Hundreds of Christian books have been burned by Islamic State in
Mosul, almost two years after jihadists took over the Iraqi city.
Video footage emerged last week showing militants throwing books onto
a burning pile. Close-ups showed many of the books were emblazoned with
crucifixes.
The video was titled "Diwan of education destroys Christian
instruction books in Mosul". The Diwan Al-Hisbah is ISIS's morality
police, responsible for enforcing the group's laws.
A local activist, Abdullah al-Mulla, told ARA News the
books had been collected from schools and churches in Mosul, which was
once considered the heartland of Iraq's Christian population.
"ISIS jihadis burned hundreds of Christian textbooks in central Mosul," al-Mulla said.
"The militants have also collected a lot of Christian textbooks from
the Dawassa district near Martyrs' Park and publicly burned then," he
added.
Mosul was overrun by ISIS militants on 10 June, 2014. Upon capturing
the city militants issued an ultimatum to Christians, telling them to
convert to Islam, pay a tax or flee. Those who refused to comply were
murdered, and there are now believed to be no Christians left in the
city.
ISIS has declared religious sites and artefacts to be idolatrous, and
has released multiple images showing Christian paintings and statues
being destroyed.
Reports claim the Mar Gorgis monastery north of Mosul has been used
as a female detention centre, while other ancient churches in the city
have been used as slaughterhouses and torture chambers.
In June last year it was announced that the St Ephrem Syriac Orthodox
Church in Mosul would be reopened as a "mosque of the mujahideen'.
Local Iraqi media reports at the time said it had been draped with
Islamic State's flag, with "There is no God but Allah" and "Prophet
Mohammed" written on it.
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