mass migration in modern history. Some migrated abroad especially to neigh pouring countries and others migrated to places inside the country. But both share hardship and deprivation. What’s new in this context, intentional attacks has started lately on Christian families, forcing them to migrate from some areas in Baghdad that are controlled by terrorist gangs which bear religious extremism. Due to the leak of security control they started threatening Christian families and make conditions on them either denouncing and changing their religion or be sacked from their homes leaving everything that they own behind them, they are not allowed to take only the clothes they are wearing. But in case they stay and refuse their conditions, they will be annihilated either by kidnapping or killing directly on their door steps. After leaving their home, the houses are occupied and confiscated by these groups with all their belongings.

The families had to leave fleeing, thinking only of their safety of their children, leaving behind them, everything that they own, they go to churches asking for shelter and help. The churches try with their modest means, to give what they could to aid these miserable homeless people. Just imagine the difficult human situation when suddenly a man finds himself doesn’t own anything and has lost all that he had and all what he had saved during his lifetime from hard work.

To solve part of the problem we need:-

1- Finding shelter or residence for these families in order to take cover and protection in these complicated and difficult circumstances where there are shortages in security electricity, water, fuel, and sewage disposal.

2- Providing sheets, covers, clothes and other necessary materials for living.

3- providing food and uncontaminated water for life sustenance as well as providing medical treatment and drugs, especially for children and the elderly.

These things require no small amount of money in order to fulfill , and the church can not provide it within its present own capabilities. And this context we can talk lengthily about the unnatural life situation of the Iraq individual and especially in Baghdad where there is no security at all, cuts in electricity and water stopping of sewage scarcity of fuel, the damaged infra structure, spread diseases, lack of medical care , stoppage of economic wheel and the spread of unemployment.

In spite of all these and within these deadly circumstances, our church in Baghdad is required to care and to find solution for the Christian families forced to emigrate because of their religion in order to make them remain in their faith or at least to remain alive.

From here we call in the name of Christ , all brothers in the churches all over the world and all humanitarian organizations to offer help to our church in Baghdad in order to be able to do part of its humanitarian duties towards these miserable people and to relieve as much as possible part of their hardships. As a result of being Christians they are victims to circumstances they did not create.

May the lord bless all works for the glory of his name.
Prey for Iraq, for the church of Iraq and the people of Iraq in general.

Yousif Al-Saka
General Secretary of
Presbyterian Churches in Iraq

Thanks & God bless.

Original contribution by Jim Fell for Correctness Commentary.