Dunkirk in Reverse

Credit: Aid to the Church in Need

I was just catching up on my reading when I came across this excellent article by John L. Allen Jr. from July 30th, and I wanted to share it with you. Here’s an excerpt:

Since the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, every religious minority in the region has suffered, with Christians leading the pack because of their numbers and visibility. A variety of international groups, including the U.S. government, has recognized those Christians as victims of “genocide.”

The devastation has been staggering. In Iraq in 2003, there were an estimated 1.5 million Christians, while today the high-end number for those left is usually set at around 300,000. Similarly, Syria’s Christian community is believed to have been cut in half.

Given the lethal violence directed at Christians, as well as the general social and political chaos, the real question probably isn’t why so many have left, but why those brave few have remained. Therein lies the tale of the Catholic “Dunkirk in reverse.”

Click here to read more over at Crux.