Read the rest here.A jihadist group in Syria has demanded that Christians in the northern city of Raqqa pay a levy in gold and accept curbs on their faith, or face death.The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) said it would give Christian residents "protection" if they agreed to the list of conditions...
...The directive from ISIS, citing the Islamic concept of "dhimma", requires Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) of pure gold in exchange for their safety.
It says Christians must not make renovations to churches, display crosses or other religious symbols outside churches, ring church bells or pray in public. Christians must not carry arms, and must follow other rules imposed by ISIS (also known as ISIL) on their daily lives.
The statement said the group had met Christian representatives and offered them three choices - they could convert to Islam, accept ISIS' conditions, or reject their control and risk being killed.
"If they reject, they are subject to being legitimate targets, and nothing will remain between them and ISIS other than the sword," the statement said.
Imitating Christ: Being a Stranger and Sojourner
3 hours ago
4 comments:
So Muslims demand Christians adhere to their rules and/or their faith or be executed? That's never happened before! Religion of peace indeed.
But...but...but...I thought President W taught us all that "Islam means peace"! What could possibly have gone wrong?
/sarcasm
Kyrie eleison
Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we beseech You, Your grace unto our brothers and sisters in Syria. May they draw close to You through this time of tribulation. May they find peace, security, and comfort through the Presence of the Holy Spirit. May they suffer patiently, ever trusting in and experiencing Your Divine Assistance. May Your Church, together with all who call themselves by Your Name, suffer with our brethren in Syria, remember them always in prayer to You, and seek to relieve their oppression through every good and viable means. May the Muslims who are persecuting Your people in that land and in any other land be converted to You as Your people endure the fiery trial with patience and hope in Your Word. May Your Kingdom extend into all the Earth, and may false religions and philosophies fall as Your Gospel penetrates and permeates our fallen world. Amem.
Sigh. This is what happens when they *can* be Muslims. Take note. This only doesn't happen when they *can't*.
We've been awfully lucky. I suggest asking any Greek (ANY) about how their family fared from about a hundred years ago to as far back as they can record family history under the kind supervision of the Turks. Better, ask any Egyptian Christian. They have lived under Jim Crow law for about 1400 years. The cavalry has never come to rescue them. Recall the Greek family history has a fair chance of meeting a dead end as the history of that part of the world has had frequent episodes of whole villages disappearing into slave markets.
Similarly, try reading about some old Byzantine monuments in Constantinople. You'll find great buildings and churches with no recorded history. Speculation about the age, even the name of churches. Why? Because the population was forced out after the fall of the city and replaced with forced in new people, Greek and Muslim. A hundred years after the fall no one could name the buildings. The end of history for a civilization. It's happened in the East repeatedly, it's happening now.
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