Feba’s FM team in Iraq are talking with people in the community, helping them voice their concerns following the hostage drama last week. On Sunday 31 October, dozens of Christians were killed in an Iraqi church by gunmen who were holding worshippers hostage, until a police raid ended the stand-off.

“The team has interviewed some survivors, neighbours, priests and Muslim leaders in the area,” says Noor, Project Coordinator. “Since Sunday our telephone lines didn’t stop ringing…calls and SMS messages from people who witnessed the attack and from people expressing their opinions and suggestions.” A special prayer programme is being aired all week where injured people can call and ask for prayers of healing and comfort.

Noor continues: “Many Muslims called to confirm that Islam doesn't encourage terrorism and that the attackers are not real Muslims. They urged their fellow Christian citizens to be patient, not to leave the country, but fight back terrorism with their faith and hope.” Although Christians have inhabited this land for around 2000 years, today they are a quickly shrinking minority from over 1 million before the Gulf War to less than 600,000.

Choosing to stay in Iraq
The programme presenters are using a new mixer and mobile phones to take live calls into the radio broadcasts, to have more interactive discussions with people in the community. “The situation is very hard. The attack was a message to all Christians to leave Iraq and make it 100% Islamic,” says Noor. So the presenters are explaining to their listeners that leaving the country doesn't stop terrorists from attacking people. They are also talking about persecution, faith, patience, hope and reconciliation.

Though none of the presenters or their immediate family members were hurt in Sunday’s attack, they do have friends and neighbours who were killed in the church. Noor says: “The team knows that the same thing could happen where they are located. They are not scared or frightened, but they see this coming, if not to them, it would be in other churches.” New security measures are being taken by the team at their studio as well as by church leaders and police security forces in all local churches.

“If I think logically there is no future for me, but I believe that God created me to live here,” says Iraqi producer Yosef. “I believe in love and peace, and Jesus died for us to give us eternal life. This is the message that I want to convey to people, no matter what their religion is. God is leading us and we are doing this for his glory. I believe that our station is touching the people who are hurting, wounded. Pray that we can make a difference in the lives of these people in the local community.”