Bill's Log: Iraqi Christians Face Death

I heard the alarming news that Christians were fleeing Mosul after a declaration from ISIS militants that unless they converted to Islam or paid a tax, they could only expect the sword. Before the 9.00 am (BST) deadline today, thousands left Mosul for nearby Kurdistan which claims autonomy from Iraq and the newly declared ISIS Islamic State.

According the United Nations, other minority groups are being persecuted by these ISIS jihadist militants, namely Chaldeans, Assyrians, Mandeans, Yazidis, Shabaks and Shiite Turkmen.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-styled leader of ISIS, has no qualms about his militia killing, kidnapping and threatening ethnic minorities. His ambition is to expand territory recently gained by a sweeping invasion across northern Iraq and into northern Syria. He has declared the area under his control a 'caliphate', i.e., an Islamic state. Furthermore, he has urged all followers of Islam to swear allegiance to him as their leader. His ambition is to gain control of large swathes of land in the Middle East, North Africa, and western Asia - even into Europe, the Balkans, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Spain.

In an effort to establish credence with followers of Islam, Abu Bakr al-Bahdadi has renamed himself Caliph Ibrahim, the name of Prophet Muhammad’s son. He probably sees himself as the Prophet’s modern day successor administering strict Sharia law.

Links

ISIS Forces Last Iraqi Christians to Flee Mosul

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/world/middleeast/isis-forces-last-iraqi-christians-to-flee-mosul.html?_r=0

Thousands of Iraqi Christians pour out of Mosul after ISIS jihadis gave them deadline to convert, pay or face death

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2698114/Thousands-Iraqi-Christians-pour-Mosul-ISIS-jihadis-deadline-convert-pay-face-death.html

Islamist takeover may mean ‘death knell’ for Iraq’s Christians

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/islamist.takeover.may.be.death.knell.for.iraqs.christians/38128.htm#

Islamic extremists kill 270 in attack on gas field in central Syria, report says

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/18/world/meast/iraq-isis-christians-threatened/index.html

The ISIS map of the world: Militants outline chilling five-year plan for global domination

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2674736/ISIS-militants-declare-formation-caliphate-Syria-Iraq-demand-Muslims-world-swear-allegiance.html#ixzz37vCNjvnF

Iraq crisis: UN condemns 'war crimes' as another town falls to Isis

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10904414/Iraq-crisis-UN-condemns-war-crimes-as-another-town-falls-to-Isis.html