Pastor Layth Ibrahim rented a small hall in Erbil, Kurdistan’s Capitol, to hold a series of leadership training seminars. Due to a resent security clampdown in the Syrian refugee camps, pastor Layth was told he could no longer hold Christian meetings in the camps themselves. This is largely due to a complaint by a Yezede Parliament Member who complained that we Christians are as bad as ISIS when it comes to destroying Yezede culture. My answer to this charge is, What? Why? Because we’ve fed and sheltered your people who’ve been driven from their homes and mercilessly killed by ISIS? We don’t force people to believe in and convert to our faith, that’s a Radical Muslim thing. We help people whether or not they respond to our Good News message. Yet, you say, “You’re as bad as ISIS?” Lady, are you nuts? How many people have we beheaded? How much property have we stolen from you or how many of your wives and daughters have we raped and then sold off to the illicit sex trade? To say that I was shocked to hear this kind of an accusation in the Kurdish Parliament is an understatement.
On one hand it reveals how effective our workers have been in reaching the lost and how open these persecuted people are to change. It also reveals something much darker and that’s a plot to overthrow the elected popular government of Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani and the ruling majority party, the KDP. The Iranians are behind this. They’ve been allowed on the ground by the Iraqi central government and our current administration (despite our own Military’s warnings) to fight against ISIS but there’s collusion between the Iraqi government, the Iranian regime and a number of the Kurdish opposition parties to weaken the KRG (Kurdistan Regional Government). They want to overthrow the democratic process, bypass the people and have the Parliament choose the president. Typical Mideastern political thinking. This is a time we really need to be in prayer for Kurdistan.
A CALL TO PRAY FOR KURDISTAN AND OUR WORKERS
Despite the setbacks in the camps (we’re still working in them) pastor Layth continues to disciple and raise up tomorrow’s leaders. This has always been our objective, to raise up and train laborers for the harvest. Despite the unjust and absurd criticism against us, we believe in Kurdistan and stand with her. Pray with us during this critical time; that God will intervene and bring this current assault on us and the regional government to nothing. Pray especially for our valiant believers standing up for Christ, just a yard from hell.
Jack Harris Ministries 