They Say We Are Infidels
Mindy Belz
Discussion Guide
1. Much of the world was unaware of ISIS until 2014, when its genocide, rapes, shootings, and
beheadings began to dominate the national news. What was your understanding of ISIS at
that time? How did you understand the dangers to the Middle East? To the world? To
persecuted Christians in the region? What did you believe the West’s responsibility to be?
How has your understanding been impacted through reading They Say We Are Infidels?
2. At the time of Mindy Belz’s writing, countries around the world are facing the crisis of
providing asylum for refugees, and many observers—Christians and non-Christians—are
divided on how their country should respond. What are your own opinions, and do you find
your understanding of the refugee crisis changed by a more personal knowledge of the
individuals affected, like Insaf?
3. One woman tells Belz of her life in a Muslim neighborhood: “Every day you see people
going to school and going to the store. They are fighting for their way of life. They are
wanting to be normal.” What does this say to you about the human spirit? What do you think
gives us the ability to stand up under adversity?
4. Insaf explains to Belz why interview subjects can be reluctant to speak freely to an outsider:
“There is a fear inside every Iraqi that built for thirty years. It is not easy to get away from it.
They are still afraid of retribution.” What do historical events such as the American civil
rights movement and the Holocaust teach us about the long-term effects of fear and
retribution in other societies? What parallels exist for the Middle East in our modern day?
5. Belz says: “Everywhere I turned, families young and old were showing me what it looked
like to let go of kindred and possessions, to leave and return, to take nothing for granted
about their futures.” What does this example illustrate about life and faith?
6. Why do you think targeted attacks on church leaders, such as those described in chapter 11,
have such a widespread effect on the surrounding communities?
7. How does the death of Jeremiah Small impact the relationships between Christians and
Muslims in Kurdistan? How do Christian workers like Yousif Matty respond? Why do some
believe that it is the duty of Christians and Muslims to live together?
8. Regarding the events of 2011, Belz states: “Paying attention to what happened to the
Christians was an important way to understand the war the Islamic militants were prepared to
fight.” Later, in chapter 16, we witness the events in 2014 when ISIS descends upon Mosul.
How are the two connected? Why do you believe ISIS was able to cause such destruction to a
civilization that has existed for thousands of years? Why does ISIS specifically charge its
adherents to “Empty the city of all Christians: Take their women; they are yours, and behead
the Christian men”?
9. Belz has an encounter with a woman in an Orlando parking lot that turns into a moment of
great decision. Why is it so momentous for her, as a journalist, to become involved, and why
do you think she makes the choice she does?
10. Despite the risks to an American journalist, Belz continues to return to Iraq, and even takes
her son on one trip, entrusting him to her acquaintances. What do these experiences teach her
about herself and her relationship with God?
11. What are your own opinions about the Western response to the events in the Middle East
over the course of the last decade?
12. What can we do in response to the plight of the Middle Eastern Christians? What do you
think it will take for Christianity to again flourish in Iraq?