Iraq

Recently, Iran launched a ballistic missile strike on Iraq’s northern city of Irbil, which resulted in injuries to ten civilians. The United Nations has condemned this act as “reckless and imprecise.” This attack is one of many recent events that have increased tensions across the Middle East. Iraq has strongly denounced the Iranian aggression on Irbil and promised to take legal action against it.

Pray against escalating border tensions between Iraq and Iran (The Holy Bible, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Modern Iraq occupies what was once ancient Mesopotamia, but the world now knows Iraq less as a memorial to its vibrant history and more as a bloody battleground. It ranks 18th in the World Watch Report 2023 by Open Doors for Christian persecution. The current president is Barham Salih. The incumbent Prime Minister of Iraq is Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, who holds most of the executive authority. In Iraq, Islamic extremist groups continue to impose their ideology to influence society. Persecuted Christians were pressured to conform to the Islamic way of life. They often face physical abuse or threats of kidnapping. The Iraqi government discriminates against Christians in various contexts, from the workplace to traveling checkpoints throughout the country. Blasphemy laws are available to punish Christians who try to spread the Gospel message.