As reported in this documentary narrated by actor Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ), more than a million Iraqi Christians have been forced from their homes by Muslim extremists, with churches bombed and believers and religious leaders kidnapped, tortured, raped, and murdered. Told largely through eyewitness accounts from victims and their families, the stories related here are brutal; Middle East policy expert Dr. Eden Naby says the level of violence, which she describes as “barbaric,” makes the situation unique (many of the incidents also involve extortion). Refugees have been fleeing to Jordan, Syria, and Turkey, but in doing so they become illegal aliens; work is difficult or impossible to secure, and their children aren't allowed to go to school. Iraqi and American officials don't acknowledge the refugee problem, and provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act (which is violated when a family member pays ransom to a terrorist organization for a loved one's life) prevent many from immigrating to the United States. With Iraqi Christians tracing their heritage back more than 2,000 years (the last remaining speakers of Aramaic—the language spoken by Jesus Christ), their plight is dire, and the documentary concludes with a call to action, asking for letters of “outcry” to be sent to President Obama. DVD extras include audio commentary by filmmaker Robert Marcarelli. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)
Facing Extinction: Christians of Iraq
(2011) 34 min. DVD: $14.99. Robert Marcarelli (dist. by Vision Video). Volume 27, Issue 3
Facing Extinction: Christians of Iraq
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