Posted on 03/11/2015 7:16:30 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Two of the 200-plus Assyrian hostages kidnapped by the Islamic State during an assault on Christian villages along Syria's Khabur River in February have provided insight into their abduction in recent interviews where one revealed that the ISIS militants tried to force the Christian hostages to convert to Islam, but the captives boldly refused.
On Feb. 23, the terrorist group raided approximately 35 different Christian villages in the Hasakah province and abducted somewhere between 263 to 373 men, women and children, according to the Assyrian International News Agency. But about a week after the raids, ISIS released a handful of hostages on March 1.
A released hostage going by the name of "Robert" told AINA that he was abducted from his village of Tel Goran, which is on the south bank of the Khabur River, along with 16 other men and four women. He recalls the militants storming into his village at around 5 a.m., knocking on all the doors and waking everybody up.
He explained that the terrorists corralled everybody who was left in the village and placed them all into a small room, where they waited until the fighting subsided between the ISIS fighters and the Kurdish forces, who were stationed on the north side of the river.
Robert further explained that the fighting subsided about three hours after being placed in the room, and said the militants got upset when the local church's bell rang in the quiet of the night. Then, the Assyrian captives were transported to the Abdul Aziz Mountain, where they were placed into two rooms and spent the night.
While staying at the mountain, Robert recalls that the first thing the militants did was demand that the hostages convert to Islam.
"They asked us to convert to Islam. … Yes, that was their [first] idea that we should convert to Islam," Robert said. "Many bearded people spoke to us, and everyone asked us to convert to Islam."
When asked about how many militants had spoken to them about conversion, Robert replied, "very many, everyone spoke to us who saw us."
After spending the night in the house at Abdul Aziz Mountain, Robert said he and the rest of the hostages were driven about four hours north in the mountains. When they arrived, the hostages were placed into two different homes where they remained for five days until they were released.
Although they were in a new location, the militants' goal was still to get the hostages to convert to Islam.
"They kept pressuring us to convert to Islam. It was their constant focus. But we were not mistreated." Robert continued. "We said we would not convert. They said you must then pay the jizya [a Christian poll tax] or leave the country. That was the option given to us. We said we would pay the jizya but we would not convert."
Although the hostages were told they would have to pay, Robert said the militants uncharacteristically released them without forcing them to pay the tax.
"They said this time they would not collect the jizya because we had not fought against them. They said that they would release use on one condition — that we not return to our village," Robert added. "They said if we returned and they captured us again they would kill us without any other option; they would behead the men and enslave the women."
Even though the ISIS fighters continuously tried to get the Christians to convert, Robert said he and the rest of the hostages were not roughed up or cruelly treated and were even given everything they needed.
"We were provided with all necessities — food, water, bathing facilities. They brought us everything," Robert asserted.
Another released hostage from Tel Goran, going by the name "Peter," told The Times he and the other hostages were tried in Shariah court, but it was ruled that they were non-combatants. The Times reports that a Sunni tribal leader helped negotiate their release.
Graeme Wood, a writer with The Atlantic who covers the Islamic State, told CNN that ISIS' willingness to release the hostages by order of Shariah courts is an attempt to build more religious credibility.
"ISIS has claimed for a long time to follow rules, and it claims that these Shariah courts will impose limits," Wood said. "They can attempt to get credibility by showing that they follow rules and that they have some kind of transparent process that follows their particular implementation of Shariah law."
Robert added that upon release, ISIS hired a car to take the hostages to the town of Hasakah, where other Christians from the region have taken refuge in a church.
As ISIS has seized many of the region's villages, Robert said he and many other Assyrians in the region are planning to flee to Lebanon.
ISIS' control of the region gives the group access to a key bridge that crosses the Khabur River.
Even though Robert, Peter and the rest of the hostages they were with from Tel Goran were released, over 200 Assyrians remain in ISIS captivity after more than two weeks. Other reports have indicated that ISIS may have executed 15 other Christian hostages.
I know Our Lord commands us to turn the other cheek — but comes there not a time for militancy in the church?
The Assyrian Christians don’t have weapons to fight back. In other words, Syria does not have the second amendment.
The link below contains hot links to all the stories listed:
http://www.aina.org/releases/20150226225711.htm
Attacks on Assyrians in Syria By ISIS and Other Muslim Groups
February 27, 2015
3/7/2015 ISIS Crosses River in New Attacks on Assyrian Villages in Syria
3/4/2015 Assyrian Hostage Released By ISIS: We Cannot Go Back to Our Homes
3/3/2015 ISIS Releases 4 More Assyrians, Including 6 Year-old Mariana
3/1/2015 19 Assyrians Released By ISIS But Hundreds Remain Captured
3/1/2015 Assyrians Protest ISIS Attacks on Assyrians in Syria
3/1/2015 Conflicting Reports on Release of Some of the Assyrians Held By ISIS
2/27/2015 Negotiations for the Release of Assyrians Captured By ISIS Still Ongoing
2/26/2015 Up to 373 Assyrians Captured By ISIS, Executions Have Begun
2/26/2015 Assyrians Captured By ISIS Now At 150, Negotiations for Their Release in Progress
2/24/2015 Assyrian Hostages in Syria Are ‘Safe’, Says ISIS Member
2/23/2015 ISIS Attacks Assyrian Villages in Syria, 4 Killed, Dozens Captured, Churches Burned
5/1/2014 ISIS Destroys 3000 Year-old Assyrian Artifacts in Syria
1/23/2015 Two Assyrians Killed in Syria
10/2/2014 Three Assyrians Kidnapped in Syria
7/31/2014 Assyrians Leaving Hassakah, Syria for Fear of ISIS
6/1/2014 Assyrian Boy Killed By Sniper in Syria
10/30/2013 Al-Qa’ida Desecrates Church in Syria
9/24/2013 Syrian Christian Converts to Islam At Hands of Al-Qaeda
9/23/2013 Syrian Jihadist Rebels Murder Assyrian Man for Being Christian
8/9/2013 Syrian Rebels Destroy Orthodox Church in Al-Thawrah
8/4/2013 Syrian Rebels to Assyrians: Convert to Islam to Keep Your Jobs
7/30/2013 Assyrian Village in Syria Attacked By Muslims
4/22/2013 Syrian Bishops Kidnapped By Rebels
4/18/2013 Islamist Ultimatum to Syrian Christians: Convert, Leave, or Die
4/7/2013 500 Assyrians From Syria Flee to Turkey in Last 3 Days
4/3/2013 Assyrian Man Kidnapped and Killed in Syria
1/31/2013 Bus Attacked in Syria, Several Killed and Wounded
1/18/2013 25,000 Christians Besieged By Muslim Rebels in Hasaka, Syria
11/20/2012 Third Attack in New Assyrian Quarter in Aleppo, Scores Injured and Killed
5/12/2012 Jihadists Seize Christian Village in Syria, Expel Its Residents
Christian’s refusing to convert to Islam in Syria.
(Getting a bit teary-eyed) I hope I would have the courage to do the same. I think I would, but no one ever knows until the situation actually happens.
"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake," Phil 1:29
This time the Syrian Christians were given four choices: convert to Islam, submit to Islam and pay the tax, leave the area, or die. They said they would not convert, but they would pay the tax, and they had not fought against the Islamists, so they were not killed. This is “moderate” Islam. Others have been given only two choices: convert or die.
Thanks for the ping.
Hey didn’t the US go to the aid of Muslims who were the victims of genocide?
more than a little interesting!!
That’s not a suicide pact if that’s the reason you put it up.
The Christian faith is NOT a sucide pact!
Did not Jesus say “sell your cloak to buy a sword?”
God Bless the Middle Eastern Christians!
Correction: “Not a suicide pact!”
RE: The Christian faith is NOT a sucide pact!
Then Peter was justified in denying Christ in order to preserve his life? Hey, not doing so would have been tantamount to suicide...
RE: go to the site, religion of peace .com
Nothing interesting. The domain is for sale.
Did not Jesus say at the last supper, “sell your cloak to get a sword” ?
There comes a time when you HAVE TO defend the Christian faith. Even these Christians did what they did to defend their faith.
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