You helped us reach 808,172 signatures on the Hope for the Middle East petition!
Thank you for helping the Hope for the Middle East petition reach 808,172 signatures! If you signed it, if you shared it on social media, if you printed out a petition sheet and took it to your church – you have helped to show our church family in Iraq and Syria that they are not forgotten, and our leaders that they must not forget Christians and minorities in the Middle East either.
Thank you for helping the Hope for the Middle East petition reach 808,172 signatures! That's 808,172 people standing together to ask for equality, dignity and responsibility for Chrisitians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria (read the full wording of the peititon here). If you signed it, if you shared it on social media, if you printed out a petition sheet and took it to your church – you have helped to show our church family in Iraq and Syria that they are not forgotten, and our leaders that they must not forget Christians and minorities in the Middle East either.
This amount of support has helped Open Doors to secure key meetings with the UN and the UK government – when you speak out it makes a difference!
So who signed, and where did they come from?
Middle East – 202,557
This includes 64,492 people from Iraq! The Hope for the Middle East petition enabled us to not just speak out for our persecuted church family in Iraq and Syria – we were speaking out with them!
One of those who signed the petition from the Middle East was Father Thabet from Karamles, Iraq. He said, “We will need international support and protection. That is the only way our future as Christians in this country can be guaranteed."
UK and Ireland – 186,390
Our team took the petition to political party conferences and summer festivals, and thousands of people shared the petition with their friends and churches – if that includes you, thank you! Here’s a reminder of a few people who spoke out for Christians and minorities in the Middle East:
Channel 4’s Jon Snow:
Jon Snow has been counted in! Have you? Sign our Hope for the Middle East petition, asking for equality, dignity and responsibility for Christians and other minorities in Syria and Iraq: http://bit.ly/2bMBlf3
Posted by Open Doors UK & Ireland on Saturday, October 1, 2016
Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP – who will be hosting the launch of the 2018 World Watch List in Parliament in January:
Thanks Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP for supporting freedom of religion and belief in the Middle East and being counted in.
Posted by Open Doors UK & Ireland on Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Hilary Benn MP:
Our Advocacy team are heading to both the Labour Party conference and the Conservative party conference this year to...
Posted by Open Doors UK & Ireland on Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Malcolm Duncan, pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church:
Our friend Malcolm Duncan, pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church, gave a rousing talk at the Christians on the Left service.
Posted by Open Doors UK & Ireland on Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Rev David Urquhart:
The Bishop of Birmingham David Urquhart signing the Hope for t...The Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Rev David Urquhart, has signed the Hope for the Middle East petition! Find out why he thinks it's so important in this short video 👇 Join him and over 500,000 others from 142 countries - sign and share the petition, and call on the UN to ensure a brighter future for Christians and other minorities in Syria and Iraq: https://www.opendoorsuk.org/act/one-million-voices-sign/
Posted by Open Doors UK & Ireland on Wednesday, October 18, 2017
… and around the world
People from 143 countries signed the Hope for the Middle East petition, including 52,000 people from France, over 61,000 people from Brazil, and 60,000 people from India!
What next?
The petition is being presented to the UN on 11 December and to the UK government on 13 December. Noeh, a 12-year-old boy from Karamles, Iraq, is heading to New York with his father, Hathem, to present the petition to the UN, and Father Daniel, one of our local partners in Erbil, Iraq, is helping us to present the petition to UK government. Look out for updates on these meetings and what steps are being taken to support Christians and minorities in Iraq and Syria.
Please pray:
- That nothing prevents these meetings with the UN and UK government from going ahead
- For safe travels and good health for Noeh, Hathem, and Daniel, and that the leaders who meet with them will be moved by their stories and spurred to act
- That the UN and UK government will commit to support Christians and minorities in the Middle East, and that the actions of our leaders will make a real difference to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.
