Iraqi Christians Join Muslim Forces in Fight against ISIS

Nearly one thousand Iraqi Christians have joined Muslim forces to fight ISIS militants. The Christians have teamed up with mostly Shiite Muslims who have also suffered from the terror group’s reign. 

Rayan Al-Kildani belongs to one such militia group, the Babylonian Brigades. 

He said, “By the will of God we will avenge what happened to our community.”

He continued, “ISIS terrorists do not differentiate among Christians, Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites — they kill everyone… We have to help our Muslim brothers liberate Iraq."

The Christian Post reports hundreds of thousands of Christians have been displaced from their homes in Iraq and Syria. ISIS militants stole their homes, property and money, and killed relatives and friends. 

Many Iraqi residents feel abandoned by their government which has put up a feeble attempt to protect civilians from ISIS forces. Citizens are now fighting back on their own; the militias have received no training or weaponry from the government. 

Militia member Abu Yasser said Christians and Muslims have been uniting forces for many years. 

They have "lived for years side-by-side with our Muslim brothers. We drink from the same river and eat the same food; this goes back hundreds and thousands of years,” he said. 

"In battlefield you forget who you are, to which religion you belong... The only thing that you think of is how to defeat your enemy."

Publication date: July 13, 2015