The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which captured Iraq's Mosul last month, has forced the centuries-long Arab Christians residents to leave the city unless they converted to Islam. These Christians have been living in Mosul and in other cities in Iraq since the early days of Islam and ISIS seems to be the first force to undertake a religious cleansing. Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Baghdad Louis Raphaël I Sako said, "For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians." Last Friday, an announcement was made in Mosul by ISIS saying: "We are offering the Christians three choices:
Islam, paying the dhimma contract (a tax to secure the Christians' lives and right under the religious administration) and involving contract. If any of these is refused, they [Christians] will have nothing but the sword." In the announcement, it was said that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who declared himself as caliph, said that if those Christians refuse living under these terms and conditions, then they must leave the borders of ISIS [controlled territory].