Extortion and Kidnapping
Persecution is going on not only in Bagdad but also in other cities. Open Doors fieldworkers met with people who fled from the area of Mosul. A man shared how his brother-in-law had been forced to pay $4,000 a month for two years to a Muslim group to be allowed to continue his business.
Then the brother-in-law was kidnapped, and the family received a demand for $600,000. They have managed to raise $150,000 so far, but this was not enough for the group holding him. Negotiations were going on when we talked with this man, but it's likely his brother-in-law has been murdered. Such stories of suffering are far too common.
Recently, an Islamic group visited all the families in one Christian quarter of Mosul. They asked for $5,000 (or $2,000 if the family was deemed poor), and it is estimated that now approximately three-quarters of the city has been threatened in some way. What is happening in their city is very similar to the events in the Dora area of Bagdad where religious cleansing is taking place.
Another man told Open Doors that his house had been bombed because they refused to pay $300,000. Another demand for $6,000 was made after the bombing, and because this could not be paid, the home of the owner's sister was also destroyed within two hours.
In June, a Christian was working in her office when some Muslims came and told her that they wanted her husband to move some bombs and weapons across the city. If this request was refused, then the couple would be forced to leave the city. Her husband was ill and unable to meet their demands, so they were preparing to leave. However, the group then demanded $3,000 or they would kill her. Such demands made by Islamic extremists are not uncommon for Christians.
Another man was known to have been visited by one of the armed groups in the area. He was also told that unless he worked to move bombs and weapons, he would be killed. He fled the city and now resides in a Christian village; he's lost everything but his life.
One woman, a highly educated engineer, refused to have sexual relations with a Muslim man so he threatened to kill her. Because of this, she fled the city to a Christian village some distance away. She had no time to return home to collect her things. Now she has nothing, not even her ration card, without which they are unable to get even basic provisions. This is common for many of the IDPs.
Poor Housing and Other Problems
In Kurdistan, some new houses have been built for IDPs, but they are poorly constructed. The houses are very cold in winter and very hot in the summer. IDPs often have nothing to furnish their new homes.
They have a great need for medical help but they have no money, not even for transportation to visit a doctor, let alone to purchase any medicines needed.
One family is living in the Kurdistan home of the wife's brother who was working in Syria. If he returns home, this family and another family who also moved in with them will have nowhere to live or any furniture. They left Baghdad because of threats on their lives and demands for money.
