from Religion Media Centre
Christians in northern Iraq are celebrating a festival over five days, proclaiming the vibrancy of their faith ten years after ISIS sought to eliminate the religion from the land.
From 9 – 13 September, the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean, Syriac Catholic and Syriac Orthodox, will join together in public events, including candlelight processions, gatherings in public squares, cultural events, sport and festivals leading to the vigil of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on 13 September.
Aid to the Church in Need says more than 120,000 Christians fled to Kurdistan in 2014 when ISIS took over, but since then they have returned to their villages and homes and rekindled Christian worship.
The five-day festival is now set to become an annual event in the churches’ calendar.
ACN says the number of Christians in Iraq has fallen from 1.4 million believers under Saddam Hussein, to below a quarter of a million.