April 2021 Persecution Magazine

WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG 

APRIL 2021 

PERSECU ION 

SPECIAL REPORT ON TURKEY 

PERSECU ION 

PERSECU ION 

TURKEY: 

PERSECU ION.ORG 

ERDOGAN’S DEADLY 

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN 

DREAM TO REBUILD 


THE CALIPHATE 



INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN

In This Issue 

4 | Your Dollars at Work 

Learn how your gifts are providing comfort, relief, Bibles, 

education, and vocational training for the persecuted. 

8 | Volunteers 

Learn how members of ICC’s volunteer teams are making an 

impact in their communities for the persecuted. 

30 | Hope for the Present 

Find hope and victory in the messages of the persecuted. 

10 | Turkey’s Sordid Past 

As Turkey achieves unprecedented regional power, Christians 

fear a second genocide. 

16 | A Lust for Jihad 

Erdogan is happy to attack Christians in neighboring countries. 

Jihad is his love and regional supremacy is his goal. 

18 | Life in America 

Lucy and Anahit grew up listening to stories from family 

members about the genocide, but now they are faced with it 

happening again today. 

24 | The Genocide’s Echo 

Three individuals describe how constant persecution has 

impacted their lives. 

28 | An Alliance for Change 

As an ally of Turkey through NATO, the United States is in an 

ideal position to curb Turkey’s aggressions against Christians. 

But will it act soon enough? 

16 

18 

2 PERSECU ION.ORG 



Dear Friend, 

If you are a student of Biblical prophecy, you are aware of the 

role that Turkey plays in a coming war with Israel that will 

mark the end of Satan’s dominance of earth. 

Jeff King, President 

International Christian Concern 

“This is another message that 

came to me from the LORD: ‘Son 

of man, turn and face Gog of the 

land of Magog, the prince who 

rules over the nations of Meshech 

and Tubal, and prophesy against 

him. Give him this message from 

the Sovereign LORD: Gog, I am 

your enemy! I will turn you around 

and put hooks in your jaws to lead 

you out with your whole army— 

your horses and charioteers in full 

armor and a great horde armed 

with shields and swords. Persia, 

Ethiopia, and Libyaa will join you, 

too, with all their weapons.’” 

- Ezekiel 38:1-5 (NLT) 

In the 20th century, this prophecy and others were not so 

alarming as Turkey was ruled by Atatürk and other Islamic 

moderates. But now this verse and others like it are becoming 

more worrisome. Turkey is led by President Erdogan, a hardcore 

Islamist with an appetite for conquest and a vision to 

rebuild the Ottoman Empire (OE). 

The OE was a vast Islamic kingdom that toppled Constantine 

and the Byzantine empire and was the leading nation militarily 

in Eurasia. Many Turks see that period as their glory days 

and would love to see Turkey regain its regional and global 

prominence and the ability to assert their dominance over 

other regional powers. 

Erdogan’s appeal to nationalism has fueled and backstopped 

his regional aggressions. He has repeatedly signaled to his 

Islamic constituency his desire for conquest and his disdain 

for Christianity. Much of this messaging is lost on a Western 

audience because he uses cultural allusions, symbolism, and 

metaphor to hide his true intentions. To long-term Turkey 

watchers, though, his meaning and intent are clear. 

Most worrisome is that he rules Turkey as a dictator for life, 

having removed any threats to his rule via the military, press, 

or judiciary. 

Time will tell if he’s as dangerous as he sounds, but so far, his 

actions very closely match his saber-rattling rhetoric. 

Be warned. Be watchful and be sure to study this month’s 

issue focused on Turkey. 

Jeff King 

President 

International Christian Concern | Persecution.org 



3

Your Dollars at Work 

ICC’S ONGOING INITIATIVES 

Hope House Update 

We have 250 kids enrolled in Hope House! Due to COVID-19, 

many public schools were forced to operate two or three days 

a week. This is detrimental to those already struggling to get kids to 

school instead of the workforce. The economic struggle of Christian 

families reflect religious freedom abuses they face. This trickles down 

to the youngest generations, prompting them to grow up faster. “[Hope 

House] is very useful for my son. My husband died 5 years ago, so it’s 

hard to afford his studying expenses...Shokry reads and writes well, 

thanks to this service that cares about us,” said a mother of a Hope 

House student. 

Generation Transformation 

After decades of working with the persecuted church, we realized 

that the roots of persecution run deeper than we thought. Outside 

of the terrible attacks on buildings and physical harm to our brothers 

and sisters, we realized they were also caught in a trap. Generational 

poverty is caused by educational deficits, job discrimination, and lack 

of access to capital. By design, these factors create a prison that does 

not allow for much change. To break the cycle, we envisioned Hope 

House as a means to provide supplemental education, so that the next 

generation can become more marketable and help their communities 

rise above poverty. We want to restore our persecuted family not only 

economically but also in dignity. 

Bibles and Bikes 

Want to help us start 6,000 churches in India in the coming year? 

Rising Hindu radicalism has left the Christians in India broken 

from all the physical beatings and explosive hatred. We know that, 

despite this, God is making strides in India through our brothers and 

sisters. We want to equip the brave pastors and evangelists we work 

with in India by supporting 1,000 of them with a bike and 100 Bibles 

each. Prayerfully, this will double or even triple their effectiveness in 

witnessing to more of their communities than they would on foot. 

To learn more about how you can support these initiatives, visit www.persecution.org or give us a call at 800-422-5441. 



APRIL 2021

COVID Aid in 

Afghanistan 

Restore: Lives and Communities 

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed communities 

around the world on lockdown. 

In Afghanistan, families that are a part of the 

underground church movement are suffering 

especially during the lockdown. Cut off from 

their normal systems of support because of their 

conversions, the pandemic has further stopped 

them from being able to support themselves. In 

fear of a food shortage, people raced to stock 

up, making the food prices increase by 30-40%. 

ICC partnered with the local church to create 

basic food packages that included wheat flour, 

cooking oil, rice, and other items for the families 

they serve. 

“Our brothers and sisters from the other side 

of the world have shown their love to us in this 

time. Thank you for helping us and standing 

with us in this difficult time,” said a leader of a 

house church that received food packages. 

ICC has now provided food aid to 50 Christian 

Afghan families in need of support due to the 

COVID-19 pandemic. We pray God will renew 

the strength and faith of underground believers 

in this difficult time. 



5

Your Dollars at Work 

Pastor Chen’s Family in Vietnam 


In the early 2000s, the Lord led Pastor Chen of China to serve 

churches in the suburbs and rural areas of Nanning City in the 

Guangxi Province. It’s here that he provided free theological training 

for church leaders and co-laborers in the ministry. 

On May 11, 2020, when he was making copies of the theology course 

materials at a print shop, the local police came and took Pastor Chen 

to his home to conduct a search. The police told Pastor Chen’s wife, 

“Don’t tell others about these things, otherwise, his sentence could be 

harsher.” He was then charged and imprisoned for the illegal printing of 

Christian materials. 

The good news is that Pastor Chen is due to be released from prison 

by the end of the year after a judge lessened his sentence. Though the 

local church raised funds for his lawyer, Chen finds himself in a tough 

financial situation due to his long standing ministry. 

ICC stepped in to lighten some of the financial burdens and encourage 

his family as it will take Pastor Chen some time to get back on his feet 

after getting out of prison. 

“Thank you brothers and sisters for your concern! Thanks be to God 

that our situation is considered stable at the moment,” said Chen’s son. 



APRIL 2021

Sri Lankan Task Force 

ICC has been monitoring growing persecution in Sri Lanka as 

churches and Christians across the country continue to face religious 

freedom violations in varied forms. These range from arson attacks, 

physical or verbal assaults, and destruction of church property to stateimposed 

restrictions that limit Christian activity. 

Over the past several decades, reports have shown certain districts that 

experience higher levels of persecution. Victims in these persecution 

hotbeds are often left feeling alone and hopeless without any support 

amidst very traumatic situations. 

As a result, ICC has created a Task Force that, once an incident occurs, 

Rescue: Wives and Kids 

will assist with reporting and documenting an occurrence and advising 

on legal action. 

Task Force members will receive training, updates, and guidelines on 

how to respond to incidents. These church leaders will then coordinate 

advocacy efforts for victims, communicate details of religious freedom 

incidents, visit affected families, accompany them for police inquiries, 

and coordinate legal aid. 

Romans 12:15 emphasizes the importance of caring for each other in 

vulnerable moments of sorrow. We pray this Task Force will come 

alongside hurting brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka to provide help and 

encouragement. 

Vu A Sua Family in Vietnam 


Due to systemic persecution 

by their government, many 

Hmong Christians in the Northern 

Highland of Vietnam have fled 

their native living areas. The Sua 

family was one of them. 

When local law enforcement 

arrested Vu A Sua they beat him, 

hung him by ropes to the house’s 

beam to force him to give up his 

religious belief. The village elder 

slapped Vu A Sua 6 times and 

blew red pepper smoke into his 

eyes. 

They told the victim that the 

Vietnamese Communist Party 

founder Ho Chí Minh had built 

the nation, including all the 

cropland, and therefore this leader 

deserved to be followed instead 

of Jesus. He refused, so they took 

possession of his property and left 

the family with nothing. 

Vu A Sua called local law 

enforcement for help but officers 

advised him to follow the 

perpetrators’ wish and recant 

his faith. Disappointed, he made 

a claim to a different level of 

government offices for help. 

Yet, no government offices 

showed concern for his situation 

or responded to his claim. 

On top of this, the victims’ 

brothers and cousins who 

disapproved of his being a 

Christian came and took the rest 

of the family’s possessions. 

“Because my relatives took all 

my properties, I could only sell 

a few sacks of rice, gathering 

barely enough money for our 

escape,” Vu A Sua said. 

ICC and our partners have 

provided the family with a small 

lot of farmland on which they 

can grow their own rice and 

have a more sustainable food 

supply. With the Lord’s provision 

through your generous giving, we 

also bought seeds, tractor service, 

and hand tools for them. 

The family is now free from 

worrying about their daily food 

supplies and set to harvest in May 

of 2021. Join us in praying for 

this new start for the Sua family 

and for their continued faith in 

Jesus Christ. 



7

Volunteers 

TESTIMONY: Akshaya James 

After an impactful mission trip to her home country of India, 

Akshaya James came back to the states and began to ask God 

how she could support her persecuted brothers and sisters around the 

world. 

“My spirit became conflicted and disturbed as I encountered the 

realities of other Christ-followers whose lives were in every way more 

complicated than my own privileged life,” James said. 

Her prayers led her to begin a club on her college campus to raise 

awareness about the persecuted church. 

“Nevertheless, the persecuted Church is a strange topic in American 

Church culture because we are not conscientious of what happens 

beyond our own small church homes,” James said. “Even for those 

who do know about the persecuted, it’s difficult to know how to get 

involved in their lives.” 

Will you take the challenge in asking the Lord how He might 

creatively use you in the spaces that He’s placed you in to advocate 

for the persecuted? 

8 




Looking for a Way to Make a Difference in 

the World? Join Our Team of Volunteers! 

Most people hope to make a difference in 

the world, but many are not sure where to 

begin when addressing an issue as daunting 

as religious persecution. However, 

volunteers in every corner of the world 

are making an impact in their own communities, 

whether through prayer, advocacy, 

raising awareness, or administrative 

When many believers think of persecution, 

they think of Stephen, the Church’s 

first martyr. His testimony stands as an 

example of boldness, faith, and perseverance 

to the end. But what about Huma, 

the teenage Christian girl in Pakistan 

who was abducted and forced to marry 

her captor? What about the Algerian 

Church, which is being hounded by the 

authorities and not allowed to gather together 

or worship in their homes? 

help. By raising their voices in their own 

neighborhoods, ICC’s volunteers have 

helped bring unity to the Body of Christ 

by bridging the gap between the Western 

Church and the persecuted. It is up to us 

to make a change, and it starts in our own 

backyard. 

Learn About Your Persecuted Family 

It is important that the Church in the U.S. 

and around the world remembers modern 

persecution, and not just in the big-picture 

theoretical way. Putting faces to the 

issue of persecution makes praying for 

the persecuted come alive. 

However you do it, take the time to learn 

the individual stories of today’s persecuted 

Church. 

How do I get involved during COVID? 

Persecution is an ongoing struggle. We are always searching for willing hearts and 

helping hands to contribute to our work. Whether you are sharing information on your 

social media or signing ICC’s petitions, we are thankful for the time you invest in 

helping our persecuted brothers and sisters. 

Did you know that ICC regularly produces videos that are intended for use at your local 

church? This time of COVID may have us socially distanced but we still lock arms 

with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. We encourage you to check 

out our articles and videos to connect with individual stories of persecution around the 

world. After doing so, please consider sharing it with your church as we learn deep 

spiritual insights from our persecuted brothers and sisters. Bridge the gap between the 

persecuted and the free Church by praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ, while 

also mobilizing other believers to pray. You can find videos on our YouTube channel or 

by subscribing to our weekly emails. 

No matter where you are in life, if you have the heart to serve the persecuted Church, 

we can find a place for you! Please contact ICC’s Volunteer Coordinator at 

volunteer@persecution.org. 

1 Advocacy 

Fight for justice for the persecuted 

through petitions, congressional calls, 

and more. 

2 Awareness 

Raise your voice by speaking in 

churches, writing, and social media. 

3 Office 

Lighten the load of our staff by helping 

with administrative assignments. 

4 Prayer 

Intercede for our brothers and sisters 

in Christ, both individually and as a 

church. 

5 Special Projects 

Volunteer on your own schedule through 

one-time projects. 

Apply online at: 

www.persecution.org/take-action/volunteer/ 

Email: 

volunteer@persecution.org 

Call: 

(301) 329-6964 for more information 



9 

9








As Turkey achieves 

unprecedented 

regional power, 

Christians fear a 

second genocide. 

By Claire Evans 

Rewrite the story. Forget the history. 

Silence yesterday’s memory, 

and the present is lost. This is 

the tragedy of Turkey, and the 

experience of Christians living within its 

grasp. It is an experience of genocide, 

forced population exchanges, and pogroms. 

It is in short, an experience of religious 

persecution perpetuated throughout the past 

century, with no end in sight. 

As the geographical bridge between 

Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Turkey’s 

history has never been anything less than 

complicated. 

It was the birthplace of the New Testament 

church and the seat of the Byzantine 

Christian Empire. Later, it was the 

birthplace of the Ottoman Islamic Empire. 

Then it became the birthplace of secular 

Kemalism. 

The price of each transition was blood and 

violence, with every religious minority 

paying the price. Since the early 1900s, the 

price for Christians has been particularly 

high: Christianity was nearly eliminated, 

with survivors struggling to maintain their 

existence ever since. 

The Armenian Genocide 

Armenia is the oldest Christian nation in 

the world, but has suffered devastating 

violence at the hands of Turkey and other 

neighboring Muslim nations for over a 

century. The Armenians were the first nation 

to adopt Christianity in 301 AD. They lived 

in the Armenian highlands for centuries, 

leading up to 1915. In 1915, Turkey (the 

Ottoman Empire) slaughtered over one 

million Armenian Christians in what is now 

known as the Armenian genocide. 

That became the first genocide of the last century, where 

over 1.5 million Armenians were killed, starved, raped, 

and put on death marches in the Syrian desert. The 

aftermath was a complete dispersion of the Armenian 

people, all over the world. 

Unfortunately, the hatred that led to the 1915 massacre 

lives on in the 21st century. 

“Turkishness” 

The idea of “Turkishness” was institutionalized as the 

failing Ottoman Empire was replaced by the secular 

Kemalist government following World War I. Secular 

ABOVE: Turkey 

celebrates the life of 

Ataturk, the founder 

of modern Turkey and 

secular Kemalism, as well 

as a key figure in the 1915 

genocide of Christians. 

OPPOSITE: Hagia 

Sophia, once a grand 

cathedral and center for 

Eastern Christianity, was 

transformed into a mosque 

last year by the Turkish 

authorities. 



11

This city once had a significant 

Greek Christian presence, but 

because of the Turkish genocide, 

Christianity is now hard to find. 








Kemalism essentially hides Islam behind the Turkish 

ethnicity. During WWI, the Ottoman Empire fought and 

lost against Christian European countries. Since then, the 

government has protected Turkishness above all else. Any 

other ethnicity became devalued. Christianity was viewed 

as a foreign threat. As WWI ended, Turks retaliated with 

genocide against the ethnic Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek 

Christians who were living within their borders. Up to that 

point, these three ethnic groups were the church in Turkey. 

Millions of Christians died during the genocide, and the 

church nearly ceased to exist. 

As one Turk explained, “We fought against lots of countries 

and some bishops blessed the enemies of the Turks. That’s 

why people started to hate Christianity.” 

His observation is also confirmed by Turkey’s President 

Erdoğan, who said that it “was the most reasonable action 

that could be taken in such a period.” Turkey maintains that 

the genocide was an action of self-defense, not genocide, 

and has devoted multiple resources in promoting this 

viewpoint. 

Internationally, however, the genocide is recognized as 

a proven historical fact. Nevertheless, such widespread 

international recognition has failed to translate into 

preventing new genocides by Turkey across multiple 

countries and regions. 

History Bleeds 

As Turkey has proven, bullying the memory of genocide 

into silence means that the present is lost to anyone who does 

not fit their definition of Turkish. As one Greek Christian 

observed, “the main challenge of the remaining Christians 

in Turkey is simply to survive, physically, religiously, and 

culturally… The genocide process continues in 

one way or another. (The Turkish State’s) aim 

is to completely and irrevocably Islamize and 

Turkify the Turkish society and landscape.” 

History bleeds into the present, and the present 

is suffocating Christianity wherever Turkey 

exists. And today in 2021, Turkey exists 

everywhere and has achieved a global reach 

unparalleled during the past century. As 

you will learn more, Christians continue 

to suffer at the hands of Turkey today. 

The sentiment behind the genocide has 

never left Turkey. 







13




As Erdogan extends his reach and influences to nearby countries, 

many fear the spread of his anti-Christian narrative. This map is a 

partial list of countries where ICC knows Turkey is either exporting 

persecution or violating religious freedom. 

TURKEY’S INFLUENCE 

Albania 

Armenia 

Artsakh/Nagorno- 

Karabakh 

Azerbaijan 

China 

Cyprus and North Cyprus 

Egypt 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Iran 

Iraq 

Lebanon 

Libya 

Niger 

Nigeria 

Pakistan 

Qatar 

Somalia 

Sudan 

Syria 

Turkmenistan 

Ukraine 

The United States 



15

Erdoğan is happy to attack 

Christians in neighboring 

countries. Jihad is his love 

and regional supremacy is 

his goal. 


It’s on a schedule. Every autumn, Turkey 

either launches an invasion into Syria or 

increases their military activities. Syria 

was once the homeland of many Assyrian and 

Armenian Christians, but now few remain. 

For those who have chosen to stay, Turkey’s 

activities bring fresh pain. 

Today, Turkey has been making strategic 

military moves in Syria, Iraq, Artsakh 

and other locations, specifically targeting 

Christians in order to destroy their lives, their 

homes, and their chance at rehabilitation. 

Invading Syria with Terrorists 

Last year, something was different in Syria. 

Chatter filled the ranks of the terrorists hired 

by Turkey that they would soon be sent to 

Artsakh, a territory claimed by Azerbaijan but 

historically inhabited by Armenian Christians. 

Turkey made it clear that this upcoming 

invasion was for religious reasons. “Because it 

is part of the Jihad; it is a holy war of Muslims 

against Christians,” explained one Syrian 

terrorist to the media. 

One Syrian Armenian woman who stayed 

shared, “I was taught [about] what happened 

to my ancestors, what they have been facing. 

This made me hold onto my Christian faith. 

They lost their lives for not accepting to give 

up on Christianity for the sake of Islam. This 

made me hold on more because their blood 

should not go to waste. I always think of the 

strength of faith they had and I wish I could 

reach that faith level.” 

She watched as Turkey terrorized Syria and 

recruited from the ranks of terrorists such 

as ISIS. As she reflected on the repetition of 

history, she shared, “The Turkish government 

was and still is pretending secularism-one 

of the Ottomans faces-with their expanding 

greed. The previously mentioned is still 

occupying parts of nearby countries and is 

seeking for more,” she adds. 

Thousands of Syrian terrorists flooded into 

Artsakh. The local Armenian community stood 

no chance as these mercenaries joined Turkey 

and Azerbaijan in capturing large swaths 

of territory, displacing tens of thousands. 

Artsakh’s Armenians stood no chance. 

Today, the damage is profound. Relatives 

remain missing, presumed captured or dead. 

Homes and Christian sites are completely 

destroyed. Some of the displaced are trying 

to return home if their city escaped capture by 

Azerbaijan, but the obstacles of successfully 

returning are substantial. 




History Repeats Itself 

Unfortunately, it is a story of repeated genocide that 

was freshly experienced by Iraq’s Assyrian Christian 

community. The genocide of ISIS from 2014-2017 

displaced them from home, leaving behind destruction 

that will take years to rebuild. But while this ISIS 

genocide was ongoing, Turkey began quietly establishing 

themselves in Northern Iraq. 

Today, Turkey is regularly conducting airstrikes against 

Assyrian Christian villages, displacing them yet again. 

“Over [its] history, Turkey expanded... through invading 

areas, making people living uncomfortably for a long 

time, [until] part of the community leaves,” said one 

Christian from a targeted area. 

Another explained, “Our family were victims of 

genocide against Assyrian Christians under the Ottoman 

government. Still, we suffer because of Turkish attacks… 

[We are afraid of] Turkish forces because they bring with 

them Muslim radical fighters like Mohammed’s force. 

These militias are so radical and their ideology is same 

as ISIS.” 

Syria, Iraq, and Artsakh are but a handful of countries 

where Turkey is pursuing expansionism, with Christians 

being specifically targeted. President Erdoğan has made it 

clear that he desires the recreation of the Ottoman Empire, 

and is expanding Turkey’s influence in those countries 

once under Ottoman control. Meanwhile anyone who 

speaks of the historic genocide does so at the risk of 

harassment or even imprisonment. 

Silencing these voices gives strength to Turkey’s current 

activities. It ensures that the genocide can continue, but 

this time on a global scale. 

Far Left: Azerbaijan and Turkey launched a joint 

military operation against Artsakh’s Armenian 

Christians, using terrorist mercenaries from Syria. 

Top: Turkey provided advice, coordination, and 

mercenaries to Azerbaijan, to annihilate Armenian 

Christians living in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). 

Middle: An Armenian civilian is captured and 

beaten by invading Turkish-Azeri forces. 

Bottom: This base on the Iraq-Turkish border is 

used to coordinate airstrikes against Christian 

villages in Iraq. 



17

LIFE IN AMERICA: 

DESCENDANTS OF THE 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 

Lucy and Anahit grew up listening to stories from 

family members about the genocide, but now they 

are faced with it happening again today. 

For descendants of the Armenian genocide living 

in America today, the heart-aching reality of 

their history is something they never want to 

experience first-hand. As Turkey and Azerbaijan 

continue to spread their ideology throughout the region 

and the world, anti-Armenian rhetoric and hate crimes 

are spilling over onto U.S. soil. 

Many displaced Armenians came to America to seek 

refuge and find safety under the blanket of religious 

freedom. Now, the stories Armenians grew up listening 

to from their grandparents are being replayed in real-time 

in front of their eyes. 

Death March 

Lucy is one of those who grew up listening to these 

stories from her grandfather. 

Lucy was born in Soviet Armenia. Her paternal 

grandparents were on a death march in the early 1920s. 

“It’s kind of funny because anytime you ask an Armenian 

where they are from, regardless of whether we were born 

in Massachusetts, if we were born in Fresno, California… 

when you ask that question, what you are really asking is 

‘Where were your grandparents from?’ We never really 

stopped looking for our families because, in 1915, there 

was a systematic effort on the part of the Ottoman Empire 

to exterminate Armenians,” said Lucy. 

Trickle-Down Intolerance 

Today, Turkey continues to deny the history of the 

Armenian genocide. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is 

power-hungry and does not tolerate anyone who creates 

opposition to his viewpoint within Turkey and beyond its 

borders. 

“For example, when Erdoğan was visiting Washington, 

D.C. a couple of years ago, there were individuals who 

were protesting his visit. Erdogan’s bodyguards beat up 

these individuals. When they returned to Turkey, they 

were celebrated.” 

Erdoğan seemingly wants to build Turkey to the power 

of the Ottoman Empire, a superiority complex that has 

infiltrated its way throughout the world… into our own 

backyards. 








Anahit meets with a 108-year-old Assyrian Turkish genocide survivor. 

19

2020, not 1920,” said Lucy. “When you had a red cross on your door 

when you were 10- or 11-years-old when you first saw that, you are 

now seeing it as a 40- or 50-year old. That’s a little bit hard to imagine 

because you’re now being attacked on peaceful soil in a country that 

accepts and celebrates diversity.” 

Many Armenians from Sumgait ended up immigrating to the United 

States, and a fairly large population of Armenians escaped those 

pilgrims in San Francisco. 

“In a country that was built upon one’s ability to practice its religion, 

that is being challenged by something that is 7,000 miles away. But, 

is it? Is it 7,000 miles away if it’s happening to you in your own city?” 

Lucy adds. “How does that feel if you are living in what you think is a 

modern, western society and hate crimes are happening around you? 

You are now having these feelings of what your grandparents had 

shared with you as a grandchild of genocide survivors. What does that 

say about your sense of security, about your sense of freedom, about 

your sense to identify yourself as who you are—a Christian and an 

Armenian—when all you know is what your grandparents had told 

you is that your family was persecuted because they were Armenian 

Christians.” 

On U.S. Soil 

The first skirmishes of the conflict in Artsakh happened on July 12th, 

2020. Just 12 days later, in San Francisco, an elementary school located 

inside a church was attacked. Over the course of the next several 

months, numerous attacks targeting Armenian Americans occurred. 

In the first incident, vandals spray-painted “Azerbaijan” in the colors 

of the Azerbaijani flag on the property of an Armenian elementary 

school. Families coming into the school the following morning were 

confronted by the vandalism. 

On September 17th, the Armenian church in San Francisco was set 

ablaze. At this time, the same elementary school was fired upon by a 

gunman. 

False Security 

Last year, red cross markings appeared on the front doors of Armenian 

households, a tactic used during the anti-Armenian pilgrimage in 

Sumgait. In 1988, a red cross on your door indicated that the inhabitants 

would soon be killed. 

“These weren’t isolated, and they weren’t separate. This happened in 

A Descendant of Two Genocides 

Anahit’s mother and father are Assyrian and Armenian, both groups 

of people subjected to genocide at the end of the 19th century and 

during World War I. 

“My grandfather used to live in a village in Iran called Khosrova 

(Husrava), where I get my last name. During World War I, Ottomans 

were just entering those villages because of the genocide of the 

Christian population (Ottoman Christians). In Iran, we used to 

have 70,000 Assyrians who were subjected to genocide, also by the 

Ottomans. My grandfather’s family was one of those families. He 

lost a lot of members, such as his older brother and his father,” said 

Anahit. 

According to documents in the Armenian National Archive, on 

January 2-3, 15,000 refugees came from that Iranian territory, 

escaping the Ottoman genocide. Anahit’s grandfather was one of 

them. 

“There are so many sad stories, so many sad stories. And being the 

kid, sometimes you don’t even realize and maybe it becomes boring 

when you hear those stories. But you grow up and you see, especially 

now, history repeats itself.” 

As history repeats itself on U.S. soil, it is imperative that Americans 

stand beside Armenian believers to create a safe community. By 

loving each other as Christ loved the church, may we alleviate a 

century-old burden of bloodshed and replace it with a future of hope 

for all nations and tribes. 




Far Left: Lucy at Dadivank, 

an Armenian monastery, which 

was handed over to the Azeris in 

November 2020. 

Photos couresty of Lucy Varpetian and Anahit Khosroeva 

Top Left: As a genocide 

scholar, Anahit meets eye 

witnesses of the genocide. 

Her last meeting was with a 

108-year-old Assyrian lady who 

survived the Turkish genocide. 

Top Right: Anahit in her office 

in Armenia. 

Left: Photo from the Armenian 

National Archive listing the 

names of the Assyrian refugees 

who escaped Turksih Massacres 

and got to Armenia in January 

of 1915, including Anahit’s 

grandfather. 



21

The Armenian Genocide 

Memorial was built in 

1967 in commemoration 

of the victims of the 1915 

genocide. The memorial, 

located on the hill of 

Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan, 

Armenia, is composed 

of 12 slabs in a circle 

surrounding the eternal 

flame, representing the 

twelve lost provinces in 

present-day Turkey. 

Photo: Amir Kh 






23

THE GENOCIDE’S 

ECHO 

Three individuals describe how constant 

persecution has impacted their lives 


A priest prays in a cave, wishing his kidnapped 

parents will return home. A woman survives 

a blast flattening her city, but finds herself a 

prisoner of war. A scholar spends his days in 

jail, simply for speaking about historical truths. 

Did they have the misfortune of surviving? 

As Turkey expands its anti-Christian 

sentiments into other regions, Christians from 

diverse backgrounds are being impacted by the 

invasions. 

Or is the resilience that helps them survive 

these difficulties the same resilience that 

brings hope for a thriving future? 

Mourning the Unknown: An Assyrian Priest 

An Assyrian priest, Father Ramzi, travels 

throughout Turkey and brings hope to his 

congregation, several of whom were displaced 

by ISIS. Last year while on the road, his 

parents, Hurmuz and Simoni, were kidnapped. 

A brief official investigation revealed nothing. 

“Life became so hard for my family,” he said. 

He prayed in cave churches around the hillside, 

his face buried in Scripture as he cried for their 

safe return home. “I still have faith in God. I 

can’t blame God because it is not the work of 

God. It is the work of the sons of evil.” 

A few months pass. His brother discovers 

their mother floating dead in a nearby river. 

The investigation reveals nothing. His family 

searches on their own, eventually discovering 

some of their father’s personal items. Is he 

alive, is he dead? Why aren’t the authorities 

helping? 

No answers, just deadening silence. Turkey 

had turned its back on Father Ramzi’s pleas 

for justice and for answers. 

“How in one year [do they not] know who 

killed my parents?” he asks. “We don’t feel 

safe in our village, in our country. No one 

cares about us.” Though his parents are gone 

and his family is struggling, he must travel 

again to help tend the church. He has a flock to 

shepherd, but asks God constantly, “How can 

I forgive if no one says sorry or confesses?” 

Trapped by Genocide: An Armenian Prisoner 

Genocide doesn’t observe boundaries. In 

1915, genocide forced Armenian Christians 

to flee the area that is now Turkey and resettle 

in Lebanon, where they formed a community. 

Today they are under increasing pressure from 

Turkey and terrible local governance. Meral, 

a middle-aged Armenian woman, dreamed of 

a good future. Just days prior to emigrating 

to Artsakh, an explosion flattened much of 

Beirut. It confirmed her belief there is no 

future for Armenians in Lebanon. 

The future looked bright as she made plans 

to open a Lebanese Restaurant in Artsakh. 

But soon war came. Azerbaijan, backed by 






Father Ramzi weeps as he prays over 

Scripture for his parents’ safe return. 

25




Turkey, invaded and again pursued genocide. 

Armenian Christians were under threat. Meral 

became a refugee, abandoning her belongings. 

However, winter was coming. She needed her 

clothes and supplies. Meral traveled back to 

Artsakh, but never returned. Her sister shared, 

“Meral would never go off without telling me. 

She would have told me where she was.” 

Her sister contacted everyone, finally 

discovering on Christmas Eve that Meral was 

held prisoner by Azerbaijan. “I don’t know 

how this will end. The European Court says it 

has no right to interfere… It can only confirm 

that Meral is in Baku. We are waiting for 

nothing else. We are tired of waiting.” 

Every day, evidence grows of Azerbaijan’s 

mistreatment of prisoners of war: beatings, 

body mutilations, executions, etc. 

But as of this writing in February, there is still 

no word of Meral. What is she experiencing, 

and will she ever be reunited with her family? 

Counting Time: A Greek Scholar 

“I was not anxious when I was detained, and 

I am still not. But it is a strange thing not to 

see the face of justice.” Two years have passed 

since Osman Kavala penned these words from 

a Turkish prison. More recently, he shared, 

“the passing of time does not normalize the 

gravity of this unlawful practice, which by 

itself has become a parallel punitive action; it 

only exacerbates it. Every single day I spend 

deprived of my freedom brings a far greater 

loss for me.” 

Kavala’s family were farmers from Greece 

who were forcibly relocated to Turkey as 

part of the 1923 population exchange. This 

exchange removed ethnic Muslim Turks and 

Greek Christians, resettling them in their 

new respective countries. The scars of this 

exchange is felt among both communities. 

Reconciliation and speaking the truth about 

the genocide became a cornerstone of Kavala’s 

life’s work. Now, he is incarcerated for it. 

Over 1,000 days have passed since his 

imprisonment. International bodies urged 

Turkey to release Kavala, with no success. 

“The measures taken against him pursued 

an ulterior purpose, namely to reduce him to 

silence as an NGO activist and human-rights 

defender, to dissuade other persons from 

engaging in such activities and to paralyze 

civil society in the country,” said the European 

Court of Human Rights. 

Perseverance Despite Persecution 

The priest, the prisoner, and the scholar 

have joined their ancestors in facing difficult 

circumstances. But their determination 

to prevail and to live remains undeterred. 

Persecution continues in a seemingly endless 

cycle, but so also does resilience. 

Far Top Left: Meral Najarian was 

captured by Azerbaijan simply because 

she wanted warm clothes. 

Far Top Right: Hurmuz and Simoni Diril 

were kidnapped by terrorists last year. 

Simoni was later found dead. There is no 

word about Hurmuz. 

Far Bottom: Meral survived the Beirut 

blast only to become a prisoner of war 

illegally held by Azerbaijan. 

Top Left: Kavala’s wife has also been 

targeted with hate speech by Turkey’s 

President. 

Top Right: Osman Kavala has been 

imprisoned for over 1,000 days simply for 

speaking the truth about the genocide. 



27

AN ALLIANCE FOR 

As an ally of Turkey through NATO, the United States is in an 

ideal position to curb Turkey’s aggressions against Christians. 

But will it act soon enough? 

By Andrew Crane 

As you have read, Turkey’s 

government poses a serious threat to 

Christians. Not only has it attempted 

to stamp out Christianity from within 

its borders, but Erdogan’s greater vision for a 

recreation of the Turkish empire at the expense 

of Christians expands beyond its borders. 

The current Turkish regime stands as a major 

obstacle that Western Christians must address 

if they are to preserve Christianity in the land 

where Jesus’ first followers once walked. 

The question now becomes, what can we do 

about it? 

The United States has always served as 

a defender of human rights and is deeply 

committed to promoting international 

religious freedom. As a global superpower, 

the U.S. also is positioned in such a way that 

it is actually able to promote these values and 

influence human rights abusers better than any 

other in the world. 

ICC’s advocacy department leverages the 

U.S.’s influence to affect change in countries 

with high levels of persecution. When a 

member of Congress, the Administration, or 

even an American NGO like ICC calls out a 

country for violating religious freedom, the 

abusive government often listens. 

For Turkey, this influence is actually enhanced. 

Turkey is an ally to the United States and a 

fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty 








Organization (NATO). NATO is a collective 

defense alliance, meaning that its members 

are committed to defending one another in the 

event that one member is attacked, codified in 

Article 5 of its charter. 

For example, the only time Article 5 has been 

invoked in history was by President George 

W. Bush, following the attacks on September 

11th, 2001. In response, America’s NATO 

allies, consisting of Canada, a large portion of 

Europe, and of course Turkey, contributed to 

the coalition that led the counterattack against 

Al-Qaeda forces. 

Outside of Article 5, NATO members also 

continually trade military equipment and 

conduct joint military exercises. NATO 

members even share intelligence with each 

other, the downsides of which were revealed 

last year when U.S. drone footage was 

reportedly used by Turkish forces to bomb 

Christian villages in northern Iraq. 

Due to the nature of the NATO structure, 

the United States can use this alliance to 

its advantage by asserting that it would not 

commit military assistance to Turkey if it 

decides to call on NATO allies to do so. This 

would emphasize to the world that the United 

States would not send American troops to fight 

for a country that has continually demonstrated 

its disregard for human rights and religious 

freedom. 

Advocacy like this starts from the ground up: 

as more Americans express their outrage over 

the treatment of Christians in the Middle East, 

members of Congress will pay attention and 

begin to make real policy changes that can 

stop Turkey’s transgressions. In this way, 

Americans have the ability to help Christians 

being suffocated by Erdogan’s government, 

simply by contacting their representative and 

senators to tell them about these issues and the 

suffering Christians there. 

Together, Americans have the ability to be a 

voice for the voiceless and protect Christianity 

in its homeland. One tangible way that you 

can help Armenian believers is by signing our 

petition to bring justice to abused Armenian 

prisoners of war (POWs). These POWs have 

been captured and held hostage by Azerbaijan, 

a Muslim-majority country, with the help of 

Turkey. 

You can learn more about this situation and 

sign the petition at www.persecution.org/takeaction/petition-armenian-soldiers 

Above: Senator Bob Mendez (D-NJ) 

speaking on the Senate floor about U.S. 

policy towards Turkey. 

Left: American soldiers conducting a 

rehearsal with Turkish troops as part of a 

NATO military exercise in Turkey. 



29

Hope for the Present 

“Behold, the nations are like a drop 

from a bucket, and are regarded 

as a speck of dust on the scales; 

Behold, He lifts up the islands like 

fine dust.” Isaish 40:15 

SOVEREIGN AMONG THE NATIONS 

God has a habit of reminding his people that he is in charge. All the 

nations are at the mercy of his will. 

Throughout the book of Isaiah, God reminds his people not to fear man 

or the nations that attack them. There is nothing that goes beyond God’s 

grasp. 

When you have a heart for the persecuted church, you will see a lot of 

despair and destruction. When you have a heart for the persecuted 

church, you will experience a lot of despair and destruction. The 

problem of pain is a common experience and leads to the question, 

“How could God allow something so terrible to happen?” But we 

have seen that in the midst of pain and suffering and terrible 

persecution, God’s glory is on full display. 

Decades ago, the Ayatollahs took control of Iran and said they 

would build the greatest Islamic state on earth and bring Islam to 

the world. Forty years later, a large portion of Iran despises Islam. 

The Gospel is eating away at the nation bit by bit. 

The nations are ultimately subject to God’s will, and there will 

come a day where all nations will sing his praise. In Isaiah, the 

prophet says that God is the stability of our times. If this is true 

in Isaiah’s day, it still rings true today. 

When we look at the world’s idols, a national strength and power 

is a prized possession. Mighty nations can impose their will and 

ideology temporarily, but the Kingdom of God is far greater. 

You can take heart and have hope that no matter how scary the 

future is or how painful the present is, God will win in the end. 

The Church has always had a gun at its back and a knife at its 

throat, and yet the gospel continues to spread. 

Two thousand years ago, God released a trickle of water that 

flowed down to earth. He told us this trickle would become a great 

river and fill the whole earth. That river brings life and healing 

to whatever it touches. If its waters have flowed into your heart 

then you testify to its power and ability to bring life and peace 

to the soul. 

Stand back and consider the power of this river multiplied by 

billions. That river continues to spread across the globe. Momentum 

will swing back and forth between the two kingdoms at war, 

but the trajectory and outcome of the war are clear: a new and 

promised day is coming. And there is nothing that man or nation 

can do to stand in the way of God’s will and coming coronation 

as the King of this weary and war torn world. 

Take some time to reflect on your perspective of government and 

ruling authority. Ask yourself these questions as a guide: 

1. In what ways am I placing my faith in my country? 

2. How have I seen God’s sovereignty triumph? 

3. What is your understanding of God’s sovereignty? 

4. How can God’s sovereignty bring you comfort today? 




The Power of Petition 

ICC’s latest petition seeks to bring justice to POWs. 

Petitions serve as a formal request, 

garnering the attention of some of the 

most powerful. They foster legitimacy by 

demonstrating public support for a cause 

and put pressure on leaders to address the 

issue brought to them. Petitions can cast a 

ray of hope when as individuals, we may 

feel helpless to fix the situation. 

International Christian Concern (ICC) 

believes in the power of petition. We 

have seen an increase in awareness and 

action around the world with petitions 

that we have launched. Last year, our 

#BringBackHuma campaign garnered 

international support and opened up a 

conversation on a broader scale about 

forced marriages and conversion among 

teenage girls in Pakistan. 

This year, ICC is targeting Azerbaijan 

and Turkey. It is currently unknown 

how many young Armenian men are 

suffering in Azerbaijan’s Prisoner of War 

(POW) camps, but there is mounting 

evidence that these Armenian POWs are 

being abused while in captivity, in direct 

violation of international law. 

Armenia is the oldest Christian nation in 

the world but has suffered devastating 

violence at the hands of Turkey and other 

neighboring Muslim nations for over a 

century. In 1915, Turkey (the Ottoman 

Empire) slaughtered over one million 

Armenian Christians in what is now 

known as the Armenian genocide. 

Unfortunately, the hatred that led to 

the 1915 massacre lives on in the 21st 

century. Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority 

country, is holding a large number of 

Armenian Christian soldiers in captivity 

with the help of Turkey after the recent 

war over Nagorno-Karabakh (Armenian: 

Artsakh). 

ICC is calling on the European Court of 

Human rights to investigate these cases, 

bringing the Azeri soldiers who have 

abused prisoners to justice, and demand 

the Azeri government disclose the 

identities of its Armenian POWs. 

Help rescue these Armenians. Sign the 

petition to call on the European Court of 

Human Rights to investigate Azerbaijan’s 

treatment of its POWs and release their 

identities. For more information and to 

sign the petition, visit: www.persecution. 

org/take-action/petition-armeniansoldiers. 

A P R I L 

WEEKLY 

PRAYERS 

Take one week this month to pray 

for the persecuted. 

MONDAY 

Pray for action from other countries 

and organizations to hold Turkey 

and Azerbaijan accountable for their 

actions. 

TUESDAY 

Pray for Armenians living in the United 

States who are facing Anti-Armenian 

Hate Crimes, specifically in California. 

WEDNESDAY 

Pray for Armenian Christians facing 

persecution from Azerbaijan and 

Turkey. 

THURSDAY 

Pray for the families of Armenian 

POWs who do not know where their 

loved ones are or if they are safe. 

FRIDAY 

Pray for the children in the disputed 

territories who are subject to war, 

violence, and displacement. 

SATURDAY 

Pray for the families of all of the 

Armenian soldiers killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh 

(Armenian: Artsakh) 

war this past year. 

SUNDAY 

Pray for healing for the Armenians 

experiencing generational trauma 

from the genocide a century ago. 

To download our monthly prayer 

calendar, visit 

www.persecution.org/ 

take-action/prayer-calendar. 



31

You Can Help Today! 







SEND DONATIONS TO: 

ICC 

PO BOX 8056 

SILVER SPRING, MD 20907 

OR ONLINE AT 

WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG 

OR BY PHONE 

800-ICC-5441 

GIVING TO ICC VIA 

YOUR WILL 

The ruins of Ephesus in Turkey, where Paul once 

preached to a blossoming church now facing 

suffocation. 

Provide now for a future gift to ICC 

by including a bequest provision in 

your will or revocable trust. If you 

would like more information on giving 

to ICC in this way, please give 

us a call at 1-800-ICC-5441. 

MEMBER 

International Christian Concern (ICC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) (all donations tax-deductible). 

ICC makes every effort to honor donor wishes in regards to gifts. Occasionally, situations 

arise where a project is no longer viable. ICC will then redirect those donated funds to the 

fund most similar to the donor’s original wishes. 

© Copyright 2020 ICC, Washington, D.C., USA. 

All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce all 

or part of this publication is granted provided 

attribution is given to ICC as the source. 

facebook.com/ 

persecuted 

instagram.com/ 

internationalchristianconcern 

@persecutionnews

April 2021 Persecution Magazine

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?