IRAQ: Christian Convert Arrested, Status Unknown

Fewer than 300,000 Iraqi Christians remain in the country. Converts from Islam face harsh treatment from Islamic extremists.

The whereabouts of a Christian convert arrested in Iraq remain unknown.

Kazim became a follower of Christ while living abroad. His Iranian wife and their children eventually came to live with him, and they too became Christians. However, the family was unable to establish residency outside Iraq and feared returning to southern Iraq as converts to Christianity. They also didn’t want to move to Iran because Kazim’s in-laws had threatened them after learning of their conversion. The family eventually moved to Iraqi Kurdistan, a safer part of Iraq for Christians.

However, Kazim had to return to his hometown to update his children’s identity cards and was quickly arrested there. Front-Line Workers are concerned about his condition. “I pray for him every night,” said a Front-Line Worker. “And I worry that he might be tortured or may have already been killed.”

• Pray for the safe return of Kazim to his family. Pray for their peace of mind as they await news.

• Pray for Believers in Iraq as it is very difficult for them to live a normal life there. It is very dangerous country to be a Christian.