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Christian humanitarian tells of captivity in Iraq

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A French Christian has published a book recounting his abduction and tortuous captivity by Islamic terrorists while on a humanitarian trip in Iraq, the Christian Post reports. The author of the new book ‘Kidnapped in Iraq: A Christian Humanitarian Tells His Story,’ Alexandre Goodarzy recently spoke of his work and captivity with the Christian Post (CP).

Alexandre Goodarzy was working as a school teacher in France when, in 2014, he determined God was calling him to help Christians battling violent oppression by Islamic groups in the Middle East.

When he learned of the humanitarian work by the non-profit organization SOS Christians of the Middle East in Syria, Goodarzy felt that joining them was a way he could help.

“[SOS] was for me a call from the Lord, a call to serve Him by coming to relieve His children, my brothers,” Goodarzy explained.

In his book, Kidnapped in Iraq: A Christian Humanitarian Tells His Story, Goodarzy describes working with SOS in Aleppo in Syria, and in Baghdad in Iraq. And it was while he was in Iraq in January 2020 that he was abducted by Shiite Iraqi terrorists and held in captivity for just over two months.

“Your lives will end here,” Goodarzy’s captors frequently told him and other hostages with him.

“Forget about seeing your families again,” the kidnappers said. The hostages were given barely any food and were made to sleep on a cold floor with filthy stinking blankets. The terrorists played the hostages Quranic chanting over and over without stopping for a week. The hostages were also blindfolded or made to wear goggles that were spray painted black so nothing could be seen, Goodarzy told CP.

Goodarzy held on to his faith, however, and he prayed. In March 2020, Goodarzy and his fellow captives were released, after 66 days in captivity, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold, CP said.