ISIS MARK CHRISTIAN’s
#WeAreN
FROM CBS NEWS = A Symbol of ISIS hate becomes rallying cry for
Christians.
“Watching the homes of Christians be marked with this Arabic letter
marking them for extermination...hurt in my soul” - Jeremy
Courtney
When the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS,
captured Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities, militants began singling
Christians out. The symbol that marked their homes and businesses the Arabic
letter "n," which is pronounced "noon" and stands for Nazarene or Nasrani, the
Arabic word for Christian, reportedly was a signal: Convert, Pay a Tax or Be
Killed. Many Christians fled.
Jeremy Courtney, who has lived in Iraq for almost eight years,
decided to bring the world's attention to what the militant group, whose radical
views on Islam have been widely condemned by Muslims around the world, had been
doing.
"Watching the homes of Christians be marked with this Arabic letter
'n,' marking them for extermination - I was just very moved and hurt in my soul
and inspired to try and do something to awaken the emotions of people anywhere,
everywhere to pay attention to this tragedy," said Courtney, the founder and
executive director of an international development organization called
Pre-emptive Love Coalition, which provides life-saving heart surgeries to Iraqi
children and aid for displaced families.
Courtney said he grabbed a marker in mid-July and marked his hand
with the Arabic letter "n" to stand in solidarity with the Christians who were
also being marked.
He posted the photo on Twitter with the hashtag
#WeAreN.
"When I started the #WeAreN hashtag, I certainly didn't know or
envision that this was going to be a rallying cry for Christians and others
around the word," said Courtney.
Places like the the Archdiocese of Washington posted it on their
Facebook. The Church of England has it on their Twitter feed. More than 22,000
people have also taken to Instagram, posting photos of the Arabic "n" on their
hands, faces and clothing with #WeAreN.
"They [ISIS] gave us a logo in which to hang our best hopes for Iraq.
Suddenly, now the whole Western world was paying attention," said Courtney.
One of those paying attention was Michelle Palmeiri in New
York.
"All I could think of was Iraq and Syria, and the poor Christians who
were being moved from their homes and killed and I was like 'We got to do
something,'" said Palmeiri.
She is a member of The Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan,
where she started organizing vigils where people would wear the Arabic "n" on
pins, on their hands and on posters. People also wore the pins during the
church's masses.
"Christ says 'be not afraid,' and we're showing that we're not afraid
of them [ISIS]," said Palmeiri.
They have
held three vigils so far. Members of the church walk with candles and prayers in
hand from their church location on 37th Street to Herald Square a few blocks
away.
They pray
inside and outside of the church for the Christians being persecuted in the
Middle East and want to support them by wearing the
letter.
The Rev.
Stephen Safron helps with Mass at the Church of the Holy Innocents where he has
spoken about the persecution of Christians.
"Things like
this do bring attention to specific needs at a specific time," said
Safron.
He also sees
historical parallels in ISIS' persecution of Christians.
"We think of
history itself also, the invasion of Poland for example and the beginnings of
World War II. We think of the Jewish people forced to wear the star and so this
here, we see the same thing happening. People are being labeled."
"It's really
blasphemy to say that these things [killings] can be done in the name of GOD.
This sheer fanaticism tries to justify itself by wrapping itself in religion but
it really is holding religion in contempt," the Rev. George Rulter, an
administrator at the church, said.
Rulter sees
the effort to reclaim ISIS' intended symbol of Christian oppression and turn it
into one of solidarity as "propaganda for the good rather than for the bad."
"They wanted
to identify with fellow Christians who were suffering. And I think now it has
served the function of awakening other people as well," he said.
Since
Palmeiri's initial efforts a few months ago, she said she has received messages
on Facebook from bishops and priests in the Middle East thanking them.
"It's a
serious matter, especially when that area of the world is asking us to help
them. ...
Something
has to be done whether it's the physical or in the
spiritual."
What ISIS
used as a symbol for Christian oppression in the Middle East has now become
image of solidarity for people like Palmeiri, Courtney and thousands of others.
"I was not
expecting #WeAreN as a hashtag or the 'noon' as a logo or icon to grow this big
at all. No, it was a moment of frustration. It was a moment of personal protest,
just trying to say if you're coming for them, then you can come for me too,"
said Courtney. "Living in Iraq/Syria and watching this play out in my backyard,
I just had this sense that we can't just stand by idly and let our neighbors be
slaughtered."
F.Y.I. More
News:
Also Praying for Iraqi & Syrian Christians.
In the name of GOD the Father, JESUS CHRIST & the HOLY SPIRIT –
Amen.
A Post by Richard…
#WeAreN
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