Islamic leaders have issued a statement to the Christian population in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
The statement was issued by the Islamic State and it announced that Christians who wanted to remain in the Caliphate must abide to the Dhimma contract. The contract is a traditional practice where non-Muslims were protected by the state in return for the payment of special taxes called "Jizya": "We offer them three choices: Islam; the dhimma contract"”involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword."
The announcement was made into a document and read out in public at mosques. The statement also announced that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic state has set a deadline for all non-Christians who will not abide by the terms of the Dhimma contract to leave the borders of the Caliphate. He added that after the deadline the Christians remaining in Mosul will be put to death.
The Islamic state also stated that Christians who will comply to the contract must pay their jizya levy in gold. In addition they are strongly urged to curb demonstrations of their faith in return for government protection.
Mosul was a city that was once home to diverse faiths and cultures. The Christian population at one point was over 100,000. However, after the Iraq War in 2003, the numbers began to dwindle.
