ISIL extorts gold from Christians in Syria

by **Ponee** Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:00 am

ISIL extorts gold from Christians in Syria

An al-Qaeda-linked militant group has called on Christians in a Syrian city it controls to pay a levy in gold and curb displays of their faith in return for protection.

The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), mainly composed of foreign nationals, addressed the demands to the Christians in the eastern city of Raqqa.
The group demanded every Christian man pay a tax of up to 17 grams of gold, according to a statement posted online on Wednesday.

It said Christians must not make renovations to churches or other religious buildings, display religious insignia outside of churches, ring church bells or pray in public.

Also on Wednesday, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said infighting among foreign-backed and al-Qaeda-linked militants has left around 3,300 casualties since January.

"Some 3,300 people have been killed ever since the start of fighting on January 3” between militants of the al-Qaeda-linked ISIL, on one side, and other militants, on the other.
Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. Over 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the unrest.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.
HN/MAM/MHB