A community of Syrians who converted to Christianity from Islam is growing in Kobani, a town besieged by Islamic State for months, and where the tide turned against the militants four years ago. After a number of families converted, the Syrian-Turkish border town's first evangelical church opened
1 / 9People walk at a cemetery for SDF fighters killed during fightings with Islamic State militants in KobaniPeople walk at a cemetery for SDF fighters killed during fightings with Islamic State militants in Kobani, Syria April 4, 2019. Picture taken April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Ali HashishoBy John Davison
Though Islamic State's ultra-radical interpretation of Sunni Islam has been repudiated by the Islamic mainstream, the legacy of its violence has affected perceptions of faith. Firas works for a Christian aid group at a nearby camp for displaced people that helped set up the church. "This was painted by IS as a religious conflict, using religious slogans. Because of this a lot of Kurds lost trust in religion generally, not just Islam," he said.One man, who lost an arm in an explosion in Kobani and fled to Turkey for medical treatment, said he met Kurdish and Turkish converts there and eventually decided to join them.
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