Mainstream analysts in the West, as clueless as ever, will doubtless cite this as yet more evidence that the Islamic State is not Islamic, since the Qur’an says “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256).
However, what constitutes “compulsion” is in the eye of the beholder. The institutionalized subjugation of the dhimma, with its regular humiliation and harassment, from which one can be freed for the simple price of converting to Islam, is not considered compulsion. Remember Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig, the journalists who were kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam — even though their conversions were obviously coerced, their captors made them say that they were converting freely, and the captors probably believed that themselves. After all, the journos could have chosen to be killed instead.
“Russian mercenaries captured by ISIS ‘are executed after refusing to reject Christianity and become Muslim,'” by Will Stewart, MailOnline, October 6, 2017 (thanks to Blazing Cat Fur):
Two Russian mercenaries reportedly captured by ISIS jihadists are feared to have been executed because they refused to read out a statement saying they rejected their Christian faith and had become Muslim.
Roman Zabolotny, 39, and Grigory Tsurkanu, 38, held in Syria, also refused to say on camera that they had joined the terrorist group.
The men are believed to have been fighting for a private Russian mercenary force comprising ex-servicemen which saw action in Crimea and eastern Ukraine before Syria.
They were held by jihadists around the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, the last ISIS stronghold in the country.
They appeared in a video released earlier this week by ISIS news agency Amak which claimed inaccurately that the men were serving Russian soldiers.
Senior Russian MP Viktor Vodolatsky said: ‘It is very sad but 99 per cent Roman Zabolotny is not alive, nor is the second prisoner.
‘Before filming that video they were given a statement which they had to read.
‘In this text they would reject their Orthodox religion, reject their motherland, become Muslim and join ISIS.
‘They stayed loyal to the Orthodox faith and their Motherland until the very end, and this is what they were killed by those gangsters for.’
There has been no official confirmation from the Russian authorities about their fate, but Vladimir Putin’s government is coy speaking about such mercenary forces in Syria and other hot spots, even though experts say they work closely with the armed forces.
A local MP in Rostov-on-Don, Zabolotny’s home city, also confirmed the pair had been ‘executed’, saying it happened the day after the video was made.
‘Unfortunately, this is true,’ said Anatoly Kotlyarov. ‘Information was received that they were executed in a town square.’…
Linde Barrera says
May God bless these 2 brave Christian Orthodox men, Roman and Grigory, from Russia. RIP with Jesus.+ May their killers get justice, sooner rather than later.
Eugene says
Those who did it will die, their leaders will die, everyone involved will die. That’s how Putin rolls. And they know it.
WorkingClassPost says
This reminds me of a hymn that we used to sing at school, called “Onward Christian Soldiers”:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG78M7g9wRo
I very much doubt that this is sung anymore here in UK (or anywhere else in the West).
Gonna ask my kids when they get home if they’ve even heard of this song.
WorkingClassPost says
I can confirm that neither has even heard of this song, little wonder there are so few left to fight the good flight (another expression that used to be commonplace, but we don’t hear anymore).
It’s weird that I was brought up on secular science, yet the Christian message is just about the only thing that makes real sense today.
Eur says
Fuck Mohammed, he began this game.Fuck Islam.
Billy Chickens says
Isn’t it time to start singing “Onward Christian soldiers, marching into WAR”? Isn’t it time to stand up and defend Christianity, our countries, cultures and families against the Islamic invaders?
S Kevin Wojtaszek says
Two New Orthodox Christian Martyrs – Gregory and Roman
http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/two-new-orthodox-christian-martyrs-gregory-and-roman/
anotherJWReader says
This is true. Holy martyrs Roman and Gregory, pray to God for us.
Raja says
The victims are lot mote Christian than so called pastors and other con men. Surelt God will reward them for their faith and that is Jesus’ promise for all mankind.
What ISIS s doing is not just butchering Christians but trying to destroy all liberties of the world and hence Christians should protest against every killing of Isis Whether Christian or non Christian or even apostate Muslim.
Muslim world including so called moderates might relish these moments as a sign of end times or a catalyst of end times. Has any moderate Muslim spoken against a cleric or has he had any disagreement with clerics?… Has any moderate condemned the killing by Isis as satanic? That would be against his “faith” !!!!!!!!!!!
Bob says
Raja – moderates? WHAT moderates?
Raja says
Bob,
What I am implying to say here is THERE ARE NO REAL MODERATES WITHIN ISLAM.
Regards,
Raja
Mac-101 says
Should the term Mercenary be used or more likely Freedom Fighters against Satan?
Walter Sieruk says
First, those cruel ,vicious and murderous jihadists thugs who compose the brutal and deadly jihad entity ISIS are actually putting in to the practice ,with all their ruthless actions, the violence and killing that is part of the teaching of the “holy book” of Islam ,the Koran. Which contain the doctrine of extreme violent force for the advancement of Islam. As seen in the Koran, for example, 2:191,4:89. 5:33. 9:5,111,123. 47:4. So in spite of the strong denials by many, ISIS is an actual Islamic organization. Likewise the malicious, bloodthirsty violence jihadists who make up ISIS are real Muslims. Nevertheless, there are some who might , understandably, wonder and then ask “Just how can those jihadists of ISIS ,being so very religious , also at the time also be so very malice-filled ,unfeeling and deadly ? “ The answer to that question is found in the Bible. For the Bible teaches that there are some people who are extremely heartless, cold, callous and dangerous because they have had “their conscience seared with a hot iron.” First Timothy 4:2. [ K.J.V.] In this case of the members of ISIS this “hot iron” is Islam.
Second,one of the explanations as to how such totally unconscionable, ruthless, vicious actions and murderous are committed by the Muslim terrorists who compose the brutal and deadly jihad entity ISIS is answer in the following . The jihadists of ISIS are engaging in the Islamic doctrine of “Muruna” which is the dogma of Islam that teaches committing evil for the greater good is a noble part of the jihad for Islam. This is, in essence, the same type of “philosophy” that the communists had gone by in the twentieth century. That it’s a “good thing “ to commit many evils to obtain a “worker’s paradise.” Likewise, during World War II even the Nazis had this line of thinking.” To express, as in to illustrate this idea, even more, is by using a twenty-first century movie. Near the end of this movie, just before the final defeat of the super-arch –villain General Zod , that super villain said “No matter how brutal and deadly I was I did it for the greater good.” That is the common mindset of many villains including those of ISIS.
mortimer says
Mercenaries are not cowards.
mortimer says
TAQIYYA: Muslims lie about FORCIBLE CONVERSION … it is the SUNNA of Mohammed…
FORCIBLE CONVERSION to Islam is yet another Muslim word-game:
Tabari, Hisham & Ibn Kathir quote the same story of Muhammad, about to attack Mecca, when his men arrest a Meccan leader Abu Sufyan, and bring him to Muhammad. Muhammad tells him:
‘Woe to you O Abu Sufyan. Is it not time for you to realize that there is no God but the only God?” Abu Sufyan answers “I do believe that.” Muhammad then says “Woe to you Abu Sufyan, is it not time for you to know that I am the Apostle of God?” Abu Sufyan answers “By God, O Muhammad, of this there is doubt in my soul.”
(Tabari pt2,pg157; Ibn Kathir ‘Biography of the Prophet’ pt3,pg549)
Mohammed forcibly converted people in the hadiths, therefore forcible conversion is Sunna and normative Islam, rather than an aberration.
WorkingClassPost says
Surely ‘mercenaries’ would simply switch sides in that position.
They chose to fight fascism in Ukraine, and islamism in Syria, so calling them ‘Mercenaries’ is meaningless, except to identify them as irregular army, or volunteers.
RIP
Guest says
May God have mercy on those brave souls
gravenimage says
Islamic State executes two Russian mercenaries for refusing to reject Christianity and become Muslim
………………………….
God bless Roman Zabolotny and Grigory Tsurkanu. Brave men.
Also, these executions rather bring into question the idea that the Islamic State is finished, its members all in hiding or on the run.
Matthieu Baudin says
“…Roman Zabolotny, 39, and Grigory Tsurkanu, 38, held in Syria, also refused to say on camera that they had joined the terrorist group..”
It’s rare to see this level of self sacrificing defiance these days. There’s something virtuous and noble about maintaining your dignity right up till the end.
Lydia says
I will publicly confess to be a Christian right up until the end with my last breath too, no matter what. And I will also add that islam is an evil and false religion.
That is my confession and I will stick to it.
That is what Jesus asks of all Christians: Matthew 10; 32-33 and many more.
He died for us and we can’t deny Him when the pressure is on.
FYI says
It just shows you the kind of godless Commandment of God-violating islamic savages that constitute satan’s own little army:isis.
Since they follow allah,the anti semitic,anti Christian moon god of hate,(who sanctions mass murder of the innocent) instead of the True God who clearly prohibits such wickedness in His commandments(especially the Sixth which forbids intentional murder)
these spineless moral cowards are,despite their fraudulent displays of religious devoyion,the very ones who will suffer God’s Justice:they are the chaff and they don’t even know it!
A persecuted Christian says
It is high time the world woke up to this imminent danger. This has to be stopped. We are sick of them