AN ‘N’ on the door for ‘Nazarene’ marks the homes of Christians living under the tyranny of Is in occupied Iraq, says Alcester’s Frank Wood, who has just returned from a fact finding mission to the Middle East.
It’s a chilling echo of the Star of David that Jews had to wear in occupied Nazi Europe during the Second World War in this, Holocaust Memorial week.
Frank, from the Alcester Refugee Fund, travelled with the charity Open Doors and spent three and a half days visiting refugee camps around the town of Irbil in northern Iraq, which is now under Kurdish control.
“These were people who had been evacuated from one place to another, who had been under threat of death if they did not change their religion and who had lost everything,” said Frank.
“They were living two to three families to a hut with a communal kitchen and toilet and they did not know what on Earth was going to happen to them.
“While we were there one family learned that some of their men had drowned trying to reach Greece. We also met a priest who said two of his companions had been shot dead by IS.”
There are some 125,000 displaced Christians in the region and Frank met Chaldean Christians, from the Church of Assyria and the viciously persecuted Yizidis as well as Catholics.
“In Mosul, which once had 49 churches, out of a population of two million there were some 50,000 Christians and they all had to have an ‘N’ on their door,” said Frank.
“In the camp they explained how difficult it would be for them to go back again should it be liberated because they could no longer trust their neighbour.”
Despite the precarious turn their lives have taken what struck the Alcester campaigner was the resilience of the refugees.
“What made the biggest impression on me was that they were not asking for any special favours, they were just pleased to see us.”
Shoulder piece.
[BLOB] Open Doors is a charity which supports persecuted Christians and Frank saw directly the benefits of money donated to their cause – for instance £71 will feed a family for an entire month. For more details, visit http://www.opendoorsuk.org/ .
[BLOB] Frank is organising two events to support the Alcester Refugee Fund – this Saturday (January 23) Alvechurch Community Choir will be performing in St Nicolas Church in Alcester at 7pm. Tickets are £7.50 in advance from the Xpresso Cafe or £10 on the door.
[BLOB] On Friday, January 29 at Alcester Town Hall Frank will give an illustrated talk on his visit to the frontline in Iraq followed by followed by assessment of the Middle East crisis local MP Nadhim Zahawi, who is a British Government Special Envoy to the Middle East, plus a Question and Answer session.
There will be light refreshments – entry free and a collection plate at the end.
