18 July 2014n Iraq Christians told to convert or face death :O :/ :( Islamic State group tells Christian community in Mosul they face death if they do not embrace Islam or pay tax... The Islamic State group has threatened Christians in the Iraqi city of Mosul with death if they do not to convert to Islam or pay a tax, Al Jazeera has learned. The Sunni rebel group issued the orders in a letter after Friday prayers. The document, obtained by Al Jazeera, states that the order was issued after Christian leaders failed to attend a meeting called by the group. In response, the group says in the letter that Christians must either convert to Islam, pay a special tax on non-Muslims known as jiziya, or face death as a last resort. Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, was overrun by the Islamic State group and allied rebel groups last month. he Iraqi army units stationed in the city, most of whom were Shia, fled after the group crossed from Syria and attacked the north of Iraq. Before the attack, Mosuls Christian community was estimated at 3,000. Many are believed to have already fled the city as part of an exodus of up to one-third of the population. Churches and Christian-owned shops in the city were reported smashed by those who fled. The Islamic States leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, held a sermon in Mosuls grand mosque two weeks ago, calling on all Muslims to unite behind his group. The Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, has issued similar demands in areas in control in Syria, and has posted pictures of Christians being crucified for disobeying orders in Raqqa. Church leaders in Iraq have not responded to the threats officially. Nickolay Mladenov, the head of the UN assistance mission In Iraq, condemned the order. Any persecution of minorities constitutes a crime against humanity and we urge all sides to protect civilians. We have produced a report listing attacks on civilians and have brought this up at the highest levels of the Iraqi government. aljazeera/news/middleeast/2014/07/iraq-christians-told-convert-face-death-2014718111040982432.html
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 07:29:14 +0000
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