“Correspondents say ISIS is trying to implement an extreme interpretation of Islamic law in areas it controls.” In reality, it is as “extreme” as the Qur’an, which tells Muslims to fight Christians until they “pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued” (9:29). And the restrictions they have imposed on the Christians in Raqqa are classic provisions of Islamic law. Umdat al-Salik (The Reliance of the Traveler), a manual for the Shafi’i school of Islamic jurisprudence certified as “conforming to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni community” by Egypt’s al-Azhar University, explains that non-Muslims are “forbidden to ring church bells or display crosses, recite the Torah or Evangel aloud, or make public display of their funerals and feastdays, and are forbidden to build new churches” (o11.5 (6,7)). The other restrictions on Christians, such as the prohibition on their bearing arms, are also elements of the laws for dhimmis in all the schools of Islamic law.
“Syria crisis: ISIS imposes rules on Christians in Raqqa,” from the BBC, February 27 (thanks to Peter):
Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) marching in Raqqa, Syria The northern city of Raqqa was seized by ISIS fighters last year
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 announcement came in a statement posted online.
Correspondents say ISIS is trying to implement an extreme interpretation of Islamic law in areas it controls.
Raqqa, seized by ISIS last year, was the first provincial capital to be completely in the hands of rebels.
‘Risking the sword’
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.
A group of 20 Christian leaders chose to accept the new set of rules, ISIS said.
Raqqa was once home to about 300,000 people, with less than 1% Christian, according to AFP news agency.
Many Christians fled after ISIS started attacking and burning churches.
The group has been accused of serious abuses in the areas it controls.
Raqqa has seen fierce violence between ISIS and rival groups fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
More than 2,000 people are believed to have been killed since Western-backed and Islamist groups attacked ISIS strongholds in early January.
bernie says
They are in a Catch-22; even if they do follow those oppressive, hypocritical and extortionist conditions, they still risk being killed simply because they are non-Muslims, and don’t feel like being forced to convert to Islam against their will.
fair_dinkum says
the atrocities must be being filtered by our ‘free press’
ISIS is only one brutal faction of murderous cowards operating in syria. and there are many on both the shia and sunni sides and none of them will tolerate Christians or other religions or atheists. (if such a thing as atheists in the region)
.
who knows how long this will go on for. maybe until there is a full blown war between iran and the surrounding sunni countries. lets hope.
in the meantime, and probably forever, non moslems are going to be ruthlessly targeted as above. this is islam.
Tom Rkid Wilson says
BASTARDS
boakai ngombu says
“… 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….”
back to the 7th and 8th century, similar commands were first heard, issued by savages and raiders with similar intent … that approach has not been changed by the slaves to the SHARIA as it is an efficient tool used to subjugate millions and kill off hundreds of millions more throughout the ages.
The marvelous SHARIA, barely modified, never rejected by the Muslims (enslaved by it themselves) does not bestow righteousness upon any land.
pongidae rex says
When the devout followers of a religion feel that they must hide behind ski masks and automatic weapons, it tells you all you need to know about what they belieive.
eib says
And how, I wonder, will these Christians be made to feel themselves subdued. How will they be stripped of their human dignity?
To allow this is to allow a lot of things.
Rape, dispossession, murder, humiliation of every kind, without any criminal penalties.
The humanity of the Christians has been denied. Formally.
And NOT ONE WORD from the rest of the world.
eib says
Quote:
A group of 20 Christian leaders chose to accept the new set of rules, ISIS said.
end
Do not fault them for this.
There will be martyrs all the same.
To deal with the devil is to put off the slaughter; it would be far worse to submit outright.
Better to lose your life than your soul.
Better, perhaps, to be humiliated than lose your soul.
Defcon 4 says
Does anyone remember that Baghdad’s majority population was once Jewish? Gee, I’m almost seeing a pattern in the islam0fascist Mid-East, a pattern in which the millennial old population of Jews was ethnically cleansed from the islamofascist states of the Mid-East and N. Africa and now the Christians. Gee, what could be the common, underlying ideology responsible for it?
Jay Boo says
I had to take a mid-term exam on campus today for an online course.
I saw a young 20 something age student with a Save Syria T shirt.
No child should have to live through the hell occurring in Syria so I can certainly concur with the supposed sentiment expressed.
However, my spidy sense tells me this may be more of an expression of flaunting politically correct coexist with anything that sounds Islamic so as appear non-Islamophobic.
onisac says
I feel bad for the Christians still in the middle-east. There is no doubt in my mind, that after Islam destroys Israel and the Christians will be next.
Mean while the administration remains setting on their hands taking it all in, while saying Islam is the religion of peace. This is alarming. How can the government be so naïve, and ignorant all at once..?