Windsor's Assyrian community has a message for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: Our faith is stronger than your guns. More than 100 people in the Windsor Assyrian community rallied at city hall Sunday afternoon in support of thousands of Christians being forced to leave their homes in Iraq. "(The Canadian government) don't see our nation is on the verge of collapsing," said rally organizer Ramsin Ishaq. "They think it's a Christian story or a religious war, but it's actually deeper than that. It's ethnic cleansing, too." ISIS, an Islamist militant group, has been attacking and seizing towns in the country, taking hold of border posts, targeting dams, and persecuting Christians and other minorities. The group captured the city of Mosul on June 10 and threatened Christians in the city with an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a religious tax or die. The ultimatum led to the exodus of 35,000 Assyrians from Mosul, joining thousands of others fleeing the brutality. The rally in Windsor was organized to urge the Canadian government to send aid and to raise awareness of the humanitarian needs of Assyrian refugees. "We urge the Canadian government and its allies to help provide a safe haven," Ishaq said. The rally chanted, "Tell me why, tell me why, innocent Christians have to die" while holding signs reading, "Stop killing Iraqi Christians. Stop ISIS," and, "Our faith is stronger than your guns."

MP Brian Masse (NDP -- Windsor West) attended the rally and spoke to the protesters about the positive impact they are making. "You're telling (ISIS) that the people they are attacking are not alone," Masse said. "Those people have real names and real families, and I say enough is enough in attacking innocent people." Masse said the situation has gone on far too long and urged the rally members to pressure the Canadian government to do more.

"It's tragic," Ishaq said. "We have a 6,700 year history in those lands. When the tragedy in Mosul happened, that was the first time in the history of the city that it was completely empty of Assyrian Christians, the indigenous population." Assisting organizer Anabelle Hatami said genocide is not acceptable. "They have nowhere to go," said Hatami, a Windsor Assyrian. "They're sleeping on floors in schools and churches and (ISIS) is closing up to them." Hatami said refugees are without adequate homes, water, food and other supplies.

The U.S. entered the fight on Aug. 8. President Barack Obama insisted that Christians, Yazidis and other minorities must be protected. United States airstrikes and Kurdish fighters broke the siege of Mount Sinjar last Wednesday, an area where several thousand Yazidis were trapped by Islamic militants.

"We don't want to live comfortably over here while that is going on," Ishaq said. "Assyrians are being killed for their religious beliefs ... they are in immediate danger of elimination. We're asking our government for help."