Islamist Ultimatum To Syrian Christians: Convert, Leave, Or Die

AINA – “Syria’s Christians fear an Islamist takeover should the current government be overthrown. During the ongoing civil war there has been a well-documented rise in the number of salafi-jihadist groups operating in Syria that pose a direct threat to Syria’s Christian community.¹ These militant opposition forces espouse an Islamist ideology, which incorporates elements of Wahhabism² and Salafism³ and whose stated goals and objectives are by definition hostile towards Christians. Firsthand accounts from Syrian Christian refugees in Lebanon reported by award winning investigative journalist Nuri Kino detail the horror in which they described kidnappings, rapes, harassment, theft and other violent reprisals at the hands of Islamist groups.

Those who survived reported ‘just being Christian is enough to be a target,’⁴ disproving theories that violence and kidnapping directed towards Syrian Christians is purely incidental or for economic reasons. One individual openly declared ‘We’re not poor. We didn’t run from poverty […] we ran from fear.’⁵

There are several dozens of armed Salafi-jihadist groups both foreign and domestic currently operating in Syria that explicitly advocate Islamist agendas and possess the intentions and capabilities to commit violent persecution towards Syria’s Christians. Most notably from the global Sunni jihadist milieu is al-Jabhat al-Nusra lil-Ahl al-Sham min Mujahedin al-Sham fi Sahat al-Jihad (The Front for Supporting the People of Greater Syria by the Mujahedin of Syria on the Battlefields of Jihad) A.K.A. Jabhat al-Nusra, which in December 2012 the U.S. government officially listed as a terrorist organization.⁶ Also, on April 9 of this year the leader of Tanzim Qai’dat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Organization of Jihad’s Base in Mesopotamia) A.K.A. al-Qaeda in Iraq released an audio announcement that officially declared the unification of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Jabhat al-Nusra including the establishment of an Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, effectively expanding the threat to Syria’s Christians.⁷ The other notable militant Islamist group is al-Jabhat al-Islamiya al-Suriya (Syrian Islamic Front), a large armed coalition force comprised of several interdependent blocs and alliances organized throughout Syria.⁸ Even the relatively less hardline al-Jaysh al-Suri al-Hurr (Free Syrian Army) and al-Majlis al-Watani al-Suri (Syrian National Council) are by no means monolithic entities, rather both exist as umbrella organizations comprised of several independent and competing ideological currents and sub-currents including Islamism.

Indeed, regardless of the means employed whether violent or non-violent to achieve the stated goals and objectives of these Islamist movements, the future is unfortunately no less hostile towards Christians. Within an Islamic State governed by Shari’a (Islamic Law), Jews and Christians, known colloquially as ahl al-Kitaab (People of the Book), are afforded a certain protected status called dhimmi, but only if they willingly submit to a tribute or coercive tax known as jizya.⁹ Based on Islamist interpretation, which is strictly literal and employs the ‘doctrine of abrogation’ promulgated by the 13th century Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah,¹⁰ the later and more belligerent suras (chapters) of the Qur’an take precedence over the earlier and more tolerant suras.¹¹ As a result, the salafi-jihadists frequently reference Sura al-Tawba (The Repentance) otherwise known as Sura al-Bara’a (The Ultimatum), which is the 9th chapter of the Qur’an, to justify their violent actions. Numerous internationally recognized translations of Verse 29 of Sura al-Tawba explicitly state,

Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.¹²

Ultimately, Syria’s Christians as well as Jews will be forced to suffer persecution at the hands of Islamists unless they convert to Islam, submit to Shari’a and pay the jizya, emigrate or die.” Read more.

• Flashback: Iraq: Muslim Cleric Issues New Fatwa To All Iraqi Christians: Choose Islam Or Be Killed
• Flashback: Pakistan: Christians Told To Convert To Islam Or Leave, ‘Otherwise They Will Face Consequences’
• Flashback: Egypt: Muslim Terror Group To Christian Leaders: Convert To Islam Or Face Death
• Flashback: Report: Christianity ‘Close To Extinction’ In Middle East, ‘The Most Common Threat To Christians Abroad Is Militant Islam’