Islamic State beheads 150 women, some of them pregnant, for refusing to marry militants

Even as the world tries to come to terms with the dastardly terrorist attack in Pakistan’s Peshawar and the ’lone wolf’ attack in Sydney, reports are emerging of more violence by the Islamic State. This time they have reportedly beheaded women in Iraq for not marrying militants. The Independent quotes Iraq’s Ministry of Human Rights saying in a statement, “At least 150 females, including pregnant women, were executed in Fallujah by a militant named Abu Anas Al-Libi after they refused to accept jihad marriage.” [caption id=“attachment_1854745” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] This comes close on the heels of the incident when the extremists shot dead at least 50 men, women and children in the Iraq. Not just people of Iraq, Islamic State has waged war against westerners as was seen in the several beheading videos published by the terrorist group in the last few months. They executed Peter Kassig, a US aid worker kidnapped in Syria, on 16 November 2014 as a warning to the United States. The same video showed the gruesome simultaneous beheadings of at least 18 men described as Syrian military personnel. Islamic State-linked Jund al-Khilifa, or “Soldiers of the Caliphate,” claimed to have beheaded French tourist Herve Gourdel who was abducted in Algeria. The beheading was shown in a video posted online after Paris rejected an Islamic State demand to halt air strikes in Iraq. Before that it was David Haines, a British aid worker, freelance reporter Steven Sotloff and US freelance photojournalist James Foley. Known for its ruthless tactics and suicide bombers, ISIS has already controlled the Iraqi city of Fallujah for eleven months, and is also arguably the most capable force fighting President Bashar al-Assad inside Syria. Its takeover of Mosul in June had prompted the United States to voice deep concern about the “extremely serious” situation and warn the jihadist Sunni group poses “a threat to the entire region”.