ISIS and the echoes of the West's religious terror

The English Parliament once treated the Irish the same way ISIS treats its victims

Yazidis
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Rodi Said))

Convert, leave, or die. That's the trio of awful options ISIS is giving to Christians in Iraq.

Sadly, there's an all-too-familiar ring to this ultimatum. These were the exact options given to all Catholic clergy in Ireland when England instituted the penal laws against Catholics several hundred years ago.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.