October 29, 2013: The militia of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),
the faction that in several regions of Syria monopolized the armed insurrection against
the regime in Damascus in recent days have organized a book burning of Bibles and
Christian books in front of the Greek - Catholic church of Our Lady of the Annunciation
in Raqqa, the Syrian city which has been for months under the control of anti-Assad
militias. This information was reported by the indipendent Kurdish Agency - AraNews,
known for its critical stance against the Syrian regime and in contact with activists
and informers that from Raqqa have leaked the news via social networks.
The
region of Raqqa was the scene of clashes between the army of Assad and the militias
of the opposition in March. After the withdrawal of the government army, internal
clashes between the anti-regime Free Syrian Army battalions and groups of the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant began. The stated purpose of this faction is the creation
of an Islamic caliphate in the areas which have fallen under its control. To do this,
civilians are subjected to campaigns of indoctrination and fanaticization - based
on jiahdist ideology. Already in September several videos circulating online had documented
the vandalism committed against the two churches in the city of Raqqa by militants
of ISIL, with the destruction of crosses, statues and sacred images.
In Raqqa,
in late July, the Roman Jesuit Paolo Dall'Oglio was kidnapped. As reconstructed by
Fides Agency the main suspects in the kidnapping of father Paolo are the affiliates
of ISIL. (Source: Agenzia Fides)