Iraq Assault

I will be traveling back to Iraq later this week with our Vice President of Projects, Scott Vair. We will be spending some time with our main church representative, Ibrahim (name changed for security reasons), as well as other key leaders that facilitate our work there.

Last week, as Ibrahim drove into his street, a lonely road that dead ends a few homes past his own, he noticed three men standing on the corner. The national power grid was down in this sector and darkness enveloped them. Besides these three men, the street was deserted.

After dropping his family off at home, Ibrahim proceeded to the end of the street to turn around. He was about to go to the main church to pick up a friend and attend a Bible study in a house church near the border of Iran.

As he was in the midst of a three-point turn, both doors on the driver’s side were abruptly opened and a man was pounding on the car’s trunk, ordering Ibrahim to stop.

The men were inebriated. Ibrahim attempted an emergency call to local security forces, but was told by a smiling, broad-shouldered man, "Call whoever you want. We’re still taking your car!"

Ibrahim considered a fast break, but noticed that his mother was suddenly now in the middle of the road with the intent of confronting the men.

Two of the men went towards Ibrahim’s mother. Ibrahim took the opportunity to get a quick call off to one of his brothers, pleading for help. Before he could finish the call, though, the three guys regrouped and were upon him.

(Images: The streets near Ibrahim's home, during daylight hours)

A fist fight ensued between Ibrahim and one of the thugs. Ibrahim managed to best the man, pinning him to the ground, and refusing to surrender the car, a valuable tool for ministry in his region of Iraq.

That’s when the knives came out. The two remaining men tried to stab Ibrahim in order to release their friend. But the well-timed arrival of two of Ibrahim’s brothers sent the assailants running into the darkness.

The captured attacker was then turned into police. The officers said that they couldn’t detain the man for long, however, because it was obvious that this act was simply caused by drunkenness.

Such is the state of justice in a land of chaos and discrimination.

(Image: Security forces that patrol the streets near Ibrahim's home)

We don’t know if Ibrahim was targeted because he is a believer. But that would certainly seem to be a plausible reason.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters that are faithfully doing ministry under a cloud of constant persecution, violence, and death threats in Iraq. Please pray that Satan will not be able to thwart the work of our church partners to see Iraq, and its vulnerable children, freed from his vicious clutches.

Comments

[Marcello]

What a terrible thing.

[Aisha]

Count me in as one of your prayer partners!