Exclusive – Raqqa is being slaughtered silently
On 12th of January 2014 ISIS had controlled over Raqqa province After fierce battles with factions of the free army and other Islamist, some of them fought each until the last breath and other raised the white flag to be the easier victim to ISIS, which was announced later his Caliphate taking the Raqqa the capital of his alleged state.
Why Raqqa ?
Raqqa was the first province that was liberated from Assad regime by the fighters of the free army on March 2013, after clashes continued for many days between the two parties, as its infrastructure has not seen a major destructive than others and because it contains a number of important sources of life like a river bridge of the Euphrates the largest dams in Syria which generates electric power, as well as the agricultural crops and the land borders and border gate with Turkey and a number of oil fields, as well as geographic proximity to Iraq and simplicity of her people, all of that pushed the organization to take it as a capital for .
Raqqa demographically:
During the past two years, the displacement of civilians to and from Raqqa that received the new displaced people from Homs north countryside and a number of villages in the countryside of east Aleppo as a result of fierce fighting in their areas, as witnessed Raqqa city large migration to the surrounding countryside and towards Turkey against the backdrop of the devastating raids carried out by the Russian occupation against civilian sites as well as the displacement of the organization for the Kurdish families outside Raqqa.
Raqqa Economically
The vast majority of the populations in the countryside of Raqqa rely on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood, which fell after the control of ISIS in the region and imposed numerous taxes on farmers under the name of “zakat”, in addition to the sharp rise in the fertilizer prices used in agriculture, which is imported from Turkey.
the crash of the Syrian pound had played a sharp role in the rise in prices, because the population of Raqqa city in the mostly rely on salaries provided by Assad regime, which was almost not paid after the control of ISIS, as it was for the members of the organization a key role in raising prices for the commodities as a result of the big wages that paid to its affiliates.
All these reasons have led to a decline in the living conditions of the inhabitants of the province of Raqqa and rising prices significantly beyond the capacity of the local population to provide the basic necessities of life, that what prompted ISIS to take advantage of the deteriorating of financial conditions for him, pushing a number of civilians to join the ranks of the organization.
Raqqa educationally
After controlling over Raqqa, ISIS issued first decision to close schools and universities, accusing both learn or work in those schools and universities of apostasy and asking them to repentance to them from falling into apostasy as described, depriving whole generations of the right of learning, and motivate children to join him through festivals and educational seminars held in the squares and mosques.
The all that, before ISIS announced the opening of the Faculty of medicine of his own in the city of Raqqa and the opening of two schools, one for males and another for females allotted for teaching the organization curricula, but the parents didn’t send their children to it for fear of being targeted by the flight of the Syrian regime and the use of ISIS those schools in brainwashing for the emerging generations.
Raqqa Militarily:
The last year of the control of ISIS over Raqqa had witnessed a big drop in the control areas in the northern countryside for the protection of the Kurdish people forces and a number of the free army factions, so the city of Tel Abyad and it countryside were totally out of ISIS control.
Raids of the international coalition also contributed to the decline in the power of ISIS in Raqqa, where most of the major sites targeted and assassinated a number of leadership within the city, which pushed ISIS move the main headquarters sites into residents neighborhoods as it was to the start the Russian aggression big role in the case of panic in the city recently as a result of targeting civilians in the most raids.
Living of Raqqa :
ISIS and since the start of his control over the city of Raqqa, had imposed a large number of decisions, on civilians, such as imposing full dress for women, which he described as “legitimate dress “, and control of men dress and the closure of Internet cafes, and the decision to ban television and satellite devices in public places, and prevent women from traveling without a “Mohram”, and the decision to prevent civilians from leaving the areas under ISIS control , in an attempt to use them as human shields in the future, and those decisions had a major role in restricting over the public life of the people.
Services in Raqqa :
After controlling over Raqqa ISIS intentionally stopped the work of local councils and the confiscation of its equipment and change it to “public authority for Islamic Services”, which began to collect taxes from shops and homes under the pretext of providing public services have also begun to collect phone bills, electricity and water from the civilians despite that it was not exist for a long time , as ISIS issued a decision which prevent the work of humanitarian organizations and services in the province of Raqqa and the confiscation of their own equipment despite the lack of alternative services.
Raqqa medically:
There was a decline of basic medical services for civilians since the control of ISIS to the health facilities in the city, as the spread of many as a result for the deteriorating of service situation and the lack of sterilization for drinking water, while the National Hospital in Raqqa came under heavy bombardment by the aviation of the regime and Russian aviation, which led to a halt in the work of the Kidney diseases department and the department of Hematology work, threatening the lives of hundreds of civilians.
