Iraqi Muslim Shows Solidarity with Christian Community

In an article posted by Corey Barnett on the website World Religion News, the inspiring actions of a young Iraqi Muslim man are highlighted. While visiting one of the Christian churches in Mosul that was destroyed by ISIS, Marwan was struck by the horrific site left behind by the terrorists. To show solidarity and support of persecuted Christians in Iraq–among other places–Marwan built a makeshift cross out of metal scraps that remained among the debris of the destroyed church. Marwan wanted to be sure to spread his support and the message that ISIS does not represent Islam at all, and their actions are un-Islamic. With so much fear and violence rampant in the world, Marwan wanted to be sure that his love and support of people of all religiosities was spread; he denounced the violence of ISIS and their destruction of “the signs and the icons of his Christian friends, his Christian compatriots, his Christian neighbors.” by displaying the cross he made with the reclaimed debris. To spread this message even further, a video depicting Marwan’s act of solidarity was posted to Instagram by the Preemptive Love Coalition, a charity organization based in Iraq (Barnett, World Religion News, 1/17/17). In times of violence and unrest, acts of solidarity and compassion such as Marwan’s are ways to fight against terrorism perpetuated by ISIS whose actions do not portray true Islamic beliefs.