Dear Friends,

March was an eventful month at IDC!  On the Hill, IDC focused its efforts on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.  We initiated new conversations- to lay the groundwork for legislation aimed to monitor the decline in religious minority demographics across the Middle East. We also prepared members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa for a private briefing on the status of religious freedom across Central Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

We invite you to register to join us at the IDC "Learn at Lunch" seminar this Thursday, March 30 at 1:00 PM (EST), where Dr. Abouaoun (Director of MENA Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace) will discuss the demographic decline of Christians in Iraq over the past two decades.  For April’s Learn at Lunch seminar, IDC will be partnering with the Armenian National Committee of America to examine Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.  Stay tuned for more details!

I’m excited to share that episode #1 of the IDC “In the Middle” podcast has been released!  Check out my conversation with Gia Chacon, founder of "For the Martyrs,” where we discuss the plight of Christians, American social currents, and the movement of faith and witness she leads.  "In the Middle" can be found on all major podcast platforms, and YouTube, with new episodes dropping monthly.

As we continue into 2023, we ask that you continue to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who face ever-growing persecution and violence around the world.  Also, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to IDC's efforts in advocating for persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East and around the world.  Our work is dependent on your generosity!

Richard Ghazal

Executive Director

In March, IDC met with Rep. James Baird (R-IN), Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), Rep. William Keating (D-MA), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC), and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL).

IDC invites you to join its monthly "Learn at Lunch" seminar on Thursday, March 30 at 1:00 PM (EST).  Dr. Abouaoun, Director of MENA Programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, will discuss the demographic decline of Christians in Iraq over the past two decades. 

In Defense of Christians (IDC) is accepting applications for full- or part-time student internships at its Washington, DC headquarters office.

The Kazma Internship Program is tailored to undergraduate and graduate students, and young professionals, who are interested in matters of religious freedom and foreign policy. Interns make important contributions in each facet of IDC’s mission to protect, preserve, and strengthen persecuted Christian communities in the Middle East and around the world.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume to richard@indefenseofchristians.org.