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Title: Iraq's oldest Christian monastery destroyed by Islamic State
Source:
BBC News
URL Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35360415
Published: Jan 20, 2016
Author: Ahmed Maher
Post Date: 2016-01-20 12:20:06 by redleghunter
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Keywords: None
Views: 2652
Comments: 16
Satellite images confirm that the oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been destroyed by the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). St Elijah's stood on a hill near the northern city of Mosul for 1,400 years. But analysts said the images, obtained by the Associated Press, suggested it had been demolished in late 2014, soon after IS seized the city. A Catholic priest from Mosul warned that its Christian history was "being barbarically levelled". "We see it as an attempt to expel us from Iraq, eliminating and finishing our existence in this land," said Father Paul Thabit Habib, who now lives in Kurdish-administered Irbil. IS has targeted Christians in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, seizing their property and forcing them to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or flee. The group has also demolished a number of monasteries and churches, as well as renowned pre-Islamic sites including Nimrud, Hatra and Nineveh in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria. 'Important place' St Elijah's Monastery, or Deir Mar Elia, was believed to have been constructed by Assyrian monks in the late 6th Century. It was later claimed by a Chaldean Catholic order. In 1743, its monks were given an ultimatum by Persian forces to convert to Islam. They refused and as many as 150 were massacred. Satellite images showing the site of St Elijah's Monastery in March 2011 and September 2014 
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#3. To: redleghunter (#0)
Here are some of the great comments on Huffpo : Under most of the oldest European churches are the ruins of previous Pagan temples. Who cares? When it was built Christianity was the same as ISIS. if God is so great why didn't he protect your beloved church. our religious freaks are as bad as theirs it's a wash
This reminds me why I am often stuck between hating (no, strongly disliking is better) Islamists like IS or regular trolling Atheists who are obsessed with Christianity
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#5. To: tomder55 (#3)
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