(Photo: ClarionProject.org)
ishtartv.com - christianpost.com
By Samuel Smith, May
10, 2017
A
new film produced by Roma Downey highlights at least a dozen first-hand
accounts of how Christians are being brutally killed, raped, beaten and
imprisoned for their faith in the birthplace of Christianity later this month.
On May 23, the film "Faithkeepers" will be screened by churches nationwide
in hopes that it will increase awareness among American Christians about the
reality of what is happening to their brothers and sisters in the Middle East.
The
film details the level of persecution that Christians in nations like Iraq,
Syria, Egypt and Iran are facing. Although the film's release comes long after
the Islamic State terrorist group took over swaths of territory in the summer
of 2014 and began committing genocide against Christians and other religious
minorities in Iraq and Syria, producer Paula Kweskin told The Christian Post on
Tuesday that the filmmaking process began before IS (also known as ISIS, ISIL
or Daesh) rose to prominence.
"We
started to research and were planning to talk about how Christians in Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran are struggling all the time and then in the midst
of production, all of sudden, things got worse. I mean, much, much worse,"
Kweskin, who is also a human rights lawyer with background in international
law, explained. "Eventually, what was happening to Christians over the
last few years because of ISIS can be called a genocide. We certainly never
expected for things to get as bad as they did."
Kweskin told CP that the film features at least a dozen Christians from the
Middle East detailing their families' own stories of persecution. Additionally,
the film features remarks from leading religious freedom advocates, such as
former United States Congressman Frank Wolf, and experts such as Juliana
Taimoorazy, founder of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.
"When
we first started interviewing folks, especially in Iraq and Syria, we were
asking them to tell us about the recent violence. They said, 'I can tell you
about this recent violence but I am going to have to tell you about how my
parents were persecuted and my grandparents and my great grandparents and my
great, great grandparents,'" Kweskin said. "It's a lineage and heritage
of persecution. I think it is almost miraculous that there are any Christians
left in the Middle East."
She added that it is "incumbent" on Christians in the West to
"ensure that this ancient Christian community does not go extinct."
"Our
children will be saying to us, 'Where were you? Why did you let this happen on
your watch?'"
Kweskin
recalled the story of one Iraqi women interviewed for the film.
"She
was kidnapped, raped and tortured and her kidnappers wanted her to convert to
Islam, which she refused to do. I think that is amazing, just the fact that she
had such strength in her faith," she stated. "Then, her husband is
killed in front of her eyes. She escaped to Syria from Iraq. Just the torture
and pain that she endured, you just think, how can so much happen to one
community, to one person?"
Kweskin
told CP that she hopes the film serves as some sort of wake-up call to the
American church.
"We
have spoken to the persecuted in the Middle East and they ask us, 'Where are
our brothers and sisters?'" she said. "I think that it is a lack of
education and a lack of understanding. I really just hope that this is a key to
getting folks the education they need and really connecting them."
"Our
tagline is 'Be your brother's keeper.' I really do hope that this inspires
people to feel that their brothers and sisters are being persecuted and that
they need to stand up and take action."
The
film's website offers three ways that Christians in America and across the world
can help persecuted Christians in the Middle East, which Kweskin referred to as
the "three A's" — awareness, advocacy and aid.
"Awareness
is bringing the film to your church or community, posting a trailer on
Facebook, telling friends and family about it, getting on social media,"
she explained. "Advocacy is getting in touch with your congressman and
elected official and telling them that you care about this."
As
for aid, "The Faithkeepers Fund" has been established in which the
proceeds will be divided up among different vetted organizations that serve the
persecuted communities in the Middle East. Online donations can be made through
the film's webpage.
Kweskin
told CP that dozens of church across the country have already signed up to
screen the film. More information on how to host a screening or where
screenings will be held is available by clicking here.
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