Sometime last week an FB friend posted a link to a BBC
article – “Syria crisis: ISIS imposes rules on Christians in Raqqa”.
The article was about an extreme Islamic group who had
taken over the city and imposed some very harsh rules on the Christian
population.
“The directive
from ISIS, citing the Islamic concept of "dhimma", requires
Christians in the city to pay tax of around half an ounce (14g) of pure gold in
exchange for their safety. It says Christians must not make renovations to
churches, display crosses or other religious symbols outside churches, ring church
bells or pray in public. Christians must not carry arms, and must follow other
rules imposed by ISIS (also known as ISIL) on their daily lives.”
As I read through the article, the main thought in my
head was that the Christians would not agree to those conditions. OK – it wasn’t
so much the Christians in Raqqa who wouldn’t agree as a particular Christian – me –
who wouldn’t agree. I don’t have a half
ounce of gold to hand over to anyone, and even if I did, I don’t see why I
should hand it over as protection money!
The alternative to following the rules laid out was to a)
convert to Islam or b) risk the possibility of being killed.
I have watched Quo Vadis often enough to know that the
heroine (and the hero) chose death. The
martyr gene in my DNA was activated.
I read on…
“A group of 20
Christian leaders chose to accept the new set of rules, ISIS said.”
Maybe they hadn’t watched Quo Vadis as often as I
had. They had, in my estimation, caved
in to bullying.
What is happening in this city in northern Syria reminded
me of a poem I wrote for a FW weekly challenge.
The topic was Europe and I dug around in Spanish history to come up with
a man Tariq bin Ziyad, a Muslim general who conquered Visigothic Hispania in
711–718 A.D. He inflicted a similar set
of rules on the Christian population then.
Writing the poem it was firmly fixed as a historical event and not
likely to be something Christians today would face. I didn’t reckon on the ISIS in northern
Syria.
“You are not there, Mel” said the gentle voice
within. “When you live in such safety
can you really make a sweeping judgement like that? You don’t know what their lives are like. A dead Christian, even one dying a martyr's death, doesn't always speak as well as a living one."
I got the impression that God didn’t think they had caved
into bullying. I began to set my heart
to pray for not just the Christians in Raqqa but also the ISIS. Even Al-Qaeda has distanced themselves from
this organisation. One of the Muslim
clerics pointed out that ISIS were not really in a position to charge a “protection
tax” as they were not securely in control and couldn’t guarantee anyone’s
protection.
So many of the external things people do to demonstrate
their faith are no longer permitted. Did
it really matter that they couldn’t carry Bibles or ring church bells or do
anything outside their homes in terms of witness? There are things that the ISIS can’t rule
against – the Christians following Jesus’ teaching to love one another. Talking about their faith might no longer be
an option, but living their faith is more than repairing a broken building or
wearing a cross around their neck. Living their faith is so much more
compelling.
I prayed about the Muslim neighbours. Not all of them
agree with what ISIS is demanding. I pictured some of them paying the
protection money on behalf of their Christian neighbours. Not all
demonstrations of Islam are violent or oppressive ones.
Finally yesterday – at church we were talking about our
witness to the world. We talked about
Christians we knew who took their Bibles and had breakfast and prayer times in
some of the local cafes. I was reminded
about all the things that the Christians in Raqqa were forbidden from doing. Those things that they couldn’t do – nothing stops
us from doing them and yet we don’t really make an outward show of our faith
for the most part. It seemed to me that because
the Christians in Raqqa couldn’t carry Bibles, pray in public places or wear a
cross that I had a special obligation to do so on their behalf.
So the plan is to be much more open about my faith – not
to offend anyone, or ram scripture down their throats – but to celebrate and to
use the freedom that I have on behalf of those who don’t.
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