When he was just 18, Bashir met a Christian coworker in Iraq. Impressed by the man’s kindness and surprised to learn of his faith, he asked the man for a Bible. What Bashir read left him amazed. Could there really be a God of love?
Soon, he decided to follow Christ — a dangerous decision in his radical family of Islamic extremists.
One day, his family discovered him watching a Christian TV channel. They beat him, stabbed him in the face, broke his phone … and tried to kill him. His own father told a militia about him. They kidnapped him, breaking his arm. Bashir survived, but his entire family disowned him.
Still, Bashir would not deny Christ.
One day, four gunmen stormed into his home. They tried to assault Bashir, his wife, Dina, and their daughters, but they fled as their home was set on fire. Our Field Minister Nabeel, whom Bashir had connected with through a Help The Persecuted online ministry, offered Bashir Lightning Funds to help him purchase emergency food for his family.
Dina had initially been skeptical of Bashir’s newfound faith, but as she thought about how Bashir had grown more loving, she wanted to learn more. She joined him at an Enduring Faith Conference, where she placed her faith in Christ!
Although we offered to help him leave the country because of the danger, he wanted to remain in Iraq and help others come to know Christ. He wanted to tell his fellow Iraqis about God’s redemption! Through our Enduring Livelihood Ministry, Bashir worked with Nabeel to create a business plan for his own restaurant, making a way for him to have a stable income after losing everything because of persecution.
Bashir Would Not Deny Christ
One day, Bashir went missing. This time, it was for several months … but then Bashir came home! We were encouraged when he told our team,
“When I was kidnapped, I knew that you would take care of my family, and you have.”
—Bashir, Iraq
He reopened his restaurant and reached out to our Field Minister Salam, asking if there were other Christians he could help.
Bashir at his restaurant.
When he was arrested for opening his restaurant during Ramadan, he met a thief in prison. Bashir gave him a job. Our Field Minister Salam said, “He shared the gospel with him all the day long.”
Martyred for His Faith
Tragically, in June 2025, Bashir did not return home. That evening, he was found shot … executed by his own family for refusing to give up his faith in Christ.
At his funeral, Dina, although she was devastated, shared her faith in Christ with all who came. She told our team, “I will teach our daughters to walk the way that Bashir walked.”
In the midst of her grief, a friend told Dina,
“I don’t know what to say in this situation, but you must have faith that Bashir did not depart. He is with Christ, and Christ is with us, and we will all have eternal life.”
Her friend is right. Although we grieve, we do not grieve as those who do not have hope. And although Bashir is no longer with us on this earth, his witness endures. The Lord redeemed Bashir to life in Christ—and Bashir shared about his love until the day he died. There was no turning back.
However, because of you, Bashir’s death is not the end of the story. We are continuing to minister to his brave family! Dina has transformed Bashir’s restaurant into a shop that has become a beacon of hope in a hostile place. Like her faithful husband, Dina shares the love of God with all who come in. There is a light, and the darkness has not overcome it!