Four young Christians brutally beheaded by ISIS in Iraq for refusing to convert to Islam, says British Vicar of Baghdad forced to flee 

• Canon Andrew White tells horrifying story of Islamic State barbarism
• 'They chopped all their heads off. How do you respond to that?'
• Youths, all under 15, refused to convert because they 'loved Jesus'
• Another man ordered to follow Muhammad or see his children slaughtered
• ISIS threats on his life forced Canon White to flee to Israel
• Iraq had 1.5m Muslims before 2003 US-lead invasion - now has 250,000

Four young Christians were brutally beheaded by ISIS in Iraq for refusing to convert to Islam, according to a British reverend forced to flee the country.

Canon Andrew White, known as the Vicar of Baghdad, told the horrifying story how of the youths, all under 15, were murdered for standing up to the jihadists.

The vicar of the city’s St George's Church, the only Anglican church in the whole of Iraq, has had to leave the country for Israel amid constant threats on his life by Islamic State.

In a harrowing interview with the Orthodox Christian Network, he said ISIS had killed ‘huge numbers’ of believers in Jesus.

‘Islamic State turned up and said to the children, “you say the words that you will follow Mohammad”’, he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

‘The children, all under 15, four of them, said “no, we love Yesua; we have always loved Yesua; we have always followed Yesua; Yesua has always been with us”.

‘They [ISIS] said, “Say the words.” They [the children] said, “No, we can't”.

‘They chopped all their heads off. How do you respond to that? You just cry.

‘They are my children. That is what we have been going through and that is what we are going through.'

British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff have all been beheaded by ISIS. 

After running for his life at the behest of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Canon White has a shocking story to tell of the persecution suffered by Christians at the hands of Islamic state. 

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Canon White in the video interview, in which he appeared close to tears as he recounted the horrible story

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Canon White is Vicar of Baghdad's St George's church, the only Anglican place of worship in the whole of Iraq

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A propaganda video released on November 16 allegedly shows members of Islamic State preparing the simultaneous beheadings of at least 15 men described as Syrian military personnel

Canon White in the Iraqi capital (left) and in his office at his family home in Liphook, Hampshire (right)

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The Vicar of Baghdad has been forced to flee to Israel after repeated threats on him by ISIS

Iraq had 1.5 million Christians before the US-led invasion in 2003, but now all that are left are 250,000 who have been displaced from their homes in the north of the country by the advance of ISIS.

Canon White, a 50-year-old father-of-two, told another heartbreaking tale of a father forced to choose between his children and his faith.

He said: ‘They [ISIS] came to one of our people the other day, one of the Christians.They said to him “either you say the words of converting to Islam or we kill all your children”.

‘He was desperate. He said the words and then he phoned me and said, "Abouna [Father], I said the words, does that mean that Yesua [Jesus] doesn't love me anymore?”

‘I said, “Yesua still loves you, he will always loves you".'  

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The infamous Jihadi John preapres to be decapitate American James Foley in an ISIS propaganda video

British aid workers David Haines, (left, with wife Dragana) and Alan Henning (right) were both beheaded by Islamic State

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On the march: ISIS has displaced all of the only remaining 250,000 Christians in Iraq

Canon White, who has a family home in the UK in Liphook, Hampshire, says it is ‘impossible’ for Christians to survive in Iraq under the tyranny of ISIS.

He said: ‘Things were bad in Baghdad, there were bombs and shootings and our people were being killed, so many of our people fled back to Nineveh, their traditional home.

‘It was safer, but then one day, ISIS – Islamic State. They came in and they hounded all of them out.

‘They killed huge numbers, they chopped their children in half, they chopped their heads off, and they moved north and it was so terrible what happened.