Christians in Syria Brutally Executed by ISIS for Refusing to Renounce Faith

By Lorraine Caballero, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, October 06, 2015

A dozen Christians — including a 12-year-old child — were brutally executed by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants after they refused to renounce their faith.

The 12 Christians in Syria refused to convert to Islam and renounce Jesus Christ, so the ISIS militants tortured and killed them. Three men and one boy, who was the son of a ministry leader in Syria, were executed via crucifixion, according to Christian Today (CT).

Humanitarian organization Christian Aid Mission said the brutal executions happened in a village outside Aleppo on Aug. 28. The ISIS militants tortured the boy in front of his father, relatives, and other spectators and threatened to continue the horrific act if the ministry leader refused to embrace Islam, Town Hall reports.

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"In front of the team leader and relatives in the crowd, the Islamic extremists cut off the fingertips of the boy and severely beat him, telling his father they would stop the torture only if he, the father, returned to Islam," CT quotes Christian Aid's statement. "…They were killed for refusing to return to Islam after embracing Christianity, as were the other eight aid workers, including two women.''

However, the team leader reportedly stood by his Christian faith. So, the militants also tortured him and two of his companions. Then, they crucified all three men and the boy to death, the report relays.

The eight other Christians, who were in another location in the village, were also asked to renounce their faith. When they refused, the ISIS militants gathered the spectators and made them watch while they raped the two women. Then, they beheaded the eight Christians, the report details.

The 12 Christians were the latest reported to be executed by the ISIS for refusing to convert to Islam. Since the civil war began in 2011, the number of Christians in Syria has dwindled to nearly a third of the original population and could be less than 200,000 now.