Through the pages of Killing Christians I have heard the command of Jesus reverberating through the martyrs’ voices, “Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Me.” The men and women who have answered that summons—whose gripping stories Tom Doyle so movingly and powerfully shares in these pages—are my role models. They are authentic disciples. Their thrilling testimonies have put tears on my face, praise in my heart, fervency in my prayers, and renewed vigor to my steps as I, too, seek to follow Him. —ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ DAUGHTER OF BILLY GRAHAM WWW.ANNEGRAHAMLOTZ.ORG Killing Christians tells real-life stories of faith in action. These spiritual headlines from the persecuted church demonstrate there’s another, deeper story unfolding behind the news of our day. —CHRIS MITCHELL CBN MIDDLE EAST BUREAU CHIEF AND AUTHOR OF DATELINE JERUSALEM It turns out that the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in the book of Hebrews apparently have some kindred spirits modeling faithfulness right before our eyes today. If you are looking to be encouraged, challenged, and spurred on in your own life of faith pick up this book. —TODD WAGNER PASTOR OF WATERMARK CHURCH, DALLAS, TX When I saw the title Killing Christians my heart sank and I wished that this book never had to be written. But then I read it. I felt like I was reading accounts from the Book of Acts. This is not about doom and despair, but about the “special grace” that Jesus gives to our brothers and sisters in the midst of suffering. You will be strengthened and blessed as you are moved to join hands with these strong followers of Jesus who stand for Him even in the face of prison or even death. —ARTHUR BLESSITT GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR CARRYING THE CROSS IN EVERY NATION OF THE WORLD As the twenty-first century unfolds, it is looking much like the first century for Christians. Persecution is everywhere. But, there are modern-day heroes of the faith who are showing us how we may all live hopefully and triumphantly for Christ even in the midst of extreme danger. Killing Christians will bless you and you will be encouraged to stand stronger in your own journey with Christ. —CURTIS HAIL, PRESIDENT & CEO E3 PARTNERS & I AM SECOND Killing Christians is a penetrating look at what’s happening on the front lines of the Church’s greatest spiritual battle today. As in the first century, Christians are experiencing widespread persecution for their faith in Christ. Yet, the true stories in Killing Christians are miraculous accounts of God’s faithfulness as believers live in the midst of ISIS, Hamas, The Brotherhood, and other terrorist regimes. Their stories will inspire you and refresh your faith! —DR. CHARLIE DYER PROFESSOR-AT-LARGE OF BIBLE AND HOST OF THE LAND AND THE BOOK RADIO PROGRAM Though today’s headlines look grim, the resolve of the believers you meet in Killing Christians will inspire you and warm your heart. These true-life accounts take you to the front lines of the war that has been declared on Jesus’ church. Yet in the midst of this war, the saints are shining brightly and their stories will thrill you! This book is awesome. —RAY BENTLEY PASTOR OF MARANATHA CHAPEL, SAN DIEGO, CA, AND AUTHOR OF THE HOLY LAND KEY There are more Christian martyrs today than at any other time in human history, which has been largely ignored by the press until recently. I am grateful that Tom has made known these remarkable stories of courage and conviction. —DR. NEIL T. ANDERSON FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF FREEDOM IN CHRIST AND AUTHOR OF THE BONDAGE BREAKER © 2015 by Tom Doyle All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected]. ® ® Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations marked are HCSB taken from the HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE. © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Broadman and Holman Publishers. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-7180-3069-8 (eBook) Library of Congress Control Number: 2014957694 ISBN 978-0-7180-3068-1 08 09 10 11 12 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1 To believers in prison, persecution, or danger CONTENTS Preface Introduction · Persecution, the New Normal CHAPTER ONE The Pirates of Somalia CHAPTER TWO The Only Empty Graveyard in Syria CHAPTER THREE Syrian Refugee, but Not Forgotten CHAPTER FOUR Get Your Bible at the Mosul Mosque CHAPTER FIVE The Joy of a Baghdad Beating CHAPTER SIX A Bodyguard in Saudi Arabia CHAPTER SEVEN When the Brotherhood Has a Knife at Your Throat CHAPTER EIGHT The Gaza Strip Infiltrators Conclusion About the Authors PREFACE THE PEOPLE WHOSE stories you are about to read have endured the unendurable. Their suffering is so profound and their lives so worthy of respect that we want to be sure there is no mistaking the validity of what you read in these pages. In keeping with the gravity of the circumstances and with what the survivors still face, we’ve had to make a few changes. The stories are not fiction. These are real people. While some stories involve the actual locations, others do not. But with every miracle, every answered prayer, every miraculous escape, as well as every bomb blast, each torture session, and each painful death, all occurred as recounted in these stories. The narrative remains true to actual events, although we’ve at times modified such components as dialogue and physical descriptions. Each concluding message from a persecuted believer is presented in “writer’s English” rather than in his or her own words, so nothing is lost in the translation. Finally, as you read, please join us and pray for these new friends you are about to meet. Their lives are worthy of recognition, and their only request is that none of the glory would go to them as servants. That honor, of course, is reserved for their King alone. Tom Doyle Greg Webster September 2014 INTRODUCTION Persecution, the New Normal • Forty Egyptian churches burned to the ground • House church leaders sentenced to Iran’s infamous Evin prison • Eighty Christians murdered in North Korea for merely owning a Bible • Believers nailed to crosses in Syria AND THAT’S THE news from just one month in 2014. After that, it got really bad. In summer 2014, a shocked world witnessed the phenomenal rise of ISIS, now known as the Islamic State. Within weeks, a path of destruction swept through Syria and Iraq, leaving unimaginable carnage in its wake. The brutality of ISIS and its global jihadist agenda is reminiscent of the Assyrian Empire in the Old Testament. The Assyrians leveled villages and cities with such ferocity that, in the eighth century BC, the mere mention that Assyrians were on their way prompted some villages to commit mass suicide rather than be skinned alive, impaled, taken as slaves, or allow women to be abused and kidnapped. In a fascinating twist of history, ISIS was birthed in the same region as the Assyrians, and one of the organization’s major objectives is now clear: to eradicate any presence of Christianity. But ISIS is not alone in its quest against biblical faith. Christianity is under fire across the globe. Jesus lovers are hated in dozens of countries and often pay a gruesome price for following Him. Killing fields have become common, but this book isn’t written to sound the alarm for the persecuted church. Others have already sent out the alert, and thankfully, many are listening. What the alarms can’t tell you, though, is the inside human cost of following Jesus in the twenty-first century. That’s why these stories were written. It would be easy to conclude from the acceleration of Christian persecution that followers of Christ are on the run and are systematically being crushed by the forces of Islamic terrorism, fanatical dictators, and hostile nations. Yet the opposite is actually true. Jesus said His followers would experience persecution for merely being associated with Him. He also predicted an escalation of intensity over time. On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus spelled out the details: “They will put you out of the synagogue: in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God” (John 16:2). The evidence here suggests that the time Jesus referred to is now. In areas ripe with Muslim fundamentalism or controlled by sharia law, agreeing to return to Islam is the only way of escape for a believer with a knife to his or her throat. In places like Iran, only a full confession of apostasy, a complete list of names of underground house church leaders, and a reconversion to Islam can unlock the prison gate. In Mosul, Iraq, ISIS gave Christians four choices: convert to Islam, pay a large and unaffordable jizya (tax), leave, or die. THE NEW FACE OF CHRISTIANITY OPPRESSORS OVER THE centuries have never recognized that the persecution of Christians is always a failed initiative. It just doesn’t work. To the contrary, killing believers routinely accelerates the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church. For those of us in the West, the threat of persecution is virtually nonexistent, but statistics show church growth in America—which experiences no persecution—has leveled off during the last twenty years. Why? Because Jesus’ message of love and reconciliation thrives in a climate where hostility, danger, and martyrdom are present. Persecution and the spread of the gospel are as inseparable as identical twins. Suffering propels the growth of Jesus movements around the world. So in Hamas-controlled Gaza, former Muslims worship Jesus right under the noses of terrorists. In Syria and Iraq, ISIS may grab headlines with beheadings and inhumane torture, but underground churches flourish. In Saudi Arabia, Muslims worship Jesus in Mecca and Medina, the heart of Islam. As inconceivable as it is to Christians who have not faced life-threatening persecution, the suffering produces immense blessing through the radical transformation of individual believers. Each one comes away marked, never truly returning to the same life. Sometimes survivors are unrecognizable even by their own families because, in the midst of their brutal affliction, they experienced Christ in an hour of need as few of us ever do. Persecuted believers have become the new face of genuine Christianity. They are filled with passion to live or die for Christ, and we in the West have much to learn from them. The eight stories in this book introduce you to a handful of these courageous believers. They have learned to cling to Christ. Like a drowning man clutching a life preserver, it’s just the believer and Jesus. And what have they discovered? That Jesus alone is always more than enough to take them by the hand through trial after life- threatening trial—not around the pain but all the way through. Malik, a Christ follower from the Middle East, once told me: “Every Christian should go to jail at least once in life because of their faith in Christ. It’s good for you!” Can you relate to that? This former Muslim added: “You’ll never be the same after experiencing the loneliness of a jail cell. But then there is great elation that comes when you realize Jesus is capable of filling 100 percent of that loneliness—and more. My deepest spiritual lessons were learned on the cold floor with no one there . . . but Jesus and me.” Malik is not alone in this conviction. A new generation has arrived. Widespread persecution can’t stop the faithful who spread Jesus’ love in the face of grave danger.