5-Year-Old Christian Boy Kidnapped, Killed in Iraq

By Anne Thomas
Christian Today Reporter
Sat, May. 16 2009

A five-year-old Christian boy was kidnapped and executed by an unknown group who demanded a ransom of $50,000 for his release, a persecution watchdog group reported this week.

Tony Adwar Shawell was kidnapped on March 5. His body was found with numerous bullet wounds on May 11, according to International Christian Concern.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 it has become commonplace for criminal gangs and Islamic militants to kidnap and murder Christians. Christians are often mistakenly believed to have rich relatives in the West, making them a prime target for kidnappings. The identity of the Shawell's killers is so far unknown. the rest