ICC Note: For those Christians remaining in Iraq two years after the start of the the Islamic State incursion, they are determined to rebuild their homes after ISIS is defeated. In a new collaborated report entitled, “Hope for the Middle East,” investigations aimed to show what contributions Middle East Christians have made to their own society over the centuries. The church has a long history in the region, especially in regards to building up society. Christians here are as ancient as the religion to which they are bound.

08/08/2016 Iraq (Premier): Christians still in Iraq are pledging to stay in the country and help rebuild it after Islamic State (IS) is defeated.

They have spoken out two years after thousands of believers were forced to flee their homes in the Nineveh plains by IS.

A new report found most of those who were remaining in the country were pledging to stay.

Church leaders in Iraq and Syria as well as Open Doors, Middle East Concern, Served and the University of East London collaborated to create the new report, ‘Hope for the Middle East.’

It aimed to investigate the contributions that Christians have made to the region and looked at healthcare, business, culture and welfare across the centuries.

Zoe Smith from Open Doors, told Premier these people want to stay in their homes and cannot be forgotten.

She said: “One of the thing the report actually emphasises is the strong history of the church in the region in building up society.

“They’re really recognised for reconciliation, they’ve been referred to as the glue that holds society together in the Middle East.

“We’ve been telling the persecution side for a long time, but we’ve not been telling so loudly the story of those who have chosen to stay.

“We’re really hoping that we will draw attention to this group of people, to the churches who are desperate to help reconcile their societies, to help rebuild.”

Open Doors spoke to one Iraqi Christian who said: “I want my fellow Iraqis to know that we are not guests in Iraq. Our ancestors built this country. Treat me as a sister, not as a guest.”

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