On Feb. 23, the Islamic State abducted an estimated 220 Assyrian Christians during an attack on the villages near the town of Tel Tamer. The terrorist group went on to seize even more hostages that week, the founder of the Assyrian Human Rights Network, Osama Edward, totaling the number to more than 262, reported CNN.
A released hostage by the name of “Robert” told the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) that ISIS had demanded he and the rest of the captive Christians convert to Islam. They refused.
The AINA interview with Robert went as follows:
AINA: What happened when you arrived at Abdul Aziz Mountain?
Robert: They placed us in two small rooms. We spent the night there.
AINA: What did they say to you?
Robert: They asked us to convert to Islam.
AINA: That was the first thing they said?
Robert: Yes, that was their idea that we should convert to Islam.
AINA: Who was speaking to you?
Robert: Many bearded people spoke to us, and everyone asked us to convert to Islam.
AINA: How many?
Robert: Very many. Everyone spoke to us, whoever saw us.
[…]
AINA: How long did you stay there?
Robert: For 5 days, until we were released.
AINA: When you arrived there what did ISIS say and do?
Robert: They kept pressuring us to convert to Islam, it was their constant focus…
AINA: When ISIS asked you to convert to Islam, what was your answer?
Robert: We said we would not convert. They said you must then pay the jizya [a Christian poll tax] or leave the country. That was the option given to us. We said we would pay the jizya but we would not convert.
Robert was abducted from the village of Tel Goran along with 20 others. ISIS released 19 of said hostages on Sunday, Mar. 1, then the remaining two, including a six-year-old girl named Mariana Mirza, on Tuesday, Mar. 3.
To their surprise, the hostages were not mistreated during captivity. Robert told AINA that they were provided with food, water, and access to bathing facilities. There was one catch, however:
The hostages would not be allowed to return home.
Robert told AINA,
“They release us on condition that we not return to our village.”
“They said if we returned and they captured us again they would kill us without any other option," he said. "They would behead the men and enslave the women.”
Robert and the other released hostages escaped sharing the horrific fate of 21 Coptic Christians slaughtered by ISIS militants in Libya early February, the terrorists vowing to “conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission.” What will happen to the rest of the men, women, and children currently in captivity remains to be seen.