ISIS RELEASES 19 kidnapped Assyrian Christians but what about the other 200?

The 19 freed Christians offers hope

Nineteen of the more than 200 Assyrian Christians kidnapped by ISIS in north-eastern Syria have been set free. Taken from their homes in February, the fate and whereabouts of the remaining Assyrian Christians is still unknown.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Those released are estimated to be around 50 years or older. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the Islamic court ruled the captives to be freed, but the reasoning is not known.

"I can confirm the release of 19 persons (17 men and 2 women) who were captured by the Islamic State in the Khabur region," said Fr Emanuel Youkhana, head of the Christian Aid Programme Northern Iraq, CAPNI. "We pray and hope for the others to be released."

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According to Osama Edward, head of the Assyrian Human Rights Network, the Christians were "released because jizya, an Islamic protection tax levied on non-Muslims, had been paid."

The number of remaining kidnapped Christians is debated and ranges from 220 to 260.

"Catholics [are] praying urgently that the intolerable brutality they [Assyrian Christians] are suffering may end as soon as possible," stated Pope Francis during his Global Day of Prayer on March 1 in St. Peter's Square. "I ask everyone, according to their means, to work to alleviate the suffering of all those who are afflicted, often just because of their faith."

Although the release of 19 Assyrian Christian is definitely a positive, the growing attacks on Christians in Syria is "troubling."

"We spoke about the problem of Hassakeh publicly for seven or eight months before this incident. We said that Hassakeh and the nearby villages are all surrounded by Daesh [ISIS]," Ra'ed Bahou, Catholic Near East Welfare

Association's regional director for Jordan and Iraq, told CNS. "Despite the warning, nothing happened to protect them."

Warnings have been issued about the dangers of ISIS lurking around towns, but again not much is done. The Iraqi troops announced a military campaign along with the U.S.-led coalition to retake Mosul, Iraq. However, many see this as a kick starter for ISIS to attack and take more villages.

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"They want to take more lands because they will lose Mosul and go back to Syria. They want more lands because that is the only way they can survive," Bahou said. "We (Christians) will have more pressure in the future. It's been a cleansing of the Iraqi Christians. I think it will be a domino effect. It's now happening in Syria. It's happening in Egypt, in Lebanon.

"Thank God we have stability in Jordan, and we hope it will continue. But we are losing Christians in our region."

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