Photo Essay: Christians Under Attack in Iraq

Comprising one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, followers of Jesus have lived in Iraq for nearly 2,000 years. But with thousands of families fleeing on a biblical scale since the 2003 U.S. invasion, Iraqi Christians face an uncertain future.

A test of faith: Throughout the centuries, Iraqi Christians have survived invasions by Turks and Mongols, but the sectarian strife in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion has subjected the small but hardy community to some of the worse persecution in its history. Despite the stability widely attributed to the so-called surge, violence against Christians in recent weeks is evidence enough that the community still isnt in the clear.

Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Preeti Aroon was copy chief at Foreign Policy from 2009 to 2016 and was an FP assistant editor from 2007 to 2009. Twitter: @pjaroonFP

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