Ten elderly Chaldean Christians and Syrian Catholics who refused to convert to Islam were expelled from Mosul.
According to Fides News Agency, the group of elderly people were welcomed in Kirkuk on January 7th, after spending two days in villages occupied by the Islamic State. One of the survivors recalled taking refuge in Mosul after they were expelled from their village.
“We managed to survive thanks to the assistance of some Muslim families, who brought us food and what we needed,” an elderly woman told Fides. “Then, at some point, those of the Caliphate told us we could stay there only if we converted to Islam. I refused. If you want, send me away.”
Once expelled from Mosul, the elderly entered Kirkuk thanks to the intercession of Chaldean Patriarch Raphael Louis I, who convinced the civil authorities to suspend the blockade at the check points of entry to the city put in place for security reasons.
