150 Iraqi women choose death rather than become sex slaves in the Islamic State

Earlier this month, the Islamic State staged an execution of 150 women and girls because they refused to marry or have sex with Islamic State jihadists. The mass execution was reported on Dec. 16, by the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A single jihadist is believed to have carried out the mass execution. Identified as Abu Anas Al-Libi, it is believed this man killed all 150 women in a public execution because they would not engage jihadists in marriage or sexual relations. The executions too place in Fallujah and the women were subsequently buried in a mass grave in that city.

Included in the number of the dead were young girls and pregnant women.

Please help protect Iraqi families from genocide.

According to the Ministry, the months since the Islamic State swept into the region have been horrifying. "Many children died when they families were stranded in the desert after leaving their homes."

Many of those victims were Christians who were forced to flee the Islamic State in July and August, under the threat of death. Those which stayed were forced to pay a tax, and often those families were broken up by Islamic State jihadists.

Husbands and wives were separated and the women were taken away to become slaves or to marry jihadists.

The Islamic State has a reputation for brutality and committing acts of genocide, which they believe are justified by the Qur'an. Their tactics, in addition to being based on Islamic understanding of the scriptures are also intended to terrorize and intimidate potential victims and adversaries.

Those who have resisted the Islamic State have been brutally murdered, just as the 150 women who were executed earlier this month.

It is likely that future executions of women will take place as more women are enslaved and given the choice between marriage, sexual slavery, or death. For at least 150 Iraqi women, the choice was death.

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