'Religiouscide' in Iraq targets Christians

The Voice of the Martyrs has been very concerned about the rising persecution in Iraq, as well as our friends in other ministries that cover Christian persecution.  Today we'd like to share with you a story from Mission Network News that highlights what Carl Moeller says from Open Doors USA.  Please add Christians in Iraq to your daily prayers.

Iraq (MNN) ? A series of bombs and mortar attacks are targeting Christians in Iraq. The attacks focused on six districts with strong Christian majorities.

President of Open Doors USA;Carl Moeller says, "Christians around the world are witnessing what I'm calling a 'religiouscide.' Extremists Sunni and Shia are targeting the Christian community for extinction."

Moeller says al Qaeda issued threats to Christians asking members to consider Christians as legitimate target.

In Baghdad, Moeller says the situation is desperate. "One of my coworkers wrote to me. He said, 'Yesterday the city was almost closed. Three bridges across the river were closed. That's out of the Christian community, part of the city. I couldn't get across the River.'"

Moeller continues, "There were coordinated roadside bomb attacks within the Christian community there, killing five additional Christians. The situation, he says, is worsening day by day. There's no life for Christians in Baghdad anymore. We will be driven out of town, and nobody is helping us. Everybody, even the army and police, are afraid and not able to help."

Iraq had over one million Christians before the Iraq war. Moeller says, "There are less than 400,000 Christians in the entire country by our last count. And of that, 250,000 of them are living in refugee status within their own country. So, literally a 90 percent decline in the size of the Christian community."  Read more at MNN Online