“As the Battle for Mosul Rages: Some observations from my visit to northern Iraq last week”

I was privileged to travel to Erbil, Iraq March 23-30. Two Iraqi pastors I had met in Seoul, through our common connections with the Onnuri Community Church, and the International Alliance Church [don't miss this and the many other links to photos or videos] hosted me. Through their gracious hospitality I met refugees, worshiped and met with various church members, toured the devastated Christian town of Qaraqosh just south of Mosul, toured one of the areas’ huge refugee camps, and enjoyed Erbil. Here are just a few of my observations and reflections:

Encouraging Christian Witness and Service. It was in the summer of 2014 that ISIS forces swept into Mosul, then further southward through Qaraqosh and other areas. Christians could either leave (on very short notice), be killed, or convert to ISIS-styled Islam. Most fled, and many flooded into Erbil and specifically its Christian sector, Ankawa. The predominantly Catholic and other churches were overwhelmed with the flood of displaced people in desperate need of help. God’s grace has enabled churches to give emergency and continuing help. For its part, the International Alliance Church continues to help refugees with housing and other needs, including through the work of individual church members in various organizations, including the U.N., Red Cross/Crescent, and Samaritan’s Purse.

Destruction and Displacement. The Christian town of Qaraqosh is in ruins. Churches were desecrated. It is now empty except for the Iraqi military and a very few residents who have returned. I took some short videos (with embedded links) to help show some of the destruction, including how ISIS desecrated churches and burned out all the houses. Refugee camps abound all around Mosul. Refugees in Erbil that I met were from Syria, Baghdad, and mostly Mosul and Qaraqosh. Their lives are in limbo, unsure of possible relocation internationally or eventual return to destroyed or severely damaged neighborhoods.

Messy Military Context. Last fall’s Iraqi military ouster of ISIS from Qaraqosh was tough enough. But unlike the current situation in western Mosul, there were no citizens present that ISIS could use as shields, or otherwise had to be protected as much as possible. Moreover, ISIS militants are from around the world, many have previous military training and experience, and the weapons at ISIS’s disposal are sophisticated and lethal. ISIS’s media for ongoing recruiting is slick and sophisticated. The urban jungle in western Mosul where fighting ragesis nightmarish.

History. Present-day northern Iraq is where well-known ancient empires – Assyria in particular – held sway. More recent Western colonial presence has left current national borders, some of which ISIS seeks to obliterate. Kurdish people have significant presence in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, comprising a greater Kurdistan without “official” national recognition. Erbil is the capital of Iraqi Kuridistan, an autonomous area in Iraq with Kurdish government and military. Maps (ISIS 2015-6, March 27 controlled areas) help in sorting out the current complex situation coming out of a long and complex historical background.

I encourage you to pray and not hastily to form simplistic conclusions about what is transpiring.