Heartbeat

In Iraq, Haris* had heard about Christians. He had heard they are good people. Haris, his wife and his son learned this firsthand when they found refuge in our country more than three years ago after fleeing their homeland. Haris and his family are of Sabean background and did not know about Christ.

I am Kibar. I was born in Syria to a religious, fundamental Muslim family. My father and mother prayed often and taught my three sisters and me to pray as well. Despite this religious atmosphere, I did not feel my prayers helped me come closer to God. Eventually, I met some neighbor girls my age and became friends with them. They were Christians. I asked them about their religion and even went to church with them several times. They started sharing with me Christian teachings from the Bible. My father found out about my relationship with these neighbors and about my going to the church. He hit me and demanded I have no more contact with these Christian girls. I did not give up and continued to see them, despite his threats.