Why are we changing our avatars?
The first day of Ramadan (Sunday June 29th) was a black day for Christians in Iraq and Syria. On this day ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham) declared that it was re-instating the caliphate. The caliphate is intended to be a united Islamic state under one ruler (the caliph) whose authority spans international borders. It controls land from the Northern province of Aleppo in Syria to Diyala in the East of Iraq.
In fact the jihadists have been effectively operating an Islamic state in the areas they control and have published sharia rules for the people living in Mosul. These rules demand that Christians pay a heavy tax, called the jizya if they are to remain in their homes. At $250 per person this is vastly beyond the reach of most Christians in the city. They also feel it is capitulation to ISIS. If they pay they are treated as second-class citizens.
Any home with Christians in residence is marked by the jihadists with this symbol. It is the Arabic letter N (for ‘Nazarine’).
The alternatives to not paying the jizya are to convert to Islam, to flee or ‘suffer the consequences’ – which often means a violent death. One man was forced to watch as ISIS fighters raped his wife and daughter because the family could not pay.
These Christians are in extreme danger and they need our prayers. This is why, as an expression of solidarity, many of us are changing our avatars to the Arabic letter N.
I invite you to join us.
You can download yours from here …
