By Mel Lawrenz, Director of The Brook Network and creator of The Influence Project.

When we hear the phrase “land of the Bible” we think of Israel for obvious reasons. But many of the key turning points in the story of God in the Old Testament take place elsewhere, especially in a geographical area we know today as Iraq.

Genesis describes the birth of humanity in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are in Iraq. Abraham’s hometown, Ur, was in Iraq. The Assyrian empire, including the ancient city of Ninevah to which Jonah went, is in the north of Iraq. The Babyonian empire was located in Iraq. The city of Babylon, the ancient capital where Nebuchadnezzar reigned, is just 25 miles north of modern Baghdad. The shame of the tower of Babel is located in Iraq. The remarkable life of Daniel took place in Iraq.

The plains of Mesopotamia are called “the cradle of civilization,” but they are also the place of cyclical bloody conflict.

Today thousands of Christians are fleeing for their lives as one of the most radical terrorist groups the world has ever seen sweeps across the country of Iraq.

It has been called “a targeted religious cleansing of Christians.” The remaining 3,000 Christians in Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul (ancient Ninevah) appear to have fled for their lives and are anticipating not being able to ever return home. By some estimates there are 300,000 Christians (of all traditions) remaining in Iraq, a million or more having fled the country in recent years.

The headlines of the news are focusing on the tragic emerging civil war between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims. But we must not forget to pray for the hundreds of thousands of Christians who will not necessarily get much media attention, who are facing this “targeted religious cleansing” in the form of dozens of church attacks, killings, robberies, and rapes in the worst persecution witnessed in many years. (Note: 175 Christian leaders recently agreed to a “solidarity pledge” (PDF) in support of those being actively persecuted in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt today.)