Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

muriel_volestrangler

(101,150 posts)
Sat Mar 5, 2016, 06:21 AM Mar 2016

Inside 'Islamic State': A Raqqa diary

Audio clips, with cartoons, from a man in Raqqa:

In areas controlled by the group that calls itself Islamic State the penalty for speaking to the Western media is death by beheading, so it took courage and conviction for Mohammed to compile this diary of life in Raqqa, the capital of IS's self-proclaimed caliphate.

Having seen friends and relatives butchered, his community's life shattered and the local economy ruined by these notorious extremists, Mohammed (not his real name) believes he's fighting back by telling the BBC what is happening to his beloved city.

1. The day IS first entered my beloved city
Mohammed finds his father dead and mother badly injured following an air strike. After expressing his anger about beheadings in the streets, he is sentenced to 40 lashes. (Like many Arabic speakers, Mohammed refers to IS as "Daesh".)

2. Militants are roaming the streets looking for spies
Mohammed is lashed, witnesses extortionate tax demands made by IS (which he calls Daesh) and sees a young woman stoned to death in a hole by the roadside.
...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35728424
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Inside 'Islamic State': A...