Good News and Bad News From Syria and Iraq

Human rights advocacy group Middle East Concern reports that a Franciscan priest abducted in Syria was released recently, but two other Christians abducted in Baghdad were not so fortunate.

Father Dhiya Aziz, an Iraqi priest ministering in north-west Syria was abducted on Saturday, July 4th.  As we Americans celebrated our Independence, jihadist militants from Yacoubieh, in Idlib Province, abducted Fr Dhiya under the auspices of taking him to meet with the Emir of the area.  Thankfully, on July 9th, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land reported that Fr Dhiya had been freed. 

According to MEC’s update, Fr Dhiya “had been treated well during his ordeal . . . Jabhat an-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate group controlling that area, allegedly assisted in securing Fr Dhiya’s release from another group responsible for the abduction.”

This is a tremendous answer to prayer and we rejoice along with Christians around the world praising God for Fr Dhiya’s safe return.
Despite the good news about Fr Dhiya, Christians in Syria continue to face persecution at the hands of ISIS.   In their original report on Fr Dhiya’s abduction, MEC noted that ISIS militants advanced toward the city of Hassaka in northeastern Syria, leading to mass displacement of Christian families, some of whom had already fled villages overrun by ISIS fighters earlier in the year.  Hundreds of other Christian villagers captured by ISIS during their campaign of terror against al-Hasakah Province remain in captivity. 

In addition, six Christian clergy members from around Syria remain unaccounted for after being kidnapped from various locations from 2013 to 2015.  We join MEC and Christians around the world praying that they will feel God’s comfort, and that they will soon be returned safely.

Syrian Christians are not alone in their struggle against persecution in the Middle East.  In the same report, MEC described the fates of four Christians abducted in Baghdad between June 21 and July 1:

“One was released following police intervention. For the other three, ransoms were demanded and paid. However, two were murdered even though the ransoms had been paid.” 

This tragic event was decried by Imad Youkhana, a Christian member of Iraq’s Parliament who issued a statement on July 9 calling for Iraq’s government to provide greater protection for Iraqi Christians.  He claimed that the violence was part of an organized campaign of intimidation aimed at forcing Christians to emigrate, and pointed out that all of Iraqi society is harmed by these divisive attacks against religious minorities.

The ACLJ will continue to aggressively fight for persecuted Christians around the world, wherever they suffer for their faith.  Earlier this week, we reported that a major funding bill in Congress has adopted critical recommendations proposed by ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow in testimony earlier this year, which would give the U.S. more tools in our diplomatic arsenal to defend persecuted Christians worldwide. 

We will continue to press forward, vigorously advocating and battling to protect the persecuted Church.