In Europe, Iraqis and Syrians escape Islamists' harsh rule

[webfact]

In Europe, Iraqis and Syrians escape Islamists' harsh rule
HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press

MYTILENE, Greece (AP) — Among the tens of thousands fleeing war and despair in the Middle East, one group feels a special relief in reaching Europe: those who have escaped areas ruled by Islamic State extremists and the harsh scrutiny of their religious police.

These refugees tell of how a Western-style haircut, a pair of jeans or a simple interaction with the opposite sex can lead to punishment by the Hisba, the branch of enforcers carrying out a brutal interpretation of Islamic Shariah law.

More than 175,000 Syrians and nearly 10,000 Iraqis have made the dangerous sea journey to Greece this year, part of a massive influx fueled in part by Syria's civil war, now in its fifth year. Many are fleeing the onslaught from President Bashar Assad's military against opposition-held cities, particularly the terror and often random destruction inflicted by its barrel bombs.

But some are trying to escape a different type of fear that took hold in the ruined landscape of the Islamic State's self-declared "caliphate" across parts of Syria and Iraq.

Ahmed, who owned a women's shoe store in the Syrian city of Raqqa, told of being berated every few days by members of the Hisba because he was waiting on female customers. His wife or sister should do that, they insisted, while also forbidding him from hiring women not related to him.

And if one of his customers so much as lifted the veil from her face to look at a pair of shoes, members from the Hisba — or its women's branch, al-Khansaa — would beat her with a bamboo pole, Ahmed said in an interview with The Associated Press. Like other refugees who used to live in IS-held territory, he spoke on condition he be identified only by his first name for fear of reprisals against relatives still there.

His own nerves were shot from worrying about being arrested or flogged, he said, just minutes after landing on the Greek island of Lesbos in a dinghy with 30 other people. They had sailed from Turkey on the first leg of their journey west.

Ahmed left his wife and three children behind in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the caliphate, and said he plans to send for them once he finds refuge in Europe.

"They are worse than an occupation army and act like they will never leave," he said. "I couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be done, and I am doing it now."

Many of those reaching Greece have lived in Turkey, sometimes for years, before making the journey to Western Europe.

In that time, they grew used to a more liberal society — a far cry from Islamic State rule, where women must cover themselves from head-to-toe in public and cannot leave their homes without being accompanied by a male relative; where smoking is banned and men must rush to mosques at the call to prayer.

The punishment for violating these rules can range from a warning, time in jail, public flogging, or — for the worse offenses — death.

Abdullah, a 36-year-old carpenter from the Syrian city of Deir al-Zour, said he found the version of Islam imposed by extremists too severe — even for someone who prayed five times a day.

"They are so strict with the rules and punishment they leave no room for Islam's prescribed leniency or repentance," Abdullah said in an interview in the Serbian town of Bujanovac, where he arrived earlier this month with his wife and two children.

Not long after Syrian rebels took over half of Deir al-Zour in 2013, Abdullah and his family fled the fighting to another part of Syria. But he went back often to check on his house, staying for weeks at a time, even as IS fighters drove out the rebels last year and took sole control of that half of the city, while the rest remained in government hands.

"What really forced me to make this trip is the economic and health situation in Deir al-Zour," Abdullah said. Most doctors have fled, he added, and while basic goods were available in the IS-held neighborhoods, most people had no money to spend.

After they landed on Lesbos, some of the Syrians and Iraqis were quick to take advantage of their new freedoms.

Couples celebrated by hugging and kissing in public displays of affection rarely seen back home. Some men coped with the heat and humidity by walking the streets shirtless, and they mingled freely with women wearing shorts and tank tops. Many spoke confidently about their rights, even as migrants — though they also expressed worries about potential discrimination from Europeans. There even were street demonstrations on the island against delays in registering the new arrivals before they can get to the mainland.

Ahmed, the shoe store owner who hopes to join relatives in Belgium, arrived in Lesbos with a nephew in the first week of September, about a week after he left Raqqa. He spoke to AP as he took a 5-kilometer (3-mile) walk from the beach where he landed to the island's capital of Mytilene, the registration site.

He said that as IS militants became the new rulers in Raqqa, many of the city's young men joined the group in search for protection and prestige. "Some of them spy on the residents for IS," Ahmed said.

Over time, foreign fighters and other IS members moved into houses among the population, putting more pressure on residents to observe the draconian rules, he said.

"We keep the television's volume very low, and when my wife steps out on the balcony to hang the laundry to dry, she has to be completely covered," said Ahmed, alluding to an IS ban on watching channels other than the ones broadcasting recitations of the Quran.

For young men, the newfound freedoms outside IS-held parts of Syria and Iraq means having whatever hairstyle or clothes they wanted without being detained or forced to go to a barber for a crew cut. It also includes visits to Internet cafes with no risk of Hisba operatives demanding to check the contents of their social media accounts or their mobile phones.

Abdul-Rahman, a 16-year-old high school student, was detained by the Hisba in the IS-held Syrian town of Manbij for having a trendy faux hawk haircut. He got away with a warning.

"They asked me questions about basic tenets of Islam. I answered them all correctly and they let me go," he said with a smile, speaking while waiting for a ferry at Mytilene to take him to the Greek mainland earlier this month.

Another young Syrian, Hassan, said he also was briefly detained by the Hisba in his village of Deir Hafer because he was wearing slim-cut jeans.

"They want our pants to be loose and to end above the ankle," the 20-year-old said, referring to the IS-imposed style that militants consider modeled on what was worn by the Prophet Muhammad.

Also on the ferry was Omar, a 36-year-old who owned a small eatery in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq that was captured by IS in June 2014.

"Daesh was OK for the first two weeks," according to Omar, who used an Arabic acronym for the group, but its brutality soon became clear.

The Hisba became active, drove out Mosul's Christians and began demolishing shrines revered by Sunni Muslims but seen by IS as encouraging idolatry.

When the extremists blew up the shrine of the prophet Younis, known in the Bible as Jonah, Omar said he had had enough.

He and his family, who are Sunnis, left for Baghdad after five months under IS rule. In the capital, the Shiite-led government denied them security clearance to live there.

Now they are headed to Finland.

"Cannot live with Daesh and cannot live in my own nation's capital," he said. "Maybe Europe will be kinder."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-21

[steven100]

I think i've just about seen enough on illegal immigrants .............

[Kitsune]

It is very moving to read these testimonies and anyone could sympathize with their need for freedom.

However their idea of freedom is not like ours.

Our freedom goes much further than they like to : Yes they enjoy being able to dress, to wear the hair they like, but to a certain extend.

Wear a mini skirt in a Muslim area in Europe and you'll be soon called names, if not assaulted. Hence the creation of "Skirt day".

Ask any Muslim school kid what they think of Charlie Hebdo and you get the "they got what they deserved" answer.

Go to a public swimming pool as a woman alone, go out alone at night and you get harassed by Muslims.

Go to any supermarket and most meat is now "by default" halal.

How much more of our life style and freedom are we ready to part with?

[NeverSure]

This is an agenda driven bunch of drivel. There's no mention of them being mostly economic migrants who are crashing Europe for their own benefit. No mention of how Europe is going to absorb them. No mention that an economic migrant isn't a refugee.

Balderdash.

[shirtless]

Little or no mention about the security risk and additional costs that taxpayers will have bare.These people are economic migrants who enjoy the perks of our societys without much in the way contributions they will just take take and take.

[notmyself]

No mention that an economic migrant isn't a refugee.

Anyone who has passed through safe lands is an economic migrant.

[noitom]

Asked why they head to Europe, the economic migrants respond, "that's where the money is."

[pedro01]

This man is a shining example of what is wrong in the male dominated Muslim world.

He talks of women beaten with sticks but leaves his wife and kids in danger whilst he gets away on his own.

Send him back.

[micmichd]

It is very moving to read these testimonies and anyone could sympathize with their need for freedom.

However their idea of freedom is not like ours.

Our freedom goes much further than they like to : Yes they enjoy being able to dress, to wear the hair they like, but to a certain extend.

Wear a mini skirt in a Muslim area in Europe and you'll be soon called names, if not assaulted. Hence the creation of "Skirt day".

Ask any Muslim school kid what they think of Charlie Hebdo and you get the "they got what they deserved" answer.

Go to a public swimming pool as a woman alone, go out alone at night and you get harassed by Muslims.

Go to any supermarket and most meat is now "by default" halal.

How much more of our life style and freedom are we ready to part with?

"Freedom"?

How much freedom is there in a terroristic welfare state with all powers to define whether your will is free or not?

[wabothai]

The sad thing is that they don't realize that they will always be treated as second rate citizens.

Large scale Intergration has never worked, and will never work.

Multi cult does not work, as we see in Thailand.

[micmichd]

No mention that an economic migrant isn't a refugee.

Anyone who has passed through safe lands is an economic migrant.

Only the ones that had the opportunity to be part of another country's economy can be called economic migrants.

[whatproblem]

And now they try to change Europe

[Dustdevil]

Come on, they're economic refugees. In five years they'll feel marginalized and start demanding Sharia law and attacking anybody who criticizes that religion of theirs....and harassing and raping local women, with local police maybe turning a blind eye to it all in the name of political correctness. Rotherham ring a bell?

Edited September 21, 2015 by Dustdevil

[GeorgesAbitbol]

And now they try to change Europe

A just payback for the change the US and Europe try to do in middle east for more than 30 years, no?

[maidee]

let only in women & young children, the rest should be trained to go fight their enemy brothers

[notmyself]

No mention that an economic migrant isn't a refugee.

Anyone who has passed through safe lands is an economic migrant.

Only the ones that had the opportunity to be part of another country's economy can be called economic migrants.

So they have all been stateless? I never knew.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

This Coward scum should be send back to fight their countrys enemy buty they are - as most muslims - Cowards by Heart ...

They only wish to enter the Promised Land of Welfare Social checks and rape the women of the foolish countries that welcomes them - Cameron, Merkel and Hollande, you take them in your house or live next door to them and let your women get molested daily ... The more that drowns the better ...

Say the guy who left his country for Thailand..what did you flee?

[micmichd]

And now they try to change Europe

Taking into account the state Europe is in, it can only get better.

[Vagabond1]

Societies in the west do get eroded by the influx of people who ideologically, culturally and religiously are foreign. The system of values of a Muslim from the Middle East is not and cannot be compatible with that of a person from Europe. An added problem is the fact that most of Muslims are very religious, whereas most of Europe is secular and religious fanaticism is a thing of the past.

[micmichd]

Societies in the west do get eroded by the influx of people who ideologically, culturally and religiously are foreign. The system of values of a Muslim from the Middle East is not and cannot be compatible with that of a person from Europe. An added problem is the fact that most of Muslims are very religious, whereas most of Europe is secular and religious fanaticism is a thing of the past.

My system of values is not compatible with European norms at all, I can integrate in Asia but not in Europe where I studied and made career. Where should I live?

Europe is fundamentalistic when it comes to sex.

Edited September 21, 2015 by micmichd

[Steely Dan]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

[Kitsune]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

In France we had a tribute minute of silence for Charlie Hebdo's victims.

Muslims kids refused to do it. When asked why,they just said they had what they deserved; one cannot blaspheme.

Thats Sharia for you.

In a country known for 1968 cultural revolution,followed by 70s feminism, we had to restore Skirt Day, so that women could one day of the year be able to wear a skirt without being harassed. Thats sharia also.

[GeorgesAbitbol]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

In France we had a tribute minute of silence for Charlie Hebdo's victims.

Muslims kids refused to do it. When asked why,they just said they had what they deserved; one cannot blaspheme.

Thats Sharia for you.

In a country known for 1968 cultural revolution,followed by 70s feminism, we had to restore Skirt Day, so that women could one day of the year be able to wear a skirt without being harassed. Thats sharia also.

Well You clearly do not know the definition of Sharia. Also in France there is a law which say that the Religion must stay private : the french President is also a Chanoine so clearly working for the Catholic Church. There is also a lot of censorship regarding some theater plays which have been canceled because of Catholicism integrism, but this is ok for you?

There is also Famille De France which is clearly not into Sharia and want to limit abortion...So do not transform biggotty into islamism. About Charlie, the kids didn t feel charlie, well after seeing all those politics in the street trying to grab the media around them while hundreds of kids died from Boko Haram one week later and nobody move...i am not charlie Neither anymore, even if i loved Cabu

[Steely Dan]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

Why of course it's 'right wing', the definition of such being you disagree with it's findings.

https://www.wzb.eu/sites/default/files/u6/koopmans_englisch_ed.pdf

[GeorgesAbitbol]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

Why of course it's 'right wing', the definition of such being you disagree with it's findings.

https://www.wzb.eu/sites/default/files/u6/koopmans_englisch_ed.pdf

Wrong as right wing may be impartial but far right wing or Faux news are not acceptable

Now about your link :

You have right wing and you have Ruud Koopmans (the writer of this "study") who is known in Netherland for being anti immigrant (assimilated far right wing) and whom "findings" have been clearly stated as weak and unscientific byt the WRR

...so... try again....

Edited September 21, 2015 by GeorgesAbitbol

[Steely Dan]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

Why of course it's 'right wing', the definition of such being you disagree with it's findings.

https://www.wzb.eu/sites/default/files/u6/koopmans_englisch_ed.pdf

Wrong as right wing may be impartial but far right wing or Faux news are not acceptable

Now about your link :

You have right wing and you have Ruud Koopmans (the writer of this "study") who is known in Netherland for being anti immigrant (assimilated far right wing) and whom "findings" have been clearly stated as weak and unscientific byt the WRR

...so... try again....

So according to you the far right can "assimilate", if only that were true for all migrants.

[arjunadawn]

And yet a majority of Muslims living in Europe want Sharia law.

Do you have a proof of what you say?

And i don't want a far right wing website link as an answer...

Why of course it's 'right wing', the definition of such being you disagree with it's findings.

https://www.wzb.eu/sites/default/files/u6/koopmans_englisch_ed.pdf

Whenever a person requires facts that they can otherwise muster themselves, and then further qualify accepted sources or not, they can hardly be taken seriously. One fact is, "proof" such as this can only come from the right as the left is the enabler of islamic war upon the west. The marriage of the Left with Islam is so legendary that numerous books and articles have been written for years noting the funding and political support.

The question of whether or not muslims in Europe want sharia or not can be approached from multiple avenues. This can be polled directly, indirectly by asking about the support for various punishments, or otherwise noting support for taliban, DAESH, etc. In all cases the numbers are terrifying. People who do not know a thing about islam do not grasp that sharia can actually not be divorced; it is not a separate mechanism or tenet, such as Marianism in Christianity. Sharia is bedrock and while faith does not depend on sharia every other facet of islam requires sharia to exist.

The fact must be repeated- most of those invading Europe are not fleeing war rather they are invading- period! Call it any fancy PC term you want- better to sell to others and self the quality of your altruism- but it remains true that by any name this is an invasion! Europe today is experiencing no less than the aftermath of the Siege of Vienna. It is appropriate that this began in earnest around September 11th. There is a reason this date keeps coming up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOoubYHN31o

https://muslimstatistics.wordpress.com/

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ae6_1442713165#74Dq4OOiYZt0zKeG.99

Edited September 21, 2015 by arjunadawn