Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf took to the House floor recently to tell his colleagues what is happening in Iraq at the hands of ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham: He said: “Christianity as we know it in Iraq is being wiped out.”
Christians have lived in Mosul, Iraq for nearly 2000 years alongside Muslims. A center of Christian antiquity, Mosul is considered by Middle Eastern Christians to be one of their holiest cities, containing Christianity’s oldest churches and relics. It’s in Nineveh province once considered a sanctuary for Iraq’s embattled Christians.
The Sunni Islamist group, ISIS, now controlling Mosul is driving all signs of Christianity from this ancient city. Representative Wolf told his fellow members of Congress that this radical terrorist group has seized all of Mosul’s churches and monasteries — about thirty of them. Each of them has had its crosses removed and many have been burned, destroyed and looted. Some are even being used as ISIS centers.
In recent days, Christians in Mosul were given an ultimatum. A message delivered via loudspeaker from various mosques announced that Christians must leave the city. A deadline was given and when it passed the jihadists marked the homes of remaining Christians with an Arabic letter that begins the word for Nazarene. Those homes received visits from jihadists, driving residents out.
Mosul’s bishops were taking a stand, refusing to attend a meeting where ISIS leaders would demand that the last Christian families left in Mosul convert or pay a special protection tax. But the day before the final exodus, Christians were informed the tax was no longer an option. The choices were convert, leave, or die.
Fleeing citizens were stopped at checkpoints and their money and jewelry stolen. In some cases, their cars were taken and they were forced to continue on foot.
In June, ISIS declared a caliphate covering parts of Syria and Iraq, and decreed that all of the world’s Muslims must pledge allegiance to their leader. It’s an attempt to resurrect the Islamic caliphate which at one point ruled over the Middle East, much of North Africa and beyond. Other ancient Christian communities have been all but wiped out.
Christians in America celebrate the end of 27-year-old mother of two Miriam Ibrahim’s ordeal. This young Sudanese physician, married to a Christian, was threatened with death by hanging for supposedly converting from Islam. She was put in prison, along with her toddler son and gave birth to her second child there. After hard work by certain members of the US House and Senate in connection with the Family Research Council, she was finally released and is now in Italy.
No thanks to the current administration.
FRC President Tony Perkins told FOX News’ Megyn Kelly, President Obama is silent when Christians are persecuted.
This religious extremism is almost entirely Islamic. And as Representative Wolf said, “The silence is deafening.” The White House’s aloofness speaks volumes.