Love Your Enemies: Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor 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." ~ Jesus (Matthew 5:43-45). 

In order to have a better understand how to pray, it's helpful to know who it is we're praying for. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. As we pray for Christians in Syria and Iraq, we encourage you to also pray for those who are persecuting them.  

In June 2014, the self-proclaimed Islamic State invaded the city of Mosul, Iraq. Mosul is the ancient biblical city of Nineveh, which has been home to Christians for almost 2,000 years.

ISIS militants spray-painted the Arabic letter  ن​​ (nun), or n, on Christian homes and churches. This letter stands for the term Nasara used in the Quran to identify followers of Jesus of Nazareth rather than Islam. People labeled as “n” were given an ultimatum: either convert to Islam or pay an exorbitant tax called the jizya, flee Mosul leaving their homes and property behind, or be killed. Most Christians chose to leave, but some who had to stay for various reasons were killed.

The brutal beatings, beheadings, crucifixions and other merciless executions of Christians and other minority groups, directly result from its strict interpretation of the Quran, its desire to re-implement an Islamic Caliphate and to eradicate religious minorities in the region. Children are taught to hate all that is not Islam and to carry out executions themselves. 

Recently, ISIS was forced out of the Nineveh Plains and Christians have begun returning to rebuild their homes and their lives. However, ISIS and neighboring towns and villages left much of the region uninhabitable. Furthermore, though ISIS has been driven out, it will not disappear. The threat of ISIS attacks against Christians and other minority groups remains.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self- proclaimed caliph of ISIS, was thought to be killed during a Russian air strike of IS leaders outside of Raqqa, Syria on May 28, 2017. The United States Pentagon chief said in July that there is reason to believe that the IS leader is still alive. 


Please pray that ISIS leaders and fighters will have a divine encounter with Jesus and turn from their evil ways and come to saving faith in him. 



Information provided by The Voice of the Martyrs- "Christians Facing Islamic Extremists"; Open Doors USA- "Iraqi Christians Returning to Nineveh Plains 'Need Protection'"; World Watch Monitor- "Iraqi Families Urged to Return and Rebuild Homes In Nineveh Plains"; Fox News- "Christians Return After ISIS Driven Out of Iraq's Nineveh Plain"; The New York Times- "Russian Military Says It Might Have Killed ISIS Leader"; The New York Times- "ISIS Leader Is Still Alive, Pentagon Chief Says".

The Voice of the Martyrs

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Bartlesville, OK 74006

www.persecution.com

Open Doors USA

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Santa Ana, CA 92799
www.opendoorsusa.org