They Say We Are Infidels By Mindy Belz

"The lights are going out all over Europe; We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime"- Sir Edward Grey, on World War I

Here in America, we call the men and women of World War II the Greatest Generation.  We call them that in part due to their willingness to stand up to atrocities. They were not only willing to call out evil for what it was, but also willing to put their words into action and stop the evil from continuing. Unbelievably we have the same situation occurring today, but no one is willing to stand up.  In fact, no one is even really willing to SAY anything.  Since 2003 over 1 million Christians have been killed or forced to leave Iraq based solely on their beliefs.  But its more than just Christians.  Muslims (who don't ascribe to ISIS interpretation of the Quran), Kurds (an ethnic group in the middle east. 4-6.5 million people in Iraq), and Yazidis (ethnically Kurdish religious group. 650,000-1 million in Iraq) are being slaughtered, forced to watch the execution of their families,  rapped, sold into human trafficking, forced to leave their homes, forced to watch century old towns (that trace back to the Ottoman Empire) be completely leveled and no one is doing anything.  ISIS is literally wiping out centuries old towns and slaughtering thousands of men, women, and children while no one is doing or saying anything about it. We are literally turning a blind eye.  Except Mindy Belz

They Say We Are Infidels is Mindy Belz fascinating and courageous attempt to ring the alarm bell.  They Say We Are Infidels chronicles Mindy's several trips to Iraq as she talks, lives, and cares for those on the ground in the post Saddam regime and present ISIS takeover.  They Say We Are Infidels presents to us the Iraqi Christian PEOPLE. Not just the story, not just the history, but the people.  We often forget that each of these news stories (count yourself lucky if you have even seen a news story about this) involves actual people,  and if you are a Christian they are about brothers and sisters, they are about those apart of the body. Even if you are not Christian, or even self identify with any faith, this is still about people. Most of us would still agree on some basic beliefs and sacredness of human life.  This is why I would recommend this book for everyone. 

Mindy writes with a gentleness, gritty ground level view, and presents a real time account of this ongoing tragedy in the Middle East.  With her twenty years of journalistic experience, this book is crafted with a professionalism that you would come to expect.  The right amount of historical background, objective facts, clear details, and historical timelines are presented while allowing the humanism of the story to saturate each chapter. You will be presented with the graphic but really account of what is happening to these people groups. You will be angry that people can treat each other with such horrific indifference, and you will be angry that these stories have been "minor" stories reported by our mainstream media.  This book will cause you to remember similar atrocities of the past, but there is one significant difference.  These atrocities are currently on going.  Like the Sir Edwards Grey quote above these lights and lives are still being put out.  So what will we do? What will our generation be remember as?  Dietrich Bonhoeffer (A German pastor who was killed for standing up to the Nazi's) said it best "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.  Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act". In my opinion, your first action should be to get this book.  Then here are a few resources to get you started:

Voice of the Martyrs: http://www.persecution.com
Samaritans's Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org
Open Doors: https://www.opendoorsusa.org
Mindy Belz: http://theysayweareinfidels.com 

I received They Say We Are Infidels by Mindy Belz compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this book for my review and the opinions are strictly my own.