| Advancing Liberty in Iraq |
 |
 |
|
By God’s grace and the prayers and financial support of our ministry partners, Dr. Cass was given a very exciting opportunity to participate in an historic event in Baghdad, Iraq. On July 24, a delegation of Christians, formally invited by the government of Iraq, traveled to the Middle East to take part in a history-making event. More than just an exciting opportunity, this trip was an immensely positive step toward advancing religious liberty in the Middle East. Ministry friend, Rev. Pat Mahoney, has been working with the Iraqi embassy since the 2005 Iraqi elections to build a relationship with the embassy and communicate to them that the Christians in America love the Iraqi people. Because of Rev. Mahoney’s tireless efforts, the Prime Minister invited a Christian prayer delegation, including Dr. Cass, to Baghdad to pray for the peace of the country. It is the first time a group of Christian ministers have been invited to pray in an Islamic country. After many difficulties with their travel itinerary, the group found itself on final approach to Baghdad. To land, planes perform the “death spiral”, a maneuver designed to prevent a surface to air missile from being launched against the aircraft. After landing they were met on the tarmac by emissaries of the Iraqi government. They ushered the delegation into armor plated Land Cruisers and drove them to a very special part of the airport. There they were met by a special liaison from the Prime Minister’s office. Before driving the nine mile “highway of death” they were briefed and then were off towards the green zone. The road from the airport to the green zone is littered with burned out cars and blown up buildings. The check points are heavily armored and fortified. The US troops are in control of that area and signs that read “deadly force is authorized” are frequently seen. The first meeting was with Prime Minister Al Maliki. Dr. Cass had the honor to present the Prime Minister with an etched marble copy of the Ten Commandments and, along with the rest of the group, was able to speak to him and ask questions. The meeting lasted over an hour and was centered upon Christian liberty in Iraq, religious freedom, the children of Iraq damaged by war and most importantly that America is praying for peace in Iraq. The Prime Minister seemed very grateful that they would travel so far to pray for him and the Iraqi people. At the end of the meeting Dr. Cass was asked to lead the group in prayer. He prayed for true peace, liberty, and justice for the nation, for the Prime Minister and his government. They prayed in the name of Jesus within the palace of the Prime Minister and the entire Iraqi delegation honored the prayer by bowing their heads. During the trip the delegation was also able to meet with a small group of Iraqi Christian leaders. They spoke about the persecution they face by Muslim extremists. After asking one of the brothers what message he would like to communicate to the Church in America, he replied, “Protect yourselves.” This is a timely warning and example for Christians in America about the future if we continue to let ourselves be defamed and marginalized. The delegation also had the privilege to meet with the Minister of Industry, Fawzi Hariri. He is a Christian and expressed with much sincerity that the Christian community is in deep distress. The team prayed for him as he warned of a Christian genocide if the US and its allies abandon them in Iraq. Next, was a meeting with the Minister of Human Rights, Wijdam Salim, who is a Kurdish Christian. Her heart is for the children in Iraq. She spoke about the abandoned children in Iraq, and reminded the delegation that Iraq has been at war since 1980 with the Iraq/Iran war. When presented with pictures drawn by children in America she responded saying “American children draw the sun, trees, and grass, but Iraqi children draw guns, bombs and dead people.” She asked for prayer for the children there, that those children who were wounded by terrorists would receive medical treatment. Over the course of the trip the group was able to talk with several US military personnel, private contractors, Iraqi government officials and ordinary people. These people left the impression that there are many good people in Iraq working hard and hoping for peace to come. They, just want to see their children grow up in peace and liberty and are very grateful for what the United States is doing in Iraq. Going to Iraq and seeing the impact of persecution against our brothers in Christ gives CADC an even more focused perspective as to why we are fighting for Christian liberty in America. Words cannot explain adequately the spiritual significance of going to the capitol of a nation, praying for it and its highest ranking official, but God seems to honor it in a powerful way. "Coincidently," after the team prayed for Iraq on Friday, the Iraqi soccer team won a very prestigious victory, uniting the country in a renewed sense of Iraqi nationalism. On Sunday, the anti-Iraq war New York Times ran an op-ed stating that this might just be a war we can win. That Monday, Rush Limbaugh began his national radio program asking what happened over the weekend concerning Iraq. “I believe in prayer and that God was honored when we prayed!” said Dr. Cass. Continue to pray for those in Iraq fighting for freedom, as well as for the Christians there. There is an invitation to return to Iraq and CADC is praying about what God would have us do next. In the meantime, we will work to make sure our Christian brothers and sisters are not abandoned and that the rich Christian history and tradition in Iraq are not eradicated. |