Current Situation in Iraq

Iraq is made up of 18 governorates or provinces. However the vast majority of attacks occurred in only 5 of these during 2005-6. These are Baghdad, Anbar and Salah al-Din, Ninewa (Nineveh) and Diyala. All of these provinces are in the centre of the country, where the population is mixed Sunni / Shi’a Arab.

During the early months of 2007 the majority of attacks occurred in specific cities. The focus of this prayer initiative is to pray for the ten cities when the greatest number of attacks occurred during this time. Further details here.

Sunni Arabs have always been a minority in Iraq, but have always been the rulers – until now. The Sunni insurgent groups are opposed to the US led coalition and opposed to being ruled by the Shi’a. The Iranian backed majority Shi’a are intent on finally ruling Iraq and dealing with any Sunnis that oppose them. In the middle are the historic Christian populations who have been in Iraq since before the arrival of Islam. They are often identified with the West as the West is seen as Christian, and so are frequently targeted by extremists who want to rid their nation of infidels.

Read more about persecution in Iraq here.

Those people who can have fled to neighbouring Syria and Jordan, creating a refugee crisis in these nations. Estimates from these countries suggest the figure is now well over 1m in each (March 2007). This puts a huge burden on each of these nations in terms of the economy, education, security, etc. Often those Iraqis who flee are families where the father has been killed in Iraq and so the family has no bread winner in the host nation and the children have no education.

As well as the national and regional tragedy, Iraq is becoming more and more a potential global crisis. The two nations with the greatest interests in Iraq, the US and Iran, are also squaring up over wider issues, such as nuclear power and Israel, reflecting worldviews that are miles apart. This “distrust” of each other goes back over 50 years, and has the potential to draw in not just the region but the whole world.

But there is more!

These factors take account of human issues, but not of heavenly powers at work. The battle for Iraq is not just a military or insurgent one, but a spiritual one – not of one side against another, but of the demonic powers of violence waging war against the angelic forces of the Prince of Peace in the heavens. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12).