Christians Flee Iraq Ahead of ISIS Threats

Thousands of Christians are fleeing northern Iraq and communities they have lived in for almost 2,000 years following militant group ISIS' ultimatum last week that they convert to Islam, pay a tax, or be killed for their faith.

"In my opinion this is a very grave situation. No Western leader is moving to stop such a tragedy but they offer only empty words with no actions," Dr. Munir S. Kakish, Chairman Council of Local Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land, told The Christian Post in an email on Sunday. "ISIS must be stopped before it wipes out Christians from other areas."

The Independent noted that ISIS, which has taken control of the city of Mosul and much of the surrounding region, gave Christians until midday on Saturday to comply. The militants have declared the establishment of an "Islamic state" on the territory of Iraq and Syria, where they have also been active.

"We offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract - involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword," an ISIS statement was read out at Mosul's mosques, BBC News reported.

A number of Christian leaders and persecution watchdog groups have made rallying calls for the international community to do all it can to help protect Iraq's Christians. Many are reportedly fleeing to the autonomous region of Kurdistan, which for the most part has managed to secure its borders and escape the militants' attacks.

"Christian families are on their way to Dohuk and Irbil," Patriarch Louis Sako told AFP news agency.

"For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians," he said.

The patriarch added that Islamists have been seen branding Christian houses with the letter "N" for "Nassarah," a term used for Christians in the Quran.

Sako estimated that as many as 60,000 Christians lived in Mosul prior to 2003 and the U.S.-led operations against dictator Saddam Hussein. By June 2014, that number had fallen to 35,000, while another 10,000 fled following ISIS' initial attacks.Churches in Mosul have also been attack and ransacked, Chaldean Archbishop Nona told Human Rights Watch.

"Each car carried three gunmen, most of them with masks. They broke open the doors and took some small statues from inside the property and broke them outside. They took control of the premises and placed their black banners on the roof and entrance," Nona said of an attack on his archdiocese compound.

"They told neighbors, 'this is our property, don't touch it'."

Iraq could soon split into three separate regions as a response to the ISIS attacks, a Kurdish government official recently predicted.