Christians and Jews in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique have been threatened with death if they do not convert to Islam or pay a jizya tax, levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law.
In a letter written in Swahili, the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM; also known in that area as al Shabaab) not only makes these demands of Christians and Jews, but also threatens moderate Muslims with death if they do not join the ISM cause, reported the relief group Barnabas Fund.
Paying the jizya tax, Barnabas Fund stated, would show submission to the Islamic caliphate.
‘Land of fear’
In October, Islamic extremists staged numerous attacks in northern Mozambique, killing more than 20 Christians. In addition, they raped females and abducted boys to make them child soldiers.
ISM assailants often decapitate individuals during raids, Barnabas Fund reported.
Because of the level of violence in Cabo Delgado, the area has become known as “the land of fear.”
Mozambique is No. 41 on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
