By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Over the course of the past weekend, 11 Christians lost their lives while enduring violent persecution in Somalia and Iraq.
Reuters News Agency is reporting that the Al-Shabaab hard-line insurgent group beheaded seven Somalis for being “Christians” and “spies.” Although similar severe punishments have been doled out to Christians in that country in recent months, this was the largest number of killings done at the same time.
Somalia is believed to have a 99.95% Islamic following with only a handful of Christians living inside the country. While Al-Shabaab continues its reign of terror, most Christians have been forced to live underground or have flown to neighboring countries.
“Those who come to Christ in Somalia do so at a huge risk,” said Open Doors USA President/CEO Carl Moeller to the Christian Newswire.
“Somalia desperately needs our prayers as conditions deteriorate. This country needs both physical and spiritual nourishment. Please join me in praying for the tremendous needs of Somalia and for the few brave believers inside the country.”
The Iraqi Christian community was also wracked by violence this weekend. A car bomb exploded outside the Virgin Mary Church in east Baghdad, killing four and injuring at least 16 others. Five other bombs were exploded outside churches around Baghdad on Saturday night and Sunday.
One survivor of one of the bombings in Iraq told CNN that “if this (violence) continues, there will be no Christians left in Iraq.”
Although exact numbers are not known, there were an estimated 550,000 Christians in Iraq prior to the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2005. Christian leaders say at least 165,000 have fled the country, leaving less than 400,000 in the country at the present time.
“With U.S. troops pulling back from cities on July 1 and these weekend bombings, Iraqi Christians fear that this could mark a resurgence of anti-Christian violence,” said Moeller. “Christians have always been caught in the crossfire in Iraq. Many have fled the country. We need to lift up in prayer those who remain. They are scared and living in daily fear. Please pray that these bombings will end and believers can worship in peace.”
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