Islamic State demolishes Syrian monastery, transfers Christian captives - monitor
The Islamic State has demolished a Syrian monastery and transferred dozens of Christian captives to northeastern Syria, a monitoring group said on Thursday.
Islamic State militants destroyed the Saint Elian monastery in Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. They also moved the Christians they captured during one of its attacks in August to a place near its stronghold in northeastern Syria, according to the International Business Times.
The Islamic extremists bulldozed the monastery in Qaryatain, a town they captured earlier this month. The place is adjacent to a road that links the city of Palmyra to the Qalamoun mountains which border Lebanon.
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The monastery was founded in central Syria over 1,500 years ago. Its demolition comes days after the Islamic State publicly beheaded an 81-year-old scholar who has devoted his whole life to studying the ruins of Qaryatain, The Guardian reports.
In the wake of the Saint Elian monastery's demolition, UNESCO director general Irina Bokova expressed her fears over the potential destruction of the rest of Syria's heritage sites. "I think we are worried about almost all the heritage sites in Syria. Nothing is safe," The Guardian quotes Bokova.
Since May, the Islamic State has become more powerful, especially in the desert areas near Homs, and Syria has been trying to recapture the city that has some of the nation's biggest gas fields. Unfortunately, the Syrian army has still been unsuccessful in its counteroffensives.
Islamic State militants took 230 people captive after taking Qaryatain. Among those captured were dozens of Christian families from the town. The group freed 48 of the hostages and moved 110 to Raqqa province, where the militants have a stronghold. The fate of the rest of the captives is yet to be seen, the report relays.
The Christians were reportedly being forced to convert to Islam or else pay a form of tax called "jizya," which is imposed on non-Muslims only. In the past, the Islamic State has slaughtered Sunni Muslims and other religious minorities who do not pledge allegiance to the group.
