ISIS demands unbelievable amount of money for return of 230 Christians

ISIS demands $23 million for return of the 230 Assyrian Christian hostages they captured in February.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Although some of the hostages were released shortly after the attack on February 25, 230 are still missing, including 84 women and 51 children.

"We tried many times to negotiate with the people that captured them and for their release," explained Assyrian Bishop Mar Mellis who spoke to SBS Radio in Australia, noting the negotiations with ISIS are currently stalled. "We offered them an amount of money in accordance with the law of jizya (religious tax) but sadly after a week the negotiator between us returned and told us that ISIS wanted $100,000 for each person. They were asking for over $23 million."

"We are a poor nation," stated Mellis. "These people have not done anything wrong and won't harm anyone. We as Assyrians do not have this amount of money you are asking for. We offered an amount of money that we cannot disclose at this time. With the amount we offered, we thought it was acceptable, to have the return of the 230 people.

After two days, they told us: 'The amount the church offered was not acceptable. From now on, we will no longer negotiate with you.'"

The Assyrian bishops hope to speak directly to the judge ruling over the 230 Christians' case. "We want to give them the amount that we offered and want the judge to accept it."

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