Fighters from the Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, north Syria, June 30, 2014. Islamic State militants are cracking down on the few remaining Christians and preventing them from leaving Raqqa, Syria, local activists told VOA on April 5, 2016.
John (name changed for protection), a student in his early 20s, recalled in an interview with persecution charity Open Doors the day that Raqqa was overrun by Islamic State on 13 January 2014.
ISIS militants gathered together the church leaders in Raqqa and gave them the now infamous ultimatum leveled at Christians all over its self-proclaimed caliphate: flee, convert to Islam, or pay the 'jizya' tax for the right to remain in the city."They were coming from Iraq with tanks, military vehicles, and even a big rocket that was at least five metres in length," he said. "It was very intimidating".
At the beginning of 2014 there were around 1,500 Christian families living in Raqqa. After ISIS took over, just 50 remained; the rest having chosen to flee.
John's family, forbidden from selling or renting their property and afraid of losing their business, decided to stay and pay the jizya, which was initially 54,000 Syrian pounds per man. Last year, that figure more than trebled.
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