Globe Trot: Syrian Christian community suffers another devastating blow

SYRIA: “I am Assyrian Christian Ashur Abraham from the village of Tel Tamar, Jazira.” With that, Abraham and five other Christian captives were executed in Syria on Sept. 23, their deaths recorded on video just released by Islamic State (ISIS). The three Assyrians were part of the group of 253 Assyrians abducted by ISIS from their villages along the Khabur River in February. I interviewed a week later survivors who fled to Iraq, relatives of these victims and those who remain in captivity. The Assyrian villages along Khabur River were safe havens from attacks in 1933 on Assyrians in Iraq, and survivors of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey (which also targeted Assyrians) later settled there, too. This is the latest—and significant—blow to Iraq and Syria’s Christian community, and comes in addition to the 12 murdered and crucified near Aleppo earlier this week.

Writes Hudson Institute fellow Nina Shea:

“Washington is blind to this genocide that occurs alongside, but is separate from, a sectarian Muslim power struggle. It has failed to defend them militarily. Now it is failing to provide humanitarian help in the only manner left: resettling the survivors out of harm’s way, in countries where they will be able to rebuild their families and preserve their unique ancient cultures without fear. Rescue is the very minimum we can do to help these victims of genocide.”

IRAQ: I’m still speechless over this stat: Two top military and security analysts estimate 3,000 to 6,000 ISIS fighters are holding Mosul, a city numbering more than 1 million. That’s a fighting and governing force smaller than the Philadelphia Police Department.

If you’re one of many who write me asking how to help the ISIS-afflicted populations of Iraq, there is a window of opportunity this weekend and next—a webinar hosted by Servant Group International (WORLD’s 2015 Hope Award international recipient) with one of its young, leading school administrators in Iraq. You won’t want to miss her.

RUSSIA: Don’t be fooled by President Vladimir Putin’s motives in Syria, writes former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. But the Russian president can be countered, even used profitably, if the United States will act. What I’ve been saying: “No-fly zones and safe harbors for populations are not ‘half-baked’ ideas.”

MOLDOVA: Criminal gangs are plotting to sell radioactive material to terrorists.

INDIA: The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has terminated the membership of Gospel for Asia, a $90 million ministry that’s planted thousands of churches in India, over violations of financial standards set by ECFA.

I’M READING some oldies: Arabs, Oil and History by Kermit Roosevelt and The Letters of T. E. Lawrence. I’m also excited to be pushing through careful editing by the fine team at Tyndale House for my book, They Say We Are Infidels, due out in February.