Iraqi And Syrian Christians Form An Armed Group “The Lions of the Canyon” Against IS

[Aepsilons]

I'm Syrian, and yes!

Awesome to hear ! One of the oldest Christian communities are actually from the Middle East ergo, Roman Catholic of the Eastern Rite, Orthodox Christian, Coptic Orthodox et al.

I'm Christian Orthodox and look to one day making a pilgrimage to the River Jordan , as well as visit the Holy Places of Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. Have you been there before ?

Its a pleasure to meet you here @Syrian Lion , and do stay safe over there. We are praying for restitution of peace in the Middle East, and the safety of all our Christian brothers and Muslim brothers. May the Love of Christ illumine us all, May you be protected from all harm-- from the crown on your head to the soles of your feet. This I pray in Jesus' Name.


Your Brother in Christ,
@Nihonjin1051

 

[liontk]

Awesome to hear ! One of the oldest Christian communities are actually from the Middle East ergo, Roman Catholic of the Eastern Rite, Orthodox Christian, Coptic Orthodox et al.

I'm Christian Orthodox and look to one day making a pilgrimage to the River Jordan , as well as visit the Holy Places of Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. Have you been there before ?

Its a pleasure to meet you here @Syrian Lion , and do stay safe over there. We are praying for restitution of peace in the Middle East, and the safety of all our Christian brothers and Muslim brothers. May the Love of Christ illumine us all, May you be protected from all harm-- from the crown on your head to the soles of your feet. This I pray in Jesus' Name.


Your Brother in Christ,
@Nihonjin1051

Your knowledge seems to be quite vast about the region and it took me by surprise and I am glad that you posted your views as I largely agree with them. I would love your input on my thread from an outside perspective as what you see as the core issue that resulting in surge of extremism.

THE DIFFUSION OF INTRA-ISLAMIC VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF SALAFI/WAH

 

[Aepsilons]

Your knowledge seems to be quite vast about the region and it took me by surprise and I am glad that you posted your views as I largely agree with them. I would love your input on my thread from an outside perspective as what you see as the core issue that resulting in surge of extremism.

THE DIFFUSION OF INTRA-ISLAMIC VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF SALAFI/WAH

I'd love to take a look at your thread, my friend.

 

[al-Hasani]

I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this in a separate thread. They were responsible for a great deal of scientific advancement in the Muslim world at the time.

Brother, I am willing to do so but I am not sure that PDF is the right platform for this and I am afraid that it will result in trolling. In any case I was about to venture out to see FC Barcelona vs Elche at a sports bar here in Cannes where I am now to visit some family and now I missed the first half because of discussions on PDF.

When I return or in the upcoming days (if I get the time) it would be my pleasure. I have to say that I am still a Sunni Muslim of the Shafi'i fiqh but I have just found the Mu'tazila fiqh interesting to say the least.

My "fear" is also that religious discussions are banned but as long as we can have a sane discussion it should not be a problem I guess?

Just tag me in the "Arabic Coffee Thread" on the Arab section of PDF and if possible we might one day exchange data outside of the forum so we can meet up whenever I will be visiting London.

 

[Syrian Lion]

Awesome to hear ! One of the oldest Christian communities are actually from the Middle East ergo, Roman Catholic of the Eastern Rite, Orthodox Christian, Coptic Orthodox et al.

I'm Christian Orthodox and look to one day making a pilgrimage to the River Jordan , as well as visit the Holy Places of Galilee, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. Have you been there before ?

Its a pleasure to meet you here @Syrian Lion , and do stay safe over there. We are praying for restitution of peace in the Middle East, and the safety of all our Christian brothers and Muslim brothers. May the Love of Christ illumine us all, May you be protected from all harm-- from the crown on your head to the soles of your feet. This I pray in Jesus' Name.


Your Brother in Christ,
@Nihonjin1051

God Bless you Brother!
Sadly I have not been Palestine, due to conflict between Syria and Israel.... and I have not been to Jordan River, some told me it is not clean, the Jordanian government does not take care of it, however I heard that a Russian Church bought some land near the river, and they have cleaned it...

I appreciate your prayer brother!
Praise the Lord!

 

[mike2000]

like @Ha



Yes,you're right...Lybia,Iraq were cluster- fucks.That doesn't mean that the people there don't deserve better than Gaddafi,Saddam,Assad...humanity is better than that.

Actually,most in Europe say that those dictators were better because with all their rantings they actually kept us safe,sarcastically huh ?- but hey..our freedom with those nations enslaved ? Now it's harsh....but they'll see the light.

Bro,to be honest, whether Gaddafi, Saddam, Assad are dictators or not, shouldnt really be our business in the first place. Its their country, if the people dont like them, they should topple them themsleves i belive. it will be tough, but if they are really determined, they will do it and succeed. Afterall the french revolution wasnt paradised, countless people lost their lives and many were even beheaded(guillotine) by the monarchy but at the end the people toppled the king since they were determined. We getting involved only mkae things worst.
After all we cant even really tell if for example Gadaffi wasnt supported by majority of people in libya, since we just focused on those protesting, now loom at libya after we bombarded them to 'democracy'. its on its road to somalia.

 

[Aepsilons]

God Bless you Brother!
Sadly I have not been Palestine, due to conflict between Syria and Israel.... and I have not been to Jordan River, some told me it is not clean, the Jordanian government does not take care of it, however I heard that a Russian Church bought some land near the river, and they have cleaned it...

I appreciate your prayer brother!
Praise the Lord!

May the Holy Spirit always shine in your heart, in the hearts of all us, especially those who would try to hurt us. As Saul was touched by the Holy Spirit and converted -- to take up the new name of Paul, the servant of Christ. May the Lord always protect and guide our Christian brothers in Syria, Iraq, every corner and inch in the Middle East. If it is His wish for them to stay there, or for them to find a new lands. May Holy Mother Mary, mother of the Saints, keep you and your family in her prayers.

God Bless you, my brother.
Do take care and be safe!

 

[ای ایران]

Bro,to be honest, whether Gaddafi, Saddam, Assad are dictators or not, shouldnt really be our business in the first place. Its their country, if the people dont like them, they should topple them themsleves i belive. it will be tough, but if they are really determined, they will do it and succeed. Afterall the french revolution wasnt paradised, countless people lost their lives and many were even beheaded(guillotine) by the monarchy but at the end the people toppled the king since they were determined. We getting involved only mkae things worst.
After all we cant even really tell if for example Gadaffi wasnt supported by majority of people in libya, since we just focused on those protesting, now loom at libya after we bombarded them to 'democracy'. its on its road to somalia.

You are right, the West should stay out of the Middle East's internal conflcts. Only in the case of preventing genocide like the situation faced by Yezidis should the West intervene. As for the rest, let the Arabs fight over religion and kill each other. Its not the West's business unless it becomes genocide.

May the Holy Spirit always shine in your heart, in the hearts of all us, especially those who would try to hurt us. As Saul was touched by the Holy Spirit and converted -- to take up the new name of Paul, the servant of Christ. May the Lord always protect and guide our Christian brothers in Syria, Iraq, every corner and inch in the Middle East. If it is His wish for them to stay there, or for them to find a new lands. May Holy Mother Mary, mother of the Saints, keep you and your family in her prayers.

God Bless you, my brother.
Do take care and be safe!

It will take more than some prayers and rhetoric to save Christians in Syria and Iraq. It has nothing to do with some mythical Spiritis or some God or anything like. People are responsible for their actions, leave it to 'God' to decide while doing nothing and you'll perish.

The Assyrians and other Christians need allies, arms or asylum. Its thats simple.

 

[Aepsilons]

You are right, the West should stay out of the Middle East's internal conflcts. Only in the case of preventing genocide like the situation faced by Yezidis should the West intervene. As for the rest, let the Arabs fight over religion and kill each other. Its not the West's business unless it becomes genocide.


It will take more than some prayers and rhetoric to save Christians in Syria and Iraq. It has nothing to do with some mythical Spiritis or some God or anything like. People are responsible for their actions, leave it to 'God' to decide while doing nothing and you'll perish.

The Assyrians and other Christians need allies, arms or asylum. Its thats simple.

Do not underestimate the Power of Prayer, dear.

May God Bless Us All.

Bro,to be honest, whether Gaddafi, Saddam, Assad are dictators or not, shouldnt really be our business in the first place. Its their country, if the people dont like them, they should topple them themsleves i belive. it will be tough, but if they are really determined, they will do it and succeed. Afterall the french revolution wasnt paradised, countless people lost their lives and many were even beheaded(guillotine) by the monarchy but at the end the people toppled the king since they were determined. We getting involved only mkae things worst.
After all we cant even really tell if for example Gadaffi wasnt supported by majority of people in libya, since we just focused on those protesting, now loom at libya after we bombarded them to 'democracy'. its on its road to somalia.

Id like to share what I posted in another thread:

There are a lot of factors that have played catalytic roles in the rise of militant forces in the Middle East. As you and I know these forces, a consequence of a variety of independent variables, are thus the barriers to peace and development.

First and foremost let me point out that terrorist groups are not monolithic. Different groups have different reasons for extremism and radicalization. Issues that cause terrorist reactions vary from one group to another. Palestinian's reaction, for example, is caused by Israeli occupation and loss of their homeland. Algerians' is caused by stripping certain groups of their political rights. Al Qaeda cites different reasons like injustices to the Palestinians, cruelty in Iraq; US presence in Islam's holy places; repressive regimes in the Middle East et al.

There is also a factor of an unhealthy society that needs development. The Middle East is infested with massive problems. Unresolved conflicts, oppression , lack of freedom and rights, economic stagnation and above all poverty. All of these created unhealthy society where it becomes acceptable for citizens to vent their frustrations on foes and friends using everything from protestation to violence.

Due to this underlying factor, this feeds into persistent efforts in recruiting vulnerable youngsters using their sufferings as an appealing tool to employ violence against others. Due to this, radical groups such as ISIS, FSA, ISIL are taking advantage of the domestic situation to suit their purpose.

The Middle East needs to realize the following in order to reduce the instance of violence and extremism:

1) Invest in education
2) Investiture of educated religious clergy
3) Improve the standard of living -- invite infrastructure developments, industry, agriculture revolution, port trade.
4) Protection of religious rights for all believers , be they Al-Muslim, Al-Qitab et al.

There is a bright potential for the Middle East.


Best Regards,
@Nihonjin1051

Source: THE DIFFUSION OF INTRA-ISLAMIC VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF SALAFI/WAH

 

[mike2000]

Do not underestimate the Power of Prayer, dear.

May God Bless Us All.



Id like to share what I posted in another thread:

There are a lot of factors that have played catalytic roles in the rise of militant forces in the Middle East. As you and I know these forces, a consequence of a variety of independent variables, are thus the barriers to peace and development.

First and foremost let me point out that terrorist groups are not monolithic. Different groups have different reasons for extremism and radicalization. Issues that cause terrorist reactions vary from one group to another. Palestinian's reaction, for example, is caused by Israeli occupation and loss of their homeland. Algerians' is caused by stripping certain groups of their political rights. Al Qaeda cites different reasons like injustices to the Palestinians, cruelty in Iraq; US presence in Islam's holy places; repressive regimes in the Middle East et al.

There is also a factor of an unhealthy society that needs development. The Middle East is infested with massive problems. Unresolved conflicts, oppression , lack of freedom and rights, economic stagnation and above all poverty. All of these created unhealthy society where it becomes acceptable for citizens to vent their frustrations on foes and friends using everything from protestation to violence.

Due to this underlying factor, this feeds into persistent efforts in recruiting vulnerable youngsters using their sufferings as an appealing tool to employ violence against others. Due to this, radical groups such as ISIS, FSA, ISIL are taking advantage of the domestic situation to suit their purpose.

The Middle East needs to realize the following in order to reduce the instance of violence and extremism:

1) Invest in education
2) Investiture of educated religious clergy
3) Improve the standard of living -- invite infrastructure developments, industry, agriculture revolution, port trade.
4) Protection of religious rights for all believers , be they Al-Muslim, Al-Qitab et al.

There is a bright potential for the Middle East.


Best Regards,
@Nihonjin1051

Source: THE DIFFUSION OF INTRA-ISLAMIC VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM: THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF SALAFI/WAH

I like your last point Nihonji, this is exactly the point i made earlier on another thread on here, but one Saudi guy was ranting against me that im anti muslim. I understand that When you state facts/make observations that arent what some people want to hear they sometimes react that way. However they should also be realistic and open to new suggestions/listen to others.
As you mentioned they need to invest in Education,infratsructure development, industry,port trade,science and technology, manufacturing and protection/respect of other religious beliefs/rights.
These all the things most muslim countries in the middle east lack,and this will keep pulling them back until they address these issues. countries like Turkey at least are trying though with Erdogan, but they have recently be going back to supporting Jihadist groups in Syria which now poses a threat to them as well....

 

[ای ایران]

The Middle East needs to realize the following in order to reduce the instance of violence and extremism:

1) Invest in education
2) Investiture of educated religious clergy
3) Improve the standard of living -- invite infrastructure developments, industry, agriculture revolution, port trade.
4) Protection of religious rights for all believers , be they Al-Muslim, Al-Qitab et al.

Educated religious clegy is an oxymoron, especially if talking about Muslims since theologically the Qur'an has to be accepted as the highest source of knowledge. You cant question the Qur'an in Islam so if something contradicts the Qur'an, the clergy will have to pick the Qur'an rather that the truth under their noses. Thats not the action of an educated person. Being educated means being able to think critically and not to blindly accept that which cannot be proven. Islam rules out this possibility for those that want to take it beyond just a matter of personal spiritual faith.

Extremism and violence will forever exist in the name of Islam so long as Islam is treated as more than just a religion, but as a political ideology, legal system and source for which society and even personal identities are to be founded on.

Dont hold your breath that change will happen. For peninsular Arabs, Islam is the only thing they have. Take Islam away from them and all you have left is camels and lizards.

 

[Aepsilons]

I like your last point Nihonji, this is exactly the point i made earlier on another thread on here, but one Saudi guy was ranting against me that im anti muslim. I understand that When you state facts/make observations that arent what some people want to hear they sometimes react that way. However they should also be realistic and open to new suggestions/listen to others.
As you mentioned they need to invest in Education,infratsructure development, industry,port trade,science and technology, manufacturing and protection/respect of other religious beliefs/rights.
These all the things most muslim countries in the middle east lack,and this will keep pulling them back until they address these issues. countries like Turkey at least are trying though with Erdogan they have recently be going back to supporting Jihadist groups in Syria which now poses a threat to them.

I definitely agree with you about Turkey as a case example of how a Muslim nation (predominantly Sunni) can modernize, endorse education, succeed in technological advancements and their own indigenous R&D. Turkey has proven to the world how a nation can rise above religious doctrine, to implement pragmatic policies. I also credit the Turks in their 5 century old Ottoman Empire , which ruled a host of subject peoples with varying ethnicity, languages, religions. Hence, the Turks' natural ability to adapt to the world stage and asymmetrical emergencies.

To a second degree I would even cite Lebanon as another example. Definitely the Middle East can modernize and can adapt to the modern age and the sensibilities needed. If Turkey and Lebanon can do it, I don't see any reason why Libya, Yemen, Oman et al cannot.

Dont hold your breath that change will happen. For peninsular Arabs, Islam is the only thing they have. Take Islam away from them and all you have left is camels and lizards.

That's your opinion, given you have some kind of agenda against Arabs. I don't think it is healthy to hold this kind of attitude, this pessimistic attitude will forever prevent mutual camaraderie.

 

[ای ایران]

That's your opinion, given you have some kind of agenda against Arabs. I don't think it is healthy to hold this kind of attitude, this pessimistic attitude will forever prevent mutual camaraderie.

Everybody has an agenda, mine is pro-civilization, pro-freedom, pro-human rights, pro-environment etc Basically, my 'agenda' then is much like most other civilized people. Idealistic as that stretch of an agenda may be. As such, Islamic State does not fit into the picture, nor any other terrorist regime, movement or ideology, in the Middle East or anywhere else in the World, including Iran.

 

[Chronos]

come on dude is there a question of treatement in india....just forget about it we are happy in india and i wouldnt trade for it till the death.

a real patriot!