The
following excerpts are from Aina.org:
The
wildfire victories of the Islamic State (IS, formerly the Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria) in northern Iraq and Syria have left the
area's minorities under threat.
Torn
between fighting back and leaving for good, Assyrians, Syriacs,
Armenians, and Kurds, all inhabitants of the area and part of its
rich historic legacy, are weighing their ever-diminishing options.
IS
policies, inspired by a fanatical version of Islam, were made clear
in its conquest of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. There, they
destroyed Christian and Shiite places of worship and demanded that
all non-Muslims pay the jizya, an ancient poll tax, observe a certain
dress code, or convert to Islam.
Exile
is another option that the IS has offered to the conquered
population. Many escaped before the arrival of the hardened followers
of the Al-Qaeda affiliate, which recently declared its leader a
caliph and demanded that all Muslims obey him.
Last
week, IS forces converged on Al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria, a
province dominated by Christians, and claimed it would annex it to
its expanding territories.
IS
leaders said that they plan to "liberate" the provincial
capital of Al-Hasakah from the "hands of the infidels," an
epithet which it uses indiscriminately in reference to Muslims and
non-Muslims who oppose its brutal methods.
The
IS has proved itself to be a tough adversary in battle. Its fighters
are toughened by years of fighting in both Iraq and Syria, and have a
high morale after their recent successes. Armed with superior
weaponry stolen from the arms depots of the Iraqi army, IS fighters
are now engaged in skirmishes near Al-Hasakah, testing the city's
defences before an assault.
Inside
the city, the various communities have come together to defend
themselves. Reports from the beleaguered city speak of a growing
coalition of Kurds, Christian militia, and regime forces -- groups
that have conflicting agendas but are now united by the threat of a
common enemy.
Read
more by clicking below:
Syria's Christians Under Threat
