August 2021 Persecution Magazine

WWW.PERSECUTION.ORG 

AUGUST 2021 

INSIDE 

ARTSAKH 

The once-bright 

dreams of Artsakh‘s 

residents are 

diminished by the 

reality of war. 

PERSECU ION.ORG 

INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN 




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 team are making an 

impact in their communities for the persecuted. 

10 | Hope for the Present 

Find hope and victory in the messages of the persecuted. 

12 | Armenia: Genocide in Plain Sight 

Why care about such a small regional conflict? 

16 | The Impossible Journey 

ICC’s team is granted rare access to Artsakh. 

20 | Wolves Unleashed 

Turkey has emerged as a regional superpower by committing 

genocide against Christians. 

24 | Through Their Eyes 

Men, women, and children share their experiences and 

perspectives on how the Artsakh conflict has impacted them. 

28 | Noah’s People 

New life is blossoming in Artsakh despite all of the challenges 

following displacement. 

30 | A People of Destiny 

The first Christian nation faces a new Islamic invasion. 

16 

20 28 

2 PERSECU ION.ORG 



“ Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who 

made us, and we are his; we are his people, and 

the sheep of his pasture.” 

Jeff King, President 

International Christian Concern 

- Psalm 100:3 

Dear friend, 

When my team left for Armenia, we had no idea if they would get into Artsakh. However, 

we knew that our brothers and sisters had been targeted and desperately needed help. 

They needed help despite the fact that most people had no idea where Artsakh was. They had 

no idea that ISIS fighters had been unleashed like wolves into a sheep pen. They hadn’t seen 

the videos of unmasked ISIS militants and Turkish fighters proudly beheading Christians. 

After arriving in Armenia’s capital, our team finally received the green light to attempt to 

cross through the Russian military peacekeepers into Artsakh. Everyone in the US told us it 

would be impossible to get into Artsakh. 

Yet, one by one, we passed through all 12 checkpoints! Each one we passed caused nervous 

and incredulous glances to go back and forth until we finally arrived at ground zero of the 

conflict. The victims we met there, whom you are about to read about, broke our hearts. 

But the lead-up to the war, the beheadings, and other heinous methods used during the war, 

confirmed our worst suspicions. That is that President Erdogan of Turkey was the hidden 

culprit in the war. His hatred of Christianity led him to conspire with Azerbaijan to crush the 

tiny territory of Artsakh precisely because they are Christian. 

Erdogan is a complex and dangerous character whose fondest desire is to see the rebirth 

of the Islamic Ottoman Empire that ruled his region from Turkey for almost 500 years. 

That same empire murdered over 1 million Christians in Armenia last century in one of 

the world’s worst genocides. Making matters worse, he sees himself as chosen by Allah to 

rebuild it and to subjugate his region to Islam. The Ottoman Empire’s hatred of Christianity 

lives on, and we fear that Erdogan hopes to finish the job they never finished. 

. 

Jeff King 

President: International Christian Concern | Persecution.org 

Author: Islam Uncensored and The Last Words of the Martyrs 

Podcast Host: Into The Deep 



3

Your Dollars at Work 

ICC’S ONGOING INITIATIVES 

COVID-19 Crisis Fund 

Earlier this year, ICC launched an initiative to bring relief to 

persecuted Christian communities affected by the deadly second 

wave of COVID-19 sweeping across India. Since then, we have 

brought food aid to many pastors and church planters across the nation. 

One recipient expressed, “When there was no other option for us, God 

opened a way through generous givers who opened their hands and 

hearts and helped. We extend our thanks to those who graciously gave, 

and we pray that God would bless them to be a blessing to many more. 

Thank you.” 

Bibles and Bikes 

Over the past few years, ICC has equipped evangelists throughout 

rural India with the tools necessary to further their Gospel outreach 

efforts. By providing them with Bibles to distribute and bicycles to 

transport them from village to village, their effectiveness increases 

dramatically. One pastor shared, “I am ministering for the Lord and 

doing outreach ministry, sharing the Gospel with those who are eager to 

[listen]… I could not visit all the house churches in a week because they 

are scattered and afar. Therefore, I had to hire a bicycle for outreach 

ministries. But now I am happy that I have my own bicycle. I thank and 

praise God for answering my prayers for [a] new bicycle.” 

Generation Transformation 

As part of ICC’s ongoing efforts to tackle the root causes of 

persecution, namely educational deficits, job discrimination, and 

a lack of access to capital, we launched the Generation Transformation 

initiative. Through this program, we will pick one community, and 

pour in our resources to break the chains of generational poverty. To do 

so, we are providing promising and driven members of the Christian 

community with scholarships, vocational training, and small business 

grants. These transformative tools will breathe life back into the 

community and empower the next generation of believers. 

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




Soap-Making Business for Kenyan Pastor 

Messengers: Underground Workers 

In coastal Kenya, Antony serves as a pastor of a local church. He is 

also an active evangelist with a passion for reaching Muslims in his 

community with the Gospel. Two years ago, he began making soap as 

a means of income as well as a tool for ministry. 

He organizes training sessions in which he teaches local women how 

to make their own soap to sell and earn an income. During these trainings, 

he presents the Gospel to the women in the group. He uses the 

analogy of washing with soap to represent the way that Jesus washed 

away our sins. When he is working with Christian women, he also 

gives them advice on how to reach out to their Muslim peers. 

Additionally, Antony uses some of the profit from his business to 

assist poor Muslim families in his community. In turn, this creates 

more opportunities to share the love of Jesus. 

In order to support Antony’s unique and effective ministry, we 

purchased more raw soap-making materials for him, including labels, 

chemicals, packaging materials, gloves, and more. We also helped him 

renovate the space in his home that he uses to conduct his business to 

better suit his needs. Lastly, we bought him several Swahili Bibles to 

aid him in his evangelism and discipleship. 

Antony expressed, “When you visited me, I thought you only came 

to encourage me with prayer, but little did I know that you wanted to 

help me. By this, I am truly encouraged by your humility and honesty. 

My family and church are also amazed at how you went out of your 

way to put together a project to assist my small manufacturing business… 

My prayer for all of the groups is that they will not only learn 

how to make soap, but also how to win souls for Christ through the 

Gospel message of salvation.” 



5

Your Dollars at Work 

Support for Grieving Teenage 

Converts in Uganda 

Rescue: Wives and Kids 

Last year, a man named Yusuf was ambushed and beaten by a group 

of Muslims in Uganda for converting to Christianity. While he 

was injured, his Muslim wife divorced him, taking two of their young 

children with her and leaving their two teenage children behind who 

had also put their faith in Christ. Two days after the attack, Yusuf succumbed 

to his injuries. 

ICC connected with a local pastor to bring aid to the older children 

in the midst of their grief. We helped provide them with rent, food, 

clothing, and transportation to and from the courthouse where their 

father’s case is ongoing. 

“We have found love amongst the few believers on the island and our 

faith has been encouraged. Thank you very much for the food shopping, 

rent, and pocket money for use,” the eldest son expressed. 

The younger brother shared, “My heart is overwhelmed by your love 

and care. The Lord brought you from nowhere to just help us after the 

attack on our father. We are spurred to continue trusting in Christ by 

your concern, and we promise to remain in the Lord for the rest of our 

lives. May God bless you for giving sacrificially to our cause.” 

Aid for a Pastor’s Family in India 


Following three months of threats from Hindu extremists, a house 

church in India was issued a notice from local authorities ordering 

them to stop conducting services. The extremists claimed that the pastor 

was running the church without prior permission and conducting 

fraudulent conversions. 

When the church closed its doors, the pastor and his family were 

also cut off from financial support from the congregation that kept their 

family afloat. 

In order to encourage this family and assist them during this season 

of transition, ICC stepped in to alleviate the financial burden on their 

shoulders. First, we provided a month’s supply of food aid in the form 

of local staples, such as rice, lentils, oil, and more. Additionally, we 

covered the cost of the school fees for the pastor’s children. 

The pastor shared, “God has proven again that he is faithful… I 

want to take this opportunity to thank ICC, for the hand of help and 

hope is very crucial during these difficult times that we are facing now 

than before. A very big thank for all your help and prayers for us as [a] 

family and the Church.” 



AUGUST 2021

Farming Support 

for Attack Survivors 

in Indonesia 

Restore: Lives and 

Communities 

Last November, a terrorist attack shook a 

Christian community in Indonesia, killing 

four people and reducing several homes to 

ashes. Following this tragedy, many villagers 

also lost their livelihoods because their farming 

equipment was destroyed in the attack. 

As part of our efforts to restore this community, 

ICC provided new equipment to replace 

what was lost, including a coffee milling 

machine, a corn milling machine, and a chain 

saw. 

One of the community members whose 

home was burned down shared, “The machine 

tools that we received will be used for the 

needs of our community as before. We are 

grateful because the machine tools we received 

are of very good quality, far better than what 

we had before. Hopefully, it can be useful for 

our community here and also for all people in 

[the village] ... The Lord Jesus blesses ICC’s 

ministry.” 

Restoring a 

Demolished Home 

in Pakistan 


Last year, amidst a property dispute between 

a Christian family and their Muslim neighbors, 

John learned that his home was being 

demolished while he was out of town. He 

recalled, “When I reached my home, I saw 

some unknown armed men were demolishing 

my house and looting the valuables. I tried to 

stop them, but one of the armed men shouted 

at me and threatened me at gunpoint.” 

One attacker told John that he was not 

allowed to live in their neighborhood because 

he was a Christian, but that he could stay if he 

was willing to convert to Islam. 

In order to assist John and his family, ICC 

helped restore many of the household items 

that were destroyed, including beds, clothing, 

a washing machine, linens, food, and more. 

Business Assistance 

for Believer with 

Disability 

Restore: Lives and 

Communities 

Mukhles, who was born with a disability 

that left him mute and deaf, lives 

in Qeraqosh, Iraq with his wife. Following 

their displacement by ISIS, they eventually 

returned to Qeraqosh in 2017. Upon their 

return, they found that the car which Mukhles 

previously used to sell coffee, tea, and juice 

was stolen. 

Since then, he has been using an autorickshaw 

to sell his goods, but now he suffers 

from back pain which makes driving the 

auto-rickshaw difficult. 

In order to restore Mukhles’s business, ICC 

provided a used vehicle so that he can continue 

serving his customers in a way that doesn’t 

compromise his health. Since his children are 

grown, he does not have to generate a large 

income to support himself and his wife. This 

small business also gives him the flexibility to 

work as needed. 



7

Volunteers 

Advocating for Prisoners in Azerbaijan 

Earlier this year, ICC launched a petition to advocate on behalf 

of Armenian prisoners of war being held by the government of 

Azerbaijan. This petition calls on the president of the European Court 

of Human Rights, Robert Spano, to investigate cases of Armenian 

POWs and bring the Azeri soldiers who are abusing them to justice. 

There is mounting evidence that Armenian POWs have been abused 

in captivity, in direct violation of international law. According to a 

report by Human Rights Watch, there are multiple videos that have 

been posted on social media showing Azeri soldiers beating and 

humiliating defenseless Armenian POWs. 

This mistreatment of POWs speaks to the underlying religious 

motivations of this conflict. Armenia is the oldest Christian nation 

in the world, accepting Christianity in the 3rd century. The region’s 

identity only shifted toward Islam in the 11th century when the 

Ottoman Empire invaded, establishing what has become modern-day 

Turkey. Although the Ottoman Empire fell in the early 20th century, 

its memory lives on through the Turkish identity that is still closely 

tied with Islam. As a result, Turkey has supported Azerbaijan in its 

fight against Armenia in an effort to connect the two countries that 

have a shared Turkish Islamic identity. 

In an effort to support this petition, volunteers all over the world 

worked to raise awareness and gather signatures. Many volunteers 

took to social media to share the petition, sharing it with a wide 

audience that may have previously been unaware of this issue. 

Additionally, others shared the petition face to face by speaking about 

it in their churches or small groups and simply talking about it with 

their families. Thanks to the diligence of ICC’s volunteers, thousands 

of people joined us in raising their voices to speak out against the 

mistreatment of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan. 

8 




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 using social 

media. 

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 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. 

3 Office 

Lighten the load of ICC’s 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. 

Learn About Your Persecuted Family 

One of the most important things that we can do is raise awareness about the situation 

facing the persecuted Church. That starts with educating ourselves—reading and researching 

and seeking to understand. By educating ourselves, we create a foundation 

that we can expand upon, spreading the news of what’s going on around the world, and 

helping to mobilize the Western Church on the issue of persecution. 

Serving Through Prayer 

One of the most common requests we receive from our persecuted brothers and sisters 

is prayer. We support this request on a daily basis through ICC’s faithful Prayer Team 

volunteers. Many of these volunteers serve with their families, by setting aside a regular 

time, from daily to weekly, to pray together for the suffering Church. Prayer is vital 

to this ministry, and we are grateful for these intercessors who are diligent in caring for 

the persecuted in this way. Consider following along with the monthly prayer calendar 

posted to www.persecution.org and sharing it with others. 

Apply online at: 

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

Email: 

volunteer@persecution.org 

Call: 

(301) 329-6964 for more information. 

Scan: 

Use your 

mobile device 

to scan the QR 

code to learn 

more. 



9 

9

Hope for the Present 

By Jeff King 

The following is an excerpt from Jeff King’s upcoming devotional book focused on spiritual lessons from persecuted 

believers and martyrs. For information about pre-orders, please contact moreinfo@persecution.org. 

Peter asked a friend to go with him to the 

Tumen River bank to look into North 

Korea. He felt lonely and discouraged. 

He was one of very few missionaries left 

working with North Koreans who make the 

dangerous crossing into China. The majority of 

his coworkers had either shifted their ministry 

focus to safer things or left the area entirely 

after a recent Chinese secret police crackdown. 

Over the years, Peter had met many secret 

messengers sent by Christians inside North 

Korea to get news, food, Bibles, and other 

supplies at the riverbank. 

These were all potential suicide missions, but 

these missionaries felt a heavy burden for the 

growing underground Church of North Korea. 

As Peter and his friend sat on the bank, they 

started singing. There was no order or formality 

to their singing. His friend had brought a guitar 

and strummed gently as they sang worship 

songs, hymns, and even children’s praise 

music. 

Suddenly, he felt the night mist soaking his 

shirt. He was wet and hungry, but stayed by 

the river as his heart was fed by God. The 

welcome darkness kept them safe from the 

police, so they both kept singing. 

Tears flowed down as the Spirit filled his 

heart. Tears not born from loneliness or hurt, 

but from the overwhelming presence of God 

embracing him. 

Tears of gratitude fell as he thanked God for 

His patience during his constant times of 

doubt. He continually thought about returning 

to the US, but there hadn’t been any release 

from his service. God was patiently working 

in his life and using him to serve North Korean 

Christians. 

He finally left the riverbank late in the night, 

invigorated, but came back the next day. A few 

villagers, some total strangers, had heard about 

his worship and joined him. They sat together 

on the riverbank, singing praise songs to God. 

A few said they liked the tunes; others said that 

they just wanted to hear the soft music. Others 

worshiped with him. 

The next day, more villagers came. No one 

was preaching, teaching, or leading the 

gathering. No one told them when to go back 

or even to come back at all. They just sat there 

every day, watching the river flow, and singing 

to God, many with tears flowing down their 

cheeks. Seeing that God was doing something 

incredible, Peter kept coming to the riverbank. 

Within a few days, there was a large daily 

gathering at the riverbank, and the missionary 

wasn’t lonely anymore. He remembered how 

previously only a handful had come when he 

asked them to go to church or Bible study. 

As he thought that, it occurred to him that he 

should start a church, but then realized the 

Lord already had. 




As Peter was lost in his thoughts, he 

suddenly realized that the singing had 

stopped. Turning his gaze back from the 

river, he saw they were entirely surrounded 

by the PSB. The PSB shouted, and most 

of the crowd fled. Those who stayed 

were asked who was responsible for the 

gathering. Such assemblies were not 

allowed without prior approval. Because 

Peter was a foreigner, it was assumed that 

he must have brought all these people to 

the riverbank, but no one would admit 

this, so the PSB released him with a stern 

lecture. Many attendees had to sign a paper 

promising not to gather again without going 

through the proper channels. 

A few days later, in the evening, Peter 

again felt the river’s pull and went down 

to the riverbank again. As he walked, he 

heard movement in the bushes and realized 

someone was hiding there. 

Knowing that North Koreans crossing the 

river will not approach others until they feel 

safe, he sat down on the bank facing North 

Korea and waited patiently. From behind 

him came a whisper, “Are you the one who 

sang for many nights?” 

The man had a North Korean accent, and 

Peter knew that the man would run if he 

turned around. So he stayed facing the river 

and said, “Why do you ask?” 

The man came a little closer. “Teacher, why 

did you stop?” 

Peter turned around slowly and saw the 

North Korean believer standing behind 

him, tears running down his cheeks. 

“That music encouraged us so much. 

Though we could not sing with you, we 

could listen and praise Him along with 

you,” he said. 

He told Peter that the very first day of his 

singing, a few North Koreans had gathered 

on the other side of the river and listened. 

Over the next few days, the number of 

hidden listeners had multiplied despite the 

risk. 

Peter was stunned, and his heart was healed. 

He had simply gone for a walk to process 

his sadness and ended up praising God 

from a full heart. He was no singer, yet God 

had used him to lift up and encourage his 

own Chinese villagers and the underground 

Christians on the other side of the river. 

There’s a lesson there that will never grow 

old. 

That is that praise invites the presence of 

God and brings peace no matter what the 

circumstances. 

So praise Him, Christian. 

Don’t praise Him despite your troubles, but 

learn from the persecuted and the North 

Korean believers. 

Grow to a point where you can even thank 

Him for the trials and for the fire you pass 

through, and stand back and watch Him 

move. This is your door to freedom. 

A U G U S T 

WEEKLY 

PRAYERS 

Take one week this month to pray 

for the persecuted. 

MONDAY 

Please pray for the families who 

were displaced during the recent war 

in Artsakh. 

TUESDAY 

Please pray for the young men who 

joined the army and have died, been 

captured, or suffered mental scars. 

WEDNESDAY 

Please pray for the children of 

Artsakh as they navigate their youth 

in a traumatic environment. 

THURSDAY 

Please pray for the Azeri and Turkish 

leadership and for their hearts to be 

softened to those they are hurting. 

FRIDAY 

Please pray for the pastors of 

churches whose buildings have been 

destroyed. 

SATURDAY 

Please pray for the new mothers in 

Artsakh who have little supplies to 

care for their new children. 

PERSECUTION PODCAST 

Into the Deep features weekly stories from 

those who have suffered for Christ. 

Into the Deep contains captivating and in-depth 

interviews and stories about the persecution of 

PERSECU Christians around the world. ION.ORG 

Jeff King takes you on 

a spiritual journey that is insightful and heartbreaking. 


Get ready for your faith to be transformed. Listen to the 

latest episode at www.persecution.org/icc-podcast 





SUNDAY 

Please pray for humanitarian groups 

that are desperately trying to send aid 

into Artsakh. 

To download our monthly prayer 

calendar, visit 

www.persecution.org/ 

take-action/prayer-calendar 

11

ARMENIA: 

GENOCIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT 

Why care about such a small regional conflict? 

Artsakh (internationally recognized 

as Nagorno-Karabakh) is a tiny 

region the size of Delaware that 

lies between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

Despite its size, this region has been hotly 

contested by the two countries for decades, 

stemming back to divisions made during 

the era of the Soviet Union. Last year, with 

Turkey’s backing, Azerbaijan launched a 

surprise attack on the region and captured 

most of the territory from Armenia. 

Due to its small size and seemingly 

insignificant players, the world yawned, and 

the question inevitably follows, so what? 

Above: Armenian soldiers 

pay respects at a memorial 

to their fallen brothers and 

sisters from the 2020 war. 

Left: A historic cathedral in 

captured Artsakh territory 

is now being dismantled by 

Azerbaijan. 

Opposite: The president of 

Turkey and the president of 

Azerbaijan watch over a joint 

military parade following the 

2020 war. 




Armenia was the first nation to accept 

Christianity, making it the oldest Christian 

nation in the world. Despite this, due to Ottoman 

(Muslim) conquests, Armenia quickly became 

surrounded by Islamic nations hostile toward 

Christianity. That hostility reached its zenith 

in 1915 when Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) 

sought to wipe out Armenia’s Christians. They 

killed off all of the fighting-aged men and 

violently drove the women and children of the 

nation off their lands into long death marches. 

It was a calculated genocide. 

When the dust settled, 1.5 million Armenian 

Christians were dead, and much of the 

country dispersed throughout the world. 

Fast-forward to today. The Ottoman 

Empire is now modern-day Turkey. While 

Turkey was a moderate Islamic country for 

decades, its government was secular. That all 

changed with the rise of President Erdogan. 

Erdogan was elected as a moderate reformer to 

fix Turkey’s corrupt government. Instead, once 

he gained power, he destroyed all opposition 

against him in the military, the press, and 

the judicial branch. Then, he changed the 

constitution to make himself president for life. 

With his power secured, he has made it clear 

that he is a radical Islamist with expansionist 

dreams. He sees it as his destiny to rebuild 

the Ottoman Empire with himself sitting at 

the head of a new caliphate. In his speeches 

and the symbolism he uses to convey his 

messages, it’s obvious that he is and will 

be at war with Christians in his region. 

He was instrumental in building up and 

sustaining ISIS fighters in the war in 

Syria. He has used those fighters in Libya. 

As a Christian nation, Armenia is a thorn 

in his side, and their control of the Artsakh 

region is seen as a stain on Islam since it was 

formerly controlled by Muslim Azerbaijan. 

So, Artsakh was targeted. Azerbaijan, 

with Erdogan’s aid, attacked. 

Historically, fights between Armenia and 

Azerbaijan were relatively even. But this 

time, Erdogan provided air support and hired 

and transported ISIS fighters to the battle. 

Armenian forces were overwhelmed 

and did not stand a chance against 

the pressures surrounding them. 

Armenians lost much more than territory. 

Azeri forces destroyed numerous 

Christian heritage sites, dating back to 

Christianity’s first appearance in the nation. 

They also savaged Christian 

civilians, using tactics even harsher 

than traditional ISIS methods. 

These elements are eerily reminiscent 

of tactics used by Ottoman conquerors 

during the genocide of 1915 when Turkey 

sought to wipe out Christian Armenia. 

We are now witnessing another genocide 

happen to the oldest Christian nation right 

before our eyes—yet the world remains silent. 

So what? 

The decimation of Artsakh and the 

attack on the world’s oldest Christian 

nation may be a signal event. 

For those with ears to listen, we 

urge you to focus on this region. 

Something extremely dangerous is growing with 

extremely important geopolitical implications. 

Today it was Artsakh. Tomorrow will be 

genocide if we stay silent. 



13

On the Prowl 

Erdogan provides air (and political) cover for 

Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh. 

Recently, ICC had the honor of being the first American 

humanitarian group to be granted access into Artsakh. Our 

field trip doubly confirmed our position—the situation in 

Artsakh is an urgent, ongoing case of Christian persecution. 

In fact, an interesting historical note that we learned was 

that much of today’s international religious freedom work 

was born in the midst of the first Artsakh war during the 

1990s. 

Every interview, including those with the most rural villagers, 

made it clear that locals had a strong understanding 

that the recent Artsakh war was a case of Christian genocide 

initiated and made possible by Turkey. They further 

underscored that Turkey initiated this latest genocide to 

successfully posture itself as an undisputed superpower in 

the Middle East. In other words, the mass persecution of 

Christians became politically and militarily legitimized as 

a state tool. 

Armenia 

KEY PLAYERS: 

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a radical Islamist who 

destroyed democracy in Turkey. He sees himself as a man of destiny 

with the mission to rebuild the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire that ruled 

the region for almost 500 years. The Ottoman Empire killed over 1 

million Armenian Christians in the early 1900s. 

Did you know? The Kingdom 

of Armenia was the first state to 

adopt Christianity as its official 

religion under the rule of King 

Tiridates III of the Arsacid 

dynasty in the early 4th century. 

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, is joined at the hip with Erdogan. 

These leaders and their countries see themselves as “two countries, 

one people.” 

The Grey Wolves are a secret para-military groups of Islamist/nationalist 

Turkish leaders (and fighters) working toward the rebuilding of 

Turkey’s past glory into something like the Ottoman Empire. 



AUGUST 2021

COUNTRIES AND GROUPS 

Erdogan provides political 

cover and air cover for 

Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh. 

Turkey/Erdogan 

Grey Wolves 

Azerbaijan 

Grey Wolves recruit 

ISIS fighters 

Turkey provides military coordination to Azer. 

ISIS fighters to Armenia 

Azerbaijan attacks 

Artsakh 

Erdogan transported ISIS 

Fighters to the Artsakh 

conflict. Turkey paid a salary 

of $2,000 per month and 

paid bonuses based on 

decapitations. 

ISIS Fighters 

Armenia 

Countries 

influenced by 

Erdogan 

ISIS fighters 

come from 

numerous 

countries. Its 

biggest national 

source of fighters 

is Turkey. 

Erdogan has funded and 

equipped ISIS fighters in 

Syria for years. 

10,000 of its 

soldiers came 

from Turkey. 

Another 900 

came from 

Azerbaijan. 



15

THE 

IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY 

ICC’s team is granted rare access to Artsakh 

The United States has long 

discouraged Americans from 

traveling into Artsakh, a warning 

that has only intensified after the recent 

war. The conflict stopped almost all 

international travel. So, traveling from 

the States, we knew there was a very 

good chance that we would not get in. 

Prior to traveling into Artsakh, we 

spent the days in Yerevan, Armenia’s 

capital. Every journalist, humanitarian 

worker, researcher, and press person we 

met with emphatically told us the same 

thing: “You will never get into Artsakh.” 

The Turks and the Azeris want 

to stop all travel into Artsakh, so 

they block everybody from getting 

in. They clearly don’t want the 

world to know what has happened. 

Waiting in Yerevan, we braced ourselves 

for disappointment, but then the call 

came: we had been granted an entry 

permit! It was valid for only 24 hours, 

and we had to leave immediately. 

The process to get into Artsakh 

took almost an entire day. As we 

passed through territory captured 

by Azerbaijan, we suddenly found 

ourselves confronted by the scars of war. 

Soon afterward, we were stopped at the 

first of 12 checkpoints that we would have 

to pass through, staffed by the Russian 

military. The Russians are there as 

peacekeepers, keeping the Azerbainjanis 

(and Turkey’s transplanted ISIS fighters) 

from finishing off Artsakh’s Christians. 

It felt like a war zone, and the air was 

thick with the possibility of ignition. 

Tension gripped every sign of life. 

The checkpoints were incredibly 

intimidating and we were repeatedly 

and forcefully asked, “Why have you 

come? What are you doing here?” 

Yet, somehow we were let through 

each Russian checkpoint. We 

couldn’t understand how it was 

happening, but it was. Finally, we 

made it through and into Artsakh. 

We visited home after home of the victims 

of war. “Home” is the wrong word, 

however, for these were shelters, nothing 

more! None of the victims had belongings. 

Nothing that makes a shelter a home. 




Opposite: ICC meets 

with young men who tried 

defending their homes and 

families during the war. 

Above: ICC’s team visits a 

displaced family. 

Left: ICC listens to a 

displaced woman tell her story 

of fleeing war and sharing her 

current needs. This room is 

her entire living space. 

Next Page: ICC’s team 

travels to visit a surviving 

church. 



17

They fled the war with nothing: 

no identification cards, no items of 

sentiment, no clothes. One survivor 

we met with said, “I came out of 

there without anything, like being 

naked.” So many of those we 

met with told us the same thing. 

As we drove around, our country 

representative asked us, “Can 

you see people’s faces? They 

still carry the war on them.” 

A memorial was built in the middle 

of the city square. On one side were 

photos of churches captured during 

the war. On the other side were 

headshots of local men who died 

while trying to defend their homes. 

The memorial’s message was clear: 

the war came, and many died solely 

because they were Christians. 

Back home, in meetings on Capitol 

Hill, many policy experts were amazed 

that we had gotten into Artsakh. They 

said, “No one can get in there. Highlevel 

UK politicians and press people 

can’t get in. How did you do it?” 

Other government officials were 

equally blown away, saying that we 

had to have been approved by the top 

of the Russian Ministry of Defense 

to get past the military checkpoints. 

In response to their inquiries, 

we shrugged our shoulders, but 

inwardly we knew the answer. 

“We are His people and 

the sheep of His pasture. 

(So) be on guard for 

yourselves and for all the flock 

(So we cry out) Save them, Lord! 

Be their shepherd and carry them. 

Prepare a table for them in 

the presence of their enemies; 

You are my witnesses, says the LORD 

(so) we must speak about the things 

which we have seen and heard.” 






19

Turkey has emerged as a regional superpower by 

committing genocide against Christians 

By Martin Hopman 






Shouts of pain pierced the 

gray skies over Artsakh. 

“For the sake of Allah, I beg 

you.” Pinned to the ground and 

surrounded by men in Azerbaijani 

military garb, there was nothing 

Yuri, an 82-year-old Christian 

man, could do to escape. His 

captors ignored his pleas, handing 

another a knife, saying, “Take 

this one.” He was then slowly 

and deliberately beheaded. 

In another similarly gruesome 

episode, a half-naked elderly 

man is pinned to the ground by 

those in Azerbaijani garb. He is 

decapitated as onlookers applaud 

and cheer. His head is placed on 

the carcass of a pig, a reference 

to how Christians are considered 

infidels, and the men mock, “This 

is how we get revenge, by cutting 

off heads.” Genadi, age 69, like 

Yuri, was an Armenian Christian. 

Sadly, these horrific acts were 

widely shared on social media 

during the brief war. Some 

continued after the ceasefire. 

The violence was so horrific that 

one ICC partner shuddered, “In 

Artsakh, the (fighters) are more 

barbaric than ISIS was in Iraq 

and Syria.” The level of evil had 

its intended effect and shocked 

the Christians of Artsakh. 

Two Wars 

Azerbaijan attempted to capture 

Artsakh years earlier, during 

the first war, but failed. But this 

time, with Turkey’s and President 

Erdogan’s help, they almost 

succeeded. The key difference in 

this second war against Artsakh 

was the mercenaries Erdogan paid 

for and transported to the war. 

But who are they? Think to 

yourself for just a minute where 

else you’ve seen Islamic warriors 

decapitating their opponents. 

The Grey Wolves 

Those doing the beheading were 

drawn from the ranks of ISIS and 

other Islamist fighters known as 

the “Grey Wolves.” 

The Grey Wolves are a shadowy 

movement that seeks Turkey’s 

restoration of the glory days 

of the former Islamic Ottoman 

Empire. They are driven by 

hyper-nationalism and Islam 

and wish to increase Turkey’s 

regional influence to guarantee 

The Grey Wolves were the brains behind the recruitment of Syrian mercenaries. 



21

Turkey’sPresident 

Erdogan and 

Azerbaijan’s 

President Aliyev 

celebrate their 

victory over 

Artsakh. 

the preservation of Turkishness 

by whatever means necessary. 

They are closely tied to Turkey’s 

nationalist MHP party, a political 

ally of Turkish President 

Erdogan’s ruling AKP. 

They were the go-between that 

was responsible for recruiting 

Syrian ISIS fighters to fight in 

Azerbaijan’s war. 

Many were promised $2,000 

a month (with the opportunity 

for bonuses) depending on the 

atrocities committed against 

Armenian Christians. One 

captured Syrian mercenary 

shared, “They told us that for 

every beheaded Armenian, we 

would get $100. We were issued 

knives for that purpose.” 

The recruiting effort paid off, and 

soon afterward, you could see 

thousands of them across social 

media, proudly flashing the Grey 

Wolf salute. 

Still on the Prowl 

Though a ceasefire was agreed 

to this past November, upwards 

of 2,000 mercenaries remain in 

the area surrounding Artsakh. 

Their presence clearly signals 

that the war is not over. 

Azerbaijan has celebrated its 

atrocities—erecting a trophy 

park that displays the helmets 

of dead Armenian soldiers, 








eenacting their deaths in the most 

humiliating ways possible. 

Meanwhile, Turkey is 

building a Grey Wolf Cultural 

Center for youth in the now 

captured city of Shushi. 

Erdogan has successfully 

transformed his country 

into a regional superpower. 

How? By assembling, 

transporting, and deploying a 

battle-hardened and extremely 

violent group of Islamist 

mercenaries across the region. 

His private pack of wolves was 

released into the sheep pen of 

Artsakh and did as they were 

instructed. They tore and devoured. 

Their atrocities signal that 

Erdogan is leading a new era of 

persecution against the region’s 

Christians. 

An Azeri child poses 

at a trophy park, 

which celebrates the 

human rights abuses 

committed during the 

war. 

“In 

Artsakh, 

the 

fighters 

are more 

barbaric 

than ISIS 

was in 

Iraq and 

Syria.” 



23

THROUGH 

THEIR 

EYES 

Men, women, and children 

share their experiences and 

perspectives on how the Artsakh 

conflict has impacted them. 

A WAR HE NEVER SHOULD 

HAVE FOUGHT 

Artur is disabled, living in a hotel, and struggling with 

symptoms of PTSD. He never should have fought in the 

war, but knew that he had to defend his home, family, 

and friends. He shared with us his sadness over losing 

everything. 

“I was there (home in Shushi) until the 5th of 

November. I should not have taken part in it. But 

I was there, and participated in the defense of the 

country. 

When they asked us to leave our arms and go out of 

Shushi, then I knew that it was finished. 

I have no right to leave this place (Artsakh). I have 

so many friends who have been killed.” 

Now only my wife is working, but only part-time. I 

have problems with my spine now and I was in the 

hospital for a month. I need [more treatment], but 

there are so many wounded people [that I must 

wait]. 

My condition has gotten worse. Life before the war 

was kind of magic. It was a miracle.” 








LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND 

Arayik is 86 years old. He lived through the Soviet Union era and 

witnessed pogroms against Christians. Recently, he cared for his 

grandchildren while his son fought in the war. 

“I am doing everything here. I am working with wood, bees, chicks, 

turkeys, etc. But I did not participate in the war because I am 

old. 

They (Turkey and Azerbaijan) were shelling this place, and all of 

us hid in a cave. My son participated in the war; he was a young 

soldier, so they took him to the front line.” 

“We thought that we would win. We are the only family that did 

not [flee here] during the first war and the second. I was praying 

to God. Because my father and all my relatives have lived here, we 

never went out of here. 

Yet all our young men were on the front line, so I was praying and 

asking God to keep them, and it doesn’t matter whether we have 

our houses back or not.” 

[Looking back], “life was very good in the Soviet Union. We were 

safe. Now, it’s not possible to live with them (the Turks and 

Azerbaijanis). 

They want to destroy Armenia. I [used to work with our 

attackers]. I know them very well. They hate Armenians. It is 

difficult - no it is impossible - to live with them. We will have to 

leave everything behind.” 

Arayik hugs his grandson as he shares his story of persecution. 



25

AFRAID OF THE FUTURE 

Narine is a second-time mom, currently living with her 

children and husband in Stepanakert. She sat down with 

ICC to share her experience of being pregnant during 

the war while her husband was defending her home. Her 

father has severe back problems. Both her father and her 

father-in-law were killed in the war. 

“I was in the hospital [for my pregnancy] on September 

27 [when the war started]. My husband came and 

took me back to Shushi and we stayed in the basement. 

By September 30, we were still in the basement, but 

the conditions were very bad so we couldn’t stay there 

any longer. I gave birth [to my son] in Yerevan. Now 

he is healthy, but he weighs a bit less than other kids 

his age. 

I thought we were only leaving home for four days 

[when we were displaced]. I only took a few items with 

me. 

All the good clothes I left there. The Azeris went 

to our home. We saw how they destroyed all of our 

belongings and we started crying. I am afraid of the 

future here. I do not know what will happen. The war 

could start again. I need to stay here because I do not 

have any family or relatives elsewhere.” 

LEAVING A SACRED SPACE 

Asma is a wife and the mother of two “miracle” children. 

She never thought that she and her husband could have a 

family, and she shared with ICC her fear that all would be 

lost during the war. 

“When the war started, my husband then went to 

the frontlines to fight. I [never stopped praying], 

asking God to protect my family. A voice was telling me 

something was wrong. Even if I slept for five minutes, 

I felt like I did something wrong. I felt desperate. 

When I found out that all my relatives were alive, I 

calmed down, but now I’m desperate again about the 

uncertainty [of our life and future]. I do not have the 

strength [for my daily tasks]. 

I am connected to (Artsakh). For 10 years after we 

were married, we couldn’t have children, but three 

months after we moved here I got pregnant. Now we 

have two children. This is a special place [to us]. 

In the future, I imagine us [still] living here. We had 

opportunities to move to another country [because 

of my husband’s job], but I want to live here. Here 

everybody knows you and you are one of them. We just 

need peace.” 






GRIEF THROUGH BEAUTY 

Many parents shared how their children stopped 

communicating normally during the war. Those we 

interviewed primarily spoke their pain through art, 

namely through poetry and music. 

“We left you, but be strong we will return. You were 

given to our enemy in a betrayal without anything, 

but be strong and patient, we will come again.”- Poem 

by a 10-year-old boy about his city’s cathedral. 

“My mother is also not working, and my father is in the 

army. I like to sing. I was working to help my family 

without their knowledge. I want to be faithful. Now 

the main idea is to become a good musician. Later for 

us, it will be a job.” – A 15-year-old boy. It is not legal 

to work before the age of 18, so now he is singing for 

income. He sings about the 1915 genocide. 

“I am a drummer. My father participated in the war 

in Artsakh. I started learning the drums only five 

months ago [after the war]. Now I will play a song 

called Artsakh; people would play this during the war. 

It comes from our heart.” - A 16-year-old boy 

AN ADDED LEVEL OF PAIN 

Parents shared how their children suffered medical issues 

because of the shock of displacement. 

“I have a grandchild who is 12 years old. The shelling 

from the plane started as we were passing by Shushi. 

He was afraid and started shivering. When we took him 

to the hospital, it was found that his blood now has 

high insulin. He is now diabetic.” – A grandfather. 

“We were in the hospital, and because of the war 

threat, his weight was not normal. So, we gave him 

hormones to make sure he was the right weight so the 

treatment was effective. This medicine is only provided 

to us through Turkey. It feels really bad [and Turkey 

displaced us], but I have no other choice. My son was 

not walking for eight months; my husband had to carry 

him. It is very difficult to get this medicine. Even now, 

we have to buy two drugs not one, but it is hard to 

keep this drug because it has to be kept cold. We cannot 

keep it here because the electricity comes and goes.” - A 

mother speaking about her 10-year-old son. 



27

A displaced child sniffs a flower before handing it to ICC’s team. 

Noah’s People: 

Reaching for the Stars 

New life is blossoming in Artsakh, despite all of the challenges following displacement. 

Our hands scraped through the mud, 

sifting through the dirt. “I found one!” 

shouted our field staffer. He holds out 

his hand and cusped within it is a tiny stone 

shaped perfectly like a star. “These stones 

come out whenever it rains,” he explained, 

bending the knee in his quest to find more. 

These stones are fossils that can only be found 

in Artsakh’s Astkhashen village (literally 

translating into “built from the stars”). The 

village is tucked into the mountains, resting 

at an altitude of over 3,000 feet. More 

prominent mountains tower in the distance; 

behind them rests Mount Ararat, where 

Noah’s Ark landed. Following the Flood, 

he descended the mountain and moved 

southward on the doorsteps of what is now 

Artsakh. The star stones serve as living 

reminders of the Flood: a sign that the rain 

may come, but one can still grasp the stars. 

We found ourselves passing through 

Astkhashen to visit an elderly couple displaced 

Flowers cover the 1915 Armenian 

Genocide memorial. 




from Hadrut, a region of Artsakh seized by 

Azerbaijan in violation of the November 

peace agreement. A meat grinder was tucked 

inside our taxi; we wondered if it would work 

upon our arrival. The rough dirt road jostled 

everything; the rain had made the road so 

muddy. We spoke of the chickens that we 

would provide—a restoration of the livelihood 

that they had once lost. Their grandson met us 

on the road, racing our car toward the house, 

mud splashing, and announced our arrival. 

It was a long-anticipated visit. When we 

first heard Suren’s story, it was told in a 

way of jovial disbelief. He had told us, 

“Azerbaijanis had never lived in our village; 

it’s an Armenian village, [so] no one could 

have imagined that they would [ever capture 

it]. Then my son called and said that we must 

leave the village, the Azerbaijani forces are 

close, and that we had to leave. [So we fled]. 

“Now, we live here. We do not know 

what is going to happen to us. We live 

here as a big family. Me, my wife, my 

son, and his family. But we want to get 

started; we want to keep animals again.” 

Suren is a man of few words, but much 

hope. Speaking of their displacement left 

him completely in tears. For a time, the 

family was separated and couldn’t find 

each other. Suren remembered, “I could 

hardly find my wife. When I found her, I 

asked, ‘What are you doing here?!’ She 

said, ‘I don’t know. They displaced us!’” 

Despite these circumstances, he 

hopes for a better future. He believes 

in it. That’s how he can laugh. 

“I am daydreaming about coming back to my 

village. We are villagers and we are peasants. 

We did not want to live in a city,” he said. “I 

will run back.” Until then, they make every 

attempt at everyday life. His grandson is taking 

judo lessons. His daughter-in-law is sick and 

receiving treatment in Yerevan, but they stay 

in communication. They were excited for the 

chickens that ICC was providing, a restoration 

of not just a potential source of income, but 

also a sense of purpose. “God bless you. 

We really need the animals,” he shared. 

Suren proudly displayed the large garden 

cultivated by both himself and his wife. 

Parsley was drying under the stoop, laundry 

flapped in the wind, and a rooster crowed 

in the background as the hens pecked at the 

dirt. His wife appeared with scissors, silently 

cutting rose clippings from the dozens of 

bushes around the house. Gathering the stems 

together, she offered the flower bouquet as a 

thank you gift. Hardship had rained upon Suren 

and his family, but flowers were blooming. 

New life was being created. All was not lost. 

Flowers were present throughout many 

of the homes we visited. One displaced woman 

was living in a shelter that barely fit her bed. 

There was no room for kitchen supplies. She 

had food from the Red Cross, but no means to 

cook it. She owned nothing. But sitting on her 

windowsill was another bouquet of roses. From 

that window, she could see the city that used to 

be her home, now occupied by Azerbaijan. It 

was like a dark cloud of grief had settled there. 

But the roses graced the window, bringing the 

promise of new life despite those heavy clouds. 

Stars, flowers, clouds, and rain—the natural 

components of Artsakh, the treasure of 

the Caucasus, and a jewel of Christianity. 

The Armenians describe themselves as 

Noah’s people, for theirs is the region 

where Noah’s ark came to rest. Like 

Noah’s family, they have also lived through 

devastation (i.e., the 1915 genocide) and 

have had to rebuild their lives from scratch. 

Like most Armenians in Artsakh, they 

are reaching the stars. For a new life 

despite all their recent devastation. 

Here rests the opportunity to grasp the stars. 

And like those stones in Astkhashen, it is 

indeed something to marvel at. 

Left: A handful of Artsakh’s 

star stones. 

Right: Suren’s wife collects 

flowers into a bouquet as a 

thank you gift for ICC. 



29

A PEOPLE 

OF DESTINY 

The first Christian nation faces a new 

Islamic invasion. 

The Church was born in the Middle East and thrived there 

until Islam’s violent overnight invasion. The attack came 

without warning and changed everything. Today, Christians 

are a minority in the Middle East, resulting from centuries of 

living as subjugated, second-class citizens under dhimmitude. 

Currently, we are witnessing another Islamic war on the Church. Again, 

it’s a retelling of history, but this time in Artsakh. But something is different 

today. Rather than just subjugating the land and allowing Christians to 

live as second-class citizens, the Turkic invaders want to annihilate them. 

They don’t want conquest. They want genocide. 

They intend on wiping away any reminder that Christianity was ever here. 

No Stranger to Persecution 

Armenia (including Artsakh) welcomed the Gospel with open 

arms and was the first nation to accept Christianity in 301 AD. 

Jesus told us that if we loved Him that we would be hated and persecuted. 

Armenia’s Christians have lived the truth of Jesus’s promise repeatedly. 

Above: A man waves the Artsakh flag in front of a church that 

has survived despite the hardships. 

Right: People fled with nothing, leaving behind their most basic 

belongings. 






They survived Islam’s first invasion from 

the people of Turkey in the 11th century. 

They survived Turkey’s genocidal 

war of 1915, which killed more 

than a million Armenian Christians. 

They survived the Soviet Union’s 

Marxists who banned Christianity. 

But now, Islam’s invaders have returned. 

One man we interviewed, clutching his 

grandson close and raising his hand, which 

was missing two fingers, to the sky, told us: 

“Spiritually, we are suffering, [but] we 

are waiting to see what status they will 

give us. [We may have to leave] because 

it is impossible to live with them. On the 

other hand, how can I leave? I invested 

thousands of millions of drams into 

woodworking. I built this house myself in 

1978. How can I leave all of these things?” 

“Yet. . .it is impossible to live with them.” 

This last comment caught our attention, 

as it was said after the interview. 

For months, ICC watched Azerbaijan 

and Turkey use language that clearly 

demonstrated an intent to wipe 

Christianity off the map in Artsakh. 

But here we were in the 

presence of the survivors 

and their life was a miracle. They 

have all lost so much in this war, 

most importantly, their loved ones. 

But despite the fact that they are living in 

what amounts to an open-air prison, they 

demonstrate a profound desire to stay. They 

built their lives here. They tell us that leaving 

would feel like a betrayal. They are determined 

to stay until life itself becomes impossible. 

Is There A Future? 

“But is there a future here?” we 

asked the people of Artsakh. “We 

don’t know,” was a repeated answer. 

That was the beginning of the conversation, 

though. We repeatedly heard and felt that 

Christianity had not ended there—yet. 

Their Witness Stand 

By traveling to Artsakh, we witnessed 

something that Turkey and Azerbaijan 

have worked night and day to hide. They 

are telling the world that the war is over 

and that nothing happened here. But what 

we saw on the ground exposed their lie! 

The people of Artsakh are survivors, but Turkey 

has made it plain that they will soon begin Phase 

II of a genocidal war to wipe the Christians of 

Artsakh 

off the 

map. Unless 

the West or the 

Soviet Union intervenes, 

it will be devastating. 

Just as when Islam first attacked the 

Church of the Middle East so many centuries 

ago, the invaders are at their doorstep. 

Artsakh’s Christians are alive, but they need 

your voice and help to move from barely 

surviving to secure and safe. 

Ancient Roots 

When Noah landed on Mount Ararat 

following the great Flood, Artsakh was in 

the mountain’s shadow. Artsakh is the land 

where Shem, Ham, Japheth, and their wives 

and children walked and lived out their days. 

It is where God rebuilt humanity. 

The people of Artsakh are truly the 

people of Noah and identify as such. 

As one Artsakh leader shared with us, “We are 

people of culture, and the cross is our culture. 

Christianity started here, and it will end here.” 



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August 2021 Persecution Magazine

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