The Tenacious Monks of Northern Iraq
Holding out in one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, located in Iraq's Northern Nineveh Plains region, three monks and a half dozen students vow to stay put despite the possibility of being overrun by ISIS fighters.
U.S. Today reports that the 1,600 year old St. Matthew's Monastery is constantly under threat and just mere miles from the frontlines in the battle against ISIS. Many of the monks and villagers in the town fled in August of 2014 when ISIS gained more ground in the surrounding area near Mt. Alfaf, Iraq.
"We can see the battles and the airstrikes from here in front of us, especially at night," Yousif Ibrahim said. "The sky lights up at night, but we of course are not scared. God protects us."
