Delegates of the Christian Defense Coalition (CDC) who visited Iraq to pray and speak with government officials said in a statement that "America cannot allow 2,000 years of Christianity to be exterminated from Iraq" and that "religious liberty must be protected" for all faiths and traditions.
"Perhaps the most emotional and moving moment of our recent trip to Baghdad was when our delegation met with Iraqi Christian leaders," added CDC Director Reverend Patrick J. Mahoney in a statement monitored by BosNewsLife.
"When asked, what would happen if American troops would leave early? Their response was powerful and chilling. The Christian leaders simply said, "If the Americans would withdraw early, it would lead to the extermination of Christians and Christianity in Iraq." In one of the latest incidents, Christians have been crucified in Iraq by insurgents and suspected Muslim militants, BosNewsLife reported last month following an investigation by Dutch politicians.
CONGRESS DEBATE
The CDC statement comes amid a debate in the US Congress on when to withdraw American soldiers from Iraq, where on Wednesday, August 8, the US military said coalition forces killed 30 terrorists in raids in Baghdad’s Shi’ite Sadr City neighborhood.
Amid the violence, more than half of Iraq’s Christian population of at least 750,000 fled the country since the US-led invasion began, according to several estimates. The CDC said it would pressure "Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and Majority Leader [Harry] Reid to give assurances that Christians and all religious minorities will be protected in Iraq."
The CDC said it wants to work "tirelessly" to ask President George W. Bush and Congress "to call for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for the War in Iraq" before an upcoming Congressional briefing by American General David Petraeus, who leads the Multi-National Force in Iraq.
Mahoney said he fears "an early withdrawal will lead to genocide and bloodshed for religious minorities; especially Christians." It would be "a betrayal of human rights and a trampling of American values if congressional leadership would allow this to happen," he added.
PRAYER DELEGATION
The CDC led a prayer delegation to Baghdad late July where they met with Prime Minister Jawad al-Maliki for a time of prayer and dialogue on protecting religious liberty, the group said.
CDC delegates also presented the Iraqi leader with a display of the Ten Commandments and pictures drawn by American school children for Iraqi school children.
The group said it "will also be working to share the message that America cannot abandon the heroic effort of millions of Iraqis who have lost loved ones and suffered terrible violence in their determined struggle to achieve peace, freedom and security for Iraq."
