Brave Iraqi Pastor continues country's only Christian radio station despite death threats from Islamic extremists

Maher Fouad lives everyday threatened by terrorists.

Maher Fouad, an Iraqi Christian pastor, has escaped death along with one of his deacons when a bomb was detonated just moments after he left his building.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Fouad and one of his deacons, brought a church bus to a local garage in Baghdad to have it repaired. After Fouad drove away from the garage and onto the street a bomb exploded inside the garage. The mechanic died, as well as another individual who was traveling behind the church bus.

A post by the Iraqi Christian radio station, 102.9 FM, stated, "On Tuesday, our Baghdad church bus broke down and needed a spare part. Pastor Maher Fouad and a deacon from the church went to a garage to fix it," noting the mechanic asked them to go to another repair shop because he didn't have the part they needed.

The church bus' windows shattered from the explosion, but both Fouad and the deacon were physically unharmed during the incident. Fouad is used to encountering threats in his life. As a pastor who has bravely ran a Christian radio station for ten years, he has received a lot of death threats from those opposed to his beliefs.

It isn't clear if the bomb that exploded was intended for Fouad, but the he is intent on continuing to pray and share Christian gospels over the radio.

102.9 FM is the first Christian radio station of its kind in Iraq. Fouad tells the media that the project was a pioneering one.

"No one ever applied for a radio station in the history of Iraq, especially a Christian radio station," explained Fouad.

According to Fouad, he doesn't feel like stopping his ministry work, even if a lot of Christians have left the country fearing for their safety from the Islamic State terror group.

Fouad added they are reaching out to eight million people now, and some call the radio station requesting prayers. He explains the Lord has protected them and will continue to protect them in the days to come.

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