The
following excerpts are from AINA.org:
Across
the ancient cities and villages of Iraq, an "N" word also
is used out of hate.
Members
of the extremist group known as ISIS spray paint the letter "N"
in blazing red on the homes of those they deem different. Scrawled in
Arabic and pronounced "noon," the N stands for Nazarene, or
follower of Christ, and to an outsider, it may look like a happy
face.
But
ISIS uses it as a mark of death. It warns Christian families who live
in those homes to convert to Islam, pay a hefty tax, or prepare to
die.
"There
is a Christian genocide happening in Northern Iraq and no one is
doing anything about it" said Delilah George, a 31-year-old
Assyrian woman and Valley Village resident. "My people are
experiencing unspeakable horror and grief at the hands of these
radicals."
Since
the takeover in June of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIS has targeted the
Christian population, whose faith has been present for almost 2,000
years. In the last two weeks, Assyrians were forced to leave their
ancestral homeland under the threat of death. Many have been beaten,
robbed and brutalized, or killed along the way as they search for a
safe haven.
The
sadness, frustration with the lack of public awareness and even anger
has prompted George and countless Assyrians to hold a rally Saturday
at the Federal Building in Los Angeles. Dubbed "Demand for
Action," the Los Angeles event is one of nearly 40 worldwide to
be held also on Saturday across the United States, Europe, the Middle
East and Australia.
Read
more by clicking below:
Christian Groups to Rally for Protection in Iraq