Islamic State has turned an ancient Chaldean church in Mosul, Iraq into a mosque, according to Fides.
St Joseph church, which is considered to be one the oldest churches of the Chaldean denomination and overlooks the Tigris river, has been turned into the Abi Abd El-Rahman Elbilawi mosque, named after a leading figure in IS.
IS has removed crosses from the church, painted its dome black and already used it for prayers during Ramadan. St Joseph’s is the second church in Mosul to be turned into a mosque, after St Ephrem.
Hassake church bells ring out ‘break-fast’
Sources in the northern Syrian city of Hassake have told the Ankawa news agency that church bells have started to sound the time when fasting Muslims can start eating – as the sun sets – because many mosques have no electricity due to fighting between the Syrian Army and Islamist rebels.
Some parts of the city are witnessing fierce battles between the Syrian Army and IS, which tried to invade at the end of June; aircraft shells caused great destruction in the west and south of Hassake.
Ankawa.com sources confirmed many parts of Hassake have no power.