URGENT: Christians in Mosul flee after ISIS’ deadline expires
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) The New York Times revealed on Saturday that the Christian population of Mosul fled only with their clothes after the deadline of 24 hours that was decreed by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to leave the province, convert to Islam, pay Jizya or be killed,” adding that “the organization of ISIL gave, earlier, Christians the choice, either to join Islam or pay tribute.” The tribute is a tax known as the Jizya. This announcement was reported by IraqiNews.com on Friday: URGENT: ISIL leader Al-Baghdadi gives Christians 24 hours to leave Nineveh, directs ISIL to loot Christian property
The newspaper said in a report today that “men, women and children rushed towards the vehicles of their neighbors, and some were forced to ride bicycles to reach outside of the city, while others boarded taxis,” indicating that “the Christians fleeing Mosul did not take anything with them more than their clothes.”
The newspaper pointed out that “it was a true end to the Christians in the city on Friday, the elements of ISIL appeared in a video on YouTube while they demolish the tomb of the prophet Jonah in Nineveh, which was confirmed by Duraid Hikmat, a researcher and expert on minorities who fled a few weeks ago to the city of Kosh. Another video also shows the insurgents drop the highest Cross Cathedral of St. Ephraim in Mosul and the raising of the black flag of ISIL, in addition the gunmen destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary.”
On Friday, the Niveneh Council member, Zuhair al-Chalabi said that the leader of the organization of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave Christians till Saturday to leave the province or they will be killed, while he pointed to his followers to loot their property and possessions.
Today the Secretariat General of the holy Shia shrine of Imam Abbas (PBUH) announced preparations to host Christian families who were displaced from their houses in Nineveh province by ISIL terrorists: Displaced Christians from Mosul welcomed by Imam Abbas Holy Shrine
On June 20, 2014, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Iraq revealed that the organization of ISIL imposed the Jizya tribute to Christian citizens in Mosul, in an attempt to pressure them and expelled them from the city, calling on the government and the international community to put an end to that.