The last words of a 12-year-old Christian girl as died from fourth degree burns in her mother's arms shocked the world last month.
Although this is not the first horrendous crime that ISIS has committed against Christians (and will certainly not be the last) it is a sad reminder of all the innocent lives that are destroyed because of the hatred of fanatics.
The 12-year-old’s last words were “forgive them.”
The mother and daughter were still living in Iraq, despite the fact that it is considered the second most dangerous place for Christians in the world because of ISIS persecution. In 2003, there were two million Christians living in Iraq; now there are only about 200,000 today.
Part of the requirement for being a Christian in Iraq is that all Christians have to pay a “religious tax” called the “Jaziya.” While the mother and daughter were home last month, a group of jihadi fighters came to their door and delivered an ultimatum to the defenseless mother: the Christian family had to either pay the Jaziya on the spot or leave the house.
The mother responded that she needed a moment to pay because her daughter was in the shower at the time. The jihadis did not appreciate the answer, refused to wait, and set the house on fire immediately. Express reports the jihadists started the fire in the bathroom where the daughter was showering or just outside of it.
Luckily, both the daughter and the mother were able to escape the fire, which quickly consumed their home and all of their possessions. But, sadly, the daughter suffered severe fourth degree burns and succumbed to her injuries a couple hours later in the local hospital.
But right before she died, the young girl told her mother that she should forgive the jihadis for what they did.
Many Christian websites have picked up on this story over the last month, and have praised the girl for her Christian charity, even onto death. Many others see the young girl as a symbol that represents that love will always conquer hatred. No matter how you take this story, it is a sobering reminder of the atrocities committed by ISIS on a daily basis, and how it affects the lives of everyone.