Mosul, a city in the North of Iraq for nearly three years was considered the “capital” of the “Islamic state”. But last summer the coalition forces recaptured the city from ISIS. View the video “CBN News” about the former lair of the “Islamic state”. Will take a long time to rebuild what had been destroyed by ISIS.
“CBN News”, accompanied by Iraqi national police went there, where there was the most fierce fight against ISIS. This part of Mosul remains a military zone, strewn with unexploded ordnance and dead bodies.
In the center of Mosul is truly an apocalyptic landscape. Wherever you look, you see destruction and death. Here’s a bit creepy. And very quiet. It looks like a Ghost town. Everything here reminds me of a European city after the bombing during the Second world war. Looking around, understand that it will take not just months or years and likely decades to restore the city to its former state.
We stood just a few meters from the place where in the summer of 2014 ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a Caliphate. Now his three-year dream lies in ruins, and his men were killed or fled.
“What we’re seeing here, this destruction around us is a necessary price to pay to destroy that vile project under the name “Islamic state”, the creation of which was proclaimed in this city in June 2014. That’s the price paid. This destruction is what it took to once again transform the reality only in the idea,” said Jonathan Spier, Director of “Rubin”.
The Tigris river divides Mosul. Coalition forces bombed many of the bridges connecting the East and the West. Eastern Mosul continues to show signs of life, however, West suffered the brunt of the conflict. One report States that more than nine thousand civilians were killed in the battle for the liberation of Mosul from “Islamic state”, but an attempt to save this city turned its full destruction. We attended a Church that became a symbol of the fact that he sought to destroy ISIS. Only in Mosul, the ISIS has destroyed dozens of Christian churches and buildings. At the time, more than ten thousand Christian families believed the Mosul their home. Now there was only a handful.
Earlier this place was the center of the Church of St. Catherine, behind the convent of the Dominican nuns. The fighters staged their headquarters, and then it was destroyed with an air strike USA.
“After ISIS captured Mosul, they made this place their headquarters. They were brought here the spoil of the people, their cars and property. Here they were engaged in the manufacture of weapons and bombs,” says an Iraqi soldier Mohammed.
“I can’t help feeling sad about it. I compare how it was before, how it has become now. I am not just talking about buildings, but about the actions of the Dominican sisters”, says Christian leader Johanna.
Johanna says that the Dominican sisters of Mosul salt and light.
“You know, this monastery has great significance for all Christians in Mosul, because the citizens know the Dominican sisters. They opened many schools here. All the people who now occupy Iraq, are graduates of these schools, especially in Mosul. Therefore, the Dominican sisters had a good reputation in the city,” says Johanna.
His humanitarian organization providing food and assistance to local Sunni Muslims, when the city opened.
“We were here when they began to bomb the “hunchback minaret”. And we are on the same day began to distribute food to families. They asked us: “Why? We threatened you. We killed Christians, and now you help us. We don’t understand.” With us was Dr. John from the organization “international Christian solidarity”. He said, “So do Christians. They love their enemies, and you do not even enemies. You’re the victims of ISIS as Christians. We are here to help you”, says Johanna.
And although most of Mosul lies in ruins, Johanna hopes for a better future: “I Hope that one day Mosul would be what was before. This is my dream”.