In a heartfelt prayer on the eve of the U.S. presidential election, an Iraqi priest publicly appealed for divine intervention, asking the Lord to bring a strong leader to the United States—one who would protect persecuted Christians across the globe, particularly in the Middle East.
The priest, whose community has faced severe hardship, believes that Donald Trump embodies this hope for strong leadership.
“This day, November fourth, the eve of the U.S. presidential elections, I pray to the Lord for peace in the world, especially in the Middle East, where many countries are suffering from war and violence.
“I pray to the Lord to send us leaders who can guide the world—especially here in the Middle East and in places where Christians are persecuted—toward peace.
We pray for you, Mr. Trump, asking the Lord to make you President of the U.S., for the good not only of the U.S. but of the world. May God bless you and bless the U.S.”
WATCH:
This is a beautiful video! On the eve of the US Elections, a priest in #Iraq prays to the Lord to send us not only a strong leader for the U.S. but one to help persecuted Christians! @realDonaldTrump @JDVance @AlinaHabba @TuckerCarlson @DonaldJTrumpJr pic.twitter.com/WbyMFniCnf
— Iraqi Christian Foundation (@iraqschristians) November 4, 2024
His words reflect the deep gratitude many Iraqi Christians feel toward Trump, who, unlike the Biden administration, recognized the struggles of Iraq’s Christian communities and took concrete actions to support them.
Fr. Benedict Kiely, writing for European Conservative, explained how, under the Trump administration, Iraq’s Christians received life-changing support in rebuilding communities devastated by ISIS.
He recalls a Mosul priest, whose church was transformed into a torture center by ISIS, fervently praying for Trump’s victory as he saw in him a leader who truly understood their plight.
Now, according to Fr. Kiely, the support for Iraq’s Christian population has dwindled, even as the Christian population in Nineveh faces new threats. Shia militias, backed by Iran, have gained control in Christian areas, casting a long shadow over local governance and stoking fears of further religious persecution.
The European Conservative reported:
For the Christians in Iraq and Syria, there was one man they hoped would win: Donald Trump. I still remember a priest from Mosul in one of the camps. ISIS had used his Church as a torture centre: he repeated three times to me, “I love Drump.” They felt abandoned by the Obama administration, and believed that Trump would help them. Every time we asked who they prayed would be the next president, the answer was the same, and it was never Obama.
When their prayers were answered, the Trump administration immediately began assisting with aid and the reconstruction of Nineveh, as the caliphate was defeated. I visited the region many times during both the Obama and Trump administrations, and I was able to see what American help meant for the much-reduced number of Christians who returned home. While far from easy, the assistance made a significant difference, even as the Christian community in Nineveh suffered the new threat of the increasing control exercised by the Shia militias, or Popular Mobilization Units, controlled by Iran.
Fast forward to January 2020 and almost the first decision of the new Biden/Harris administration was to cut off all support for persecuted Christians, not only in Iraq, but across the globe, including Nigeria, where Christians are being slaughtered at a genocidal rate. LGBTQ and other progressive issues became the dominant focus in handing out aid. Christians were not just pushed to the bottom of the pile; they were not acknowledged at all.
I have returned to Iraq many times since Biden’s election, and I have seen the situation for the Christians of Nineveh continue to deteriorate. An ISIS offshoot group is beginning to strengthen. Lack of aid is forcing more and more people to emigrate, thus not only worsening the migration crisis, but continuing to empty the cradle of Christianity of its ancient people. The instability across the Middle East, especially since October 7th, is making life for Christians, always the minority with little influence, more precarious.
Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.
You can email Jim Hᴏft here, and read more of Jim Hᴏft’s articles here.
