We went to Iraq's largest church and found it desecrated by Islamic State  

The above photo is of the baptismal font at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh, 20 miles south east of Mosul. As you can see, it has been desecrated.

Islamic State captured Qaraqosh in the summer of 2014 and reportedly used the church, which is the biggest in Iraq, as a shooting range. There were terrible rumours that Christian children were beheaded nearby, although these are unsubstantiated. What is clear is that the jihadis vandalised and scorched the building which once housed a congregation of 3,000 worshippers. 

Amid the blackened ruins, we found piles of bullet casings, burnt bibles, and Islamic State graffiti. Reports from the ground suggest that pews were used as fire wood and that statues of the Virgin Mary were decapitated. The Nineveh Plain Protection Units, a Christian organisation made up of Assyrians, is currently guarding the road into the city, but it remains a dangerous place to visit. 

The Christians of Qaraqosh have gone. They have either fled or been killed. Even now, three months since the liberation, it is a ghost town. There is an assumption that Christians want to go back to their homes (this has certainly been the case with Sunnis and Yazidis in the region). However, the persecution they have suffered has taken its toll. Most will never go back. Instead, they will languish in church compounds in Erbil or, if they are lucky, they will be granted asylum in the West.

Through our partnership with the Syrian Orthodox and Armenian Churches in Erbil, we are feeding 33,000 Iraqi Christians every month. These are the people who cannot afford to go to neighbouring Arab countries. In most cases, they have lost everything. 

As a Christian charity, we are committed to helping our Iraqi brothers and sisters in Christ. Please see the giving options below and join FRRME in this ministry of relief and reconciliation. As well as donating, you can sign-up to our weekly e-newsletter and prayer updates here. 

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