In Defense of Christians August 2025 Newsletter

In Defense of Christians
Aug 30
3 min read

Dear Friends,

Despite congressional recess, IDC continued its diligent work monitoring and addressing Christian persecution in the Middle East.

We are pleased to invite you to join IDC leadership, staff, and network of friends and advocates at the IDC Patrons’ Reception. This will be an evening of reflection, solidarity and support for Christians in the Middle East, and to honor IDC’s patrons whose generosity makes our mission possible. The reception will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 6:30 to 8:30 pm EDT at IDC Headquarters (1023 15^th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC). For more information and registration, click HERE.

We also invite you to join IDC’s network of advocates from around the world at IDC Capitol Hill Advocacy Day on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC! Join us on Capitol Hill for the opportunity to attend congressional meetings, and serve as a voice for persecuted Christians in the halls of Congress. For more information and registration, click HERE.

As IDC continues its advocacy effort, we ask that you continue to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who face ever-growing persecution and violence around the world. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to IDC's effort in advocating for persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East and around the world. Our work is dependent on your generosity!

Best regards,

Richard Ghazal,

Executive Director

IDOC On The Hill

Please join In Defense of Christians Patrons’ Reception on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at IDC Headquarters, 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and remarks by a special guest speaker while standing in solidarity with Christians in the Middle East. Your attendance is appreciated with a minimum tax-deductible gift of $10; contributions of $25, $100, $250, $500, or any meaningful amount help advance our mission.

Click HERE to register

With great excitement, In Defense of Christians (IDC) invites you to join our network of advocates and friends from around the world at IDC Capitol Hill Advocacy Day in Washington, DC on September 17, 2025!

Join us on Capitol Hill for the opportunity to attend congressional meetings, and serve as a voice for persecuted Christians in the halls of Congress. An advocacy training session and mission briefing will take place in the morning, prior to congressional meetings. This is an annual event you will not want to miss!

Registration is free and open to all!

Click HERE to register for free

IDC has continued to monitor developments on Capitol Hill related to Christian persecution in the Middle East during the August congressional recess. We anticipate the Senate to consider President Trump's nominee for Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, former Congressman Mark Walker, in September and have continued to advocate for the Senate to prioritize this nomination to elevate religious freedom issues in U.S. diplomacy. Additionally we are preparing for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to consider the State Department Reauthorization next month. IDC has continued to highlight the importance of U.S. leadership in international religious freedom advocacy, particularly concerning religious minorities in the Middle East. We look forward to Congress proceeding with these important votes which will strengthen efforts to protect religious freedom globally.

IDC Media

Never Without His Rosary or His Pistol: The Legacy of Syriac Christian Paul Bedari

Yousif Kalian

"For Syriac Christians living in the diaspora, the story of Father Bedari is more than a chapter of distant history; it is a living call to remember who they are and the importance of unity. In lands far from Zakho and Mosul, where assimilation and forgetfulness threaten to erode ancient traditions, Bedari’s life stands as a witness to the sacred duty of preserving faith, language, and communal memory. His fierce love for his people—their prayers, their hymns, their identity—reminds those scattered across the world that exile need not mean erasure. Wherever they live, Syriac Christians are called to cherish and renew the spiritual and cultural inheritance that was passed down at great cost, lest it be lost to the tides of time."

Iran’s Strategic Shift to Iraq and the Crisis for Religious Minorities

Hannah Kearns

"If the United States fails to adequately intervene, al-Kildani and other Iranian-backed forces will continue their destructive, extremist objectives— posing a threat not only to Iraqi Christians but to the stability of the entire region. Defending international religious freedom is a cornerstone of U.S. morality and foreign policy. Simultaneously, countering Iran’s entrenchment into Iraq is essential for containing and derailing the regime as a whole. Washington must prioritize both of these obligations before Tehran’s grip tightens beyond reversal."

Our work is made possible by your support and generosity!

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to IDC's efforts in advocating for persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East and around the world.