ISIS Attempts to Crush Christianity

ISIS has indicated it will not stop until it can wipe every sign of Christianity from the face of the Middle East. Now, it appears the terror group has struck again.

The group has destroyed one of the oldest Christian sites in Iraq — the monastery of St. Elijah, according to the Associated Press. This monastery has stood south of the city of Mosul for 1,400 years as a beacon of Christianity.

But ISIS overtook this part of the country from Iraqi forces in June 2014, and satellite images now show the disturbing reality of what has happened. The images come from a company called DigitalGlobe, and the data has been analyzed by historians and officials who confirm the monastery was destroyed sometime in August or September 2014.

Yonadam Kanna, a Christian and a member of the Iraqi parliament, said this monastery is “one of the most historical” in the country. He told The New York Times that the destruction of the religious and historical site is proof of ISIS’s agenda to destroy every ounce of Christianity left in Iraq.

“Nothing can compensate the loss of such heritage,” said Kanna.

The monastery of St. Elijah is just one of countless Christian sites to be destroyed by the Islamic State, as the group systematically goes through the country and attempts to remove all signs of Christianity.

For an 11th century building, the monastery was largely intact — particularly parts of the main church.

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During the invasion by American forces in 2003, the outer wall was slightly damaged. In this early part of the invasion, the monastery was used as a garrison for the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus.

The site then was converted to a base, dubbed Forward Operating Base Marez, and was used from 2003 to 2011. During that time, officials from the State Department made reconstruction attempts to preserve the significant historical site, including building a new roof for the church.

But as the Islamic State has gained power, the group has driven out more Christians and other religious groups such as the Yazidis in an effort to strengthen the power and reach of its religious caliphate. ISIS continues to try to demolish every last piece of Christianity in its vicious mission of destruction.