Christians under persecution in some countries need your prayer

By Open Doors

Iraq: A Christian Girl Faces Daily Hardships

They love their Lord just like we do. Go to school or to work. Have their doubts and dreams. Christian young people in Iraq are just like youth who live in the West. But the price they have to pay for their faith is high. How is day to day life for them? This is the story of Raja*, who is a refugee in her own country:

“Mosul is no more than an hour away from here, but I’ve never been back. When my mother and brother went back for two days to handle some administration work, they nearly got were killed by a car bomb. It’s just too dangerous there. I saw a lot of people around me being killed. Like the Christian who we bought candy across the street from our school. One day he was there, the next day he was killed. Now I’m living in a more peaceful city, but I still have to watch my steps.

“I like dancing. I took dance classes when I was abroad. When I’m in a taxi to go to church and the taxi driver turns on the music, I want to dance with the music. But I don’t – I fold my hands over my knees and look out of the window. I’m too afraid the taxi driver might see me dance. I have been intimidated several times and I don’t want to provoke anything. Being a Christian girl in Iraq makes me very vulnerable. Many young Christian women in Iraq get harassed and I don’t want to be the next victim. I always have the feeling that people looking at me because I’m not wearing the covered clothes like Muslims. So I always try not to provoke. When they told us to veil at the university, I did. Recently female students that didn’t veil themselves had acid thrown in their face. Outside the house I’m never free to do what I want.

*Not a real name.

Read more at http://crossmap.christianpost.com/news/open-doors-christians-under-persecution-in-some-countries-need-your-prayer-8545