Ten elderly and disabled Christians — eight men, two women — who “managed to escape” from the Islamic State, after refusing to convert to Islam, recently gave a glimpse of life under IS.
Previously, the group had been living in Mosul for nearly three months before IS militants forced them out of a nursing home in Qaraqosh on Oct. 24, and stole the Christians’ money, jewellery and IDs.
The group explained how they were also pressured to say the shehada and become Muslim.
Rahel, one of the women from the group, said “We did not want to become Muslim; we just wanted to leave.”
Another elderly man said:
When we were in Qaraqosh, IS used to beat us every day with their weapons or hands. They gave us little food. But when we were taken to Mosul, we were held in a hall with other people and there was another hall beside us too and we could hear more people there. They were rounded up and detained as well…. One day, a member from IS came and called some of our names and said “Stand up, we will call you soon!” We thought that they will kill us, but later they took us and we asked them “When are you going to let us leave?” An IS member replied – “Not without ransom.”
Approximately 40 Christians continue to be held against their will. The church is trying to negotiate their release and has even already paid IS money for their release: “among them is a 3-year-old girl that IS has demanded thousands of dollars to release.”
Scum!