Monday, December 15, 2008
New Petition for Iraqi Christians
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
New Petition for Iraqi Christians
Since 2003, half of the estimated one million Iraqi Christians have left their homes because of the relentless attacks they have been facing from Islamic extremists. Many Christians have been killed in Iraq, including Christian leaders such as Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. The body of the archbishop was found in the city of Mosul after his abduction in February 2008.
Most recently, over 2,000 Christian families fled from the city of Mosul and more than a dozen were killed between September and November 2008. Christian homes and properties were destroyed. This latest wave of attacks took place following a demonstration that Christians staged opposing the removal of Article 50 from the Iraqi constitution. Article 50 provided a quota that allowed the Iraqi Christians to be represented in the country's parliament. Less than a third of these families had returned to their homes by November 20.
The perpetrators of the attacks warned the Christians to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax which allows non-Muslims to live in Muslim countries, or leave the city or face death. This shows the Islamists' clear intention to either kill or expel Christians from the city of Mosul.
Despite such widespread and systematic attacks against Iraqi Christians, their plight has largely gone unnoticed by the international community.
Here's How You Can Help
#1 Pray: The first thing you can do to help is stop right now and ask the Lord to intervene.
#2 Next, review our petition. Iraqi officials are concerned about their relationship with the United States and other Western countries, so when the people shout, they will listen. We have also found that evil prefers to stay hidden and when we shine the light on it, it flees.
#3 Electronically sign the petition by clicking here.
#4 Print out the petition and take it to your church and have everyone you know sign it. Send it back to us so we can present it to Secretary Rice. Feel free to print out extra signature pages for large numbers of sign ups. When you have collected all your signatures, please mail the signature pages to :
ICC
PO Box 10277
Silver Spring, MD 20914-0277
or fax them to us (301-989-1709).
Please get them back to us by January 10.
#5 Forward this email to all your email contacts and ask them to do the same.
Sincerely in Christ,
Jeff King
President, ICC
International Christian Concern
P.O. Box 10277
Silver Spring, MD 20914-0277
Phone: (800) ICC-5441
Fax: (301) 989-1709
Psalms Chapter 100
1: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2: Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3: Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Labels: Christian, Christian persecution, Iraq
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