Syrian Christians Submit to Dhimmitude

The following is excerpted from “Syrian Christians,” The Times of Israel, Feb. 27, 2014. We know that the term “Christian” in the Middle East refers typically to some variety of sacramentalism, such as Catholicism or Orthodoxy, as opposed to biblical Christianity. This is obvious even from the Muslim demands in the following report. But these events are still acts of persecution and should concern every Bible believer. Following is the report: “Christian leaders in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, captured by an organization formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda, have signed a submission document this week banning them from practicing Christianity in public in return for protection by their Islamist rulers. The document, dated Sunday and disseminated through Islamist Twitter accounts, states that the Christian community in the province of Raqqa, captured last March by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), was recently given three options: to convert to Islam; to remain Christian but pledge submission to Islam; or to ‘face the sword.’ They opted for the second of those choices, known as dhimmitude. ... According to classic Islamic law, Christians and Jews living under Muslim sovereignty must pay a tax known as jizya in return for the Muslim ruler’s protection, known as dhimma. ... In return, the Christians agreed to a list of conditions: to abstain from renovating churches or monasteries in Raqqa; not to display crosses or religious symbols in public or use loudspeakers in prayer; not to read scripture indoors loud enough for Muslims standing outside to hear; not to undertake subversive actions against Muslims; not to carry out any religious ceremonies outside the church; not to prevent any Christian wishing to convert to Islam from doing so; to respect Islam and Muslims and say nothing offensive about them; to pay the jizya tax worth four golden dinars for the rich, two for the average, and one for the poor, twice annually, for each adult Christian; to refrain from drinking alcohol in public; and to dress modestly.”

Photo: Fighters from the al-Qaeda linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)
Friday Church News Notes, March 7, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143

---