An Assyrian father in northern Iraq who watched while his wife and daughter were raped by three members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has committed suicide. The militants reportedly inflicted this brutality on the two women because the father couldn’t pay the jizya poll tax in Mosul for non-Muslims.
According to Christian Today, the ISIS takeover in Iraq may be the “death knell” for the Christian community there, said Barnabas Fund international director Patrick Sookhdeo. The number of Christians in Iraq have already decreased since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.
“Having previously sought refuge in Syria, this is no longer an option and as ISIS violence threatens the stability of the wider region, Christians have very few places of safety to which to run,” Sookhdeo added.
Four Christian women were also reportedly shot dead by ISIS members because they were not wearing veils.
