ISIS Forces Out The Last Christians In Mosul, Iraq With Their Jizya Or Convert Demands

After living there for centuries, there are no more Christians in Mosul.  ISIS/ISIL gave them an ultimatum after gaining control of the northern Iraqi city- Convert to Islam, retain Dhimma status and pay the jizya (infidel tax), or death by the sword. They had until yesterday, July 19th to decide. The few remaining families left on the eve of the deadline, most with just the clothes on their back. Apparently, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the appointed Caliph of the Islamic State, announced that those who chose to leave would not be allowed to take any of their possessions. The few who tried, claim they were robbed.

Many fled to Iraqi Kurdistan, others to Hamdaniya, a predominately Christian town southeast of Mosul protected by Kurdish forces. One 60-year-old woman had this to say about leaving:

"We have lived in this city and we have had a civilisation for thousands of years - and suddenly some strangers came and expelled us from our homes."

Another man spoke about being robbed:

"The Islamic State stopped my relatives at a checkpoint when they were fleeing and when they found out they were Christians, they took everything they were carrying, including their mobile phones. They left them only with the clothes they were wearing."

But the Christians aren't the only ones ISIL has targeted, the Sunni radicals have forced Kurdish Yazidis, and Turkmen and Shabak Shi'ites to flee as well. Those they haven't captured or killed.

And that area was once considered the "cradle of civilization."

More on what they have endured.

Sources: Reuters,, HRW,