In the province of Damascus where the Islamic State now controls, Christians were gathered in a theater and forced to sign a contract with heavy stipulations and taxation. The contract will give them a status of second-class citizen and forces them to “respect” Islam.
This is the choice the Christians chose over renouncing their faith and converting to Islam. In exchange for the taxes they must now pay under the contract, the IS says that it will be committed to protecting their property as any other Muslim citizen, or so it says.
Here’s the Contract the Islamic State Group Is Forcing Christians to Sign in Sy… http://t.co/rHFjmQ8aHM via @theblaze
— claire mckenna (@menomadness) September 6, 2015
There are stipulations. At no point can they build a church, hold a Bible in public, build a cemetery, wear a cross, and no Muslim should hear them reciting the words of the Bible or their prayers. The list goes on. Essentially, they are to keep their faith to themselves and if they are accused of any of the above, they will face extreme consequences.
These stories are not new. The difference that we are seeing now is that the region has been in turmoil under the tyrannical rule of ISIS. Natural disasters have also occurred affecting large areas and people. These are perfect opportunities for the IS to swoop in and either convert Christians or kill them on the spot.
A recent example would be in Pakistan where many Christians were victims of a flood and were forced to convert or die.
#Pakistan: #Christian flood victims forced to convert to #Islam, become slaves to #Muslims or die http://t.co/TEZgwn213b@jihadwatchRS
— Vishwajeet Singh (@nargunduandhra) August 29, 2015
We have seen numerous occasions where Christians are preyed upon. In many cases the Christians are victims of natural disasters or refugees. In Syria for instance, many have taken advantage of the vulnerable Christian refugees that have been victimized by the hostile forces that destroy their homes and then force them to renounce their faith.
WARNING! Graphic Content.
SYRIA Christian man forced to convert to Islam, then gets beheaded anyw… https://t.co/2tq1dvKypZ
— Sarah (@sarah_sarife72) September 6, 2015
It will not end until someone takes real action.