Qayyara residents describe life under ISIS
Qayyara, Iraq—A picture of life under the Islamic State (ISIS) is emerging through interviews with residents of recently liberated Qayyara and evidence found in the town.
Under ISIS, any house that had belonged to an Iraqi army or security officer was seized by the militants and declared a “guest house.”
Militants had an office in each neighbourhood of the town, charged with interrogating people and punishing them for what were deemed minor crimes by the caliphate.
“They were questioning us about the beards, long clothing, and smoking. The penalty for shaving your beard was 50,000 dinars ($43), the penalty for long pants was fifty lashings on the back,” a resident of Qayyara told Rudaw.
ISIS sought to disconnect people from the world. So they destroyed televisions and satellite dishes.
Those taken to prison were either killed or had their hand cut off. Residents said they could hear the screams of people being tortured in the prison.
A local described the prison, “This was a security place. No one could pass nearby here. Anyone on this street at nighttime would be arrested. We heard the cries of the prisoners.”
Abbas had been accused of trying to steal. He was held in prison for a month and had his hand cut off. “They held me in prison for a month,” he told Rudaw, “and investigated me. Then they forced people from the Qayyara market to come to see my punishment. With a large knife, they cut my hand.”
Under ISIS, any house that had belonged to an Iraqi army or security officer was seized by the militants and declared a “guest house.”
Militants had an office in each neighbourhood of the town, charged with interrogating people and punishing them for what were deemed minor crimes by the caliphate.
“They were questioning us about the beards, long clothing, and smoking. The penalty for shaving your beard was 50,000 dinars ($43), the penalty for long pants was fifty lashings on the back,” a resident of Qayyara told Rudaw.
ISIS sought to disconnect people from the world. So they destroyed televisions and satellite dishes.
Those taken to prison were either killed or had their hand cut off. Residents said they could hear the screams of people being tortured in the prison.
A local described the prison, “This was a security place. No one could pass nearby here. Anyone on this street at nighttime would be arrested. We heard the cries of the prisoners.”
Abbas had been accused of trying to steal. He was held in prison for a month and had his hand cut off. “They held me in prison for a month,” he told Rudaw, “and investigated me. Then they forced people from the Qayyara market to come to see my punishment. With a large knife, they cut my hand.”
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