Twelve years on, former Iraqi prisoner-of-war Jessica Lynch is working as an inspirational speaker and an actress in Christian-themed films, including a new release called One Church. She was interviewed on WABC Radio’s The Rita Cosby Show over the weekend, where she expressed concerns about terrorism, the rise of ISIS in Iraq, and the persecution of Christians.
Lynch mournfully predicted a “repeated cycle” of violence in Iraq. “I don’t know, honestly, if we as Americans can change them, and I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she said. “I think they’re going to continue with the way that it has been for years, for decades.”
Lynch felt the broadly-defined “enemy” was “determined to keep Iraq the way it has always been.” Violence and sectarian conflict are “what they’ve grown to know,” and she was doubtful a continuing American presence would change the situation in any lasting way.
Cosby asked about the atrocities perpetrated against Christians and spread through viral videos. “Because as Christians we believe one way, and they believe another way, it’s always going to be a conflict,” Lynch said. “Whether it’s with Iraq, or if it’s against a country. And that’s what they do. They’re going to target us. They’re going to try and take away what beliefs or faith we have. And, you know, as Christians, I believe that we’re going to stand strong. We’re going to continue praying. We’re going to continue with what we know.”
She described the videos of Christians beheaded by ISIS as “disturbing” and “absolutely horrible,” expressing deep sympathy for the victims and their families. “It’s been happening so much lately that I think it’s definitely a concern that we should all be kind of aware of.”
In fact, a new beheading video was released just this weekend, showing groups of Ethiopian Christians being murdered at two different locations in Libya.
When Cosby asked if the world was doing enough to protect Christian communities in the Middle East, Lynch replied, “Maybe not. Maybe not. Definitely I think things could be improved and handled differently.” She said that she would continue to pray for the safety of Christian families, and the safe return of American troops deployed overseas.
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