Interesting is it not that the Scriptures say that a woman should obey her husband. At least to defer to him as long as he, the Scriptures say, loves and respects her. All bets are off if he does not.
A woman, starting with Eve was created by God to be a helpmeet, so says the Scripture. The role of a woman should be that of wife, mother, homemaker and children raiser, again, so says the Scripture.
But not today, at least not in North Syria. There are those women who have had enough of men, especially ISIS men and these would be wives and mothers have become women warriors. Soldiers in the fight against ISIS. They have had enough of ISLAMIC STATE, ISIS or ISIL or whatever these male, barbarian monsters call themselves. These women warriors are tired of being raped, brutalized, used as sex slaves, treated as serfs, having no freedoms of any kind, used and abused only for childbearing, forced to dress as a man wishes, without education or careers, in short, totally male-dominated. These brave and courageous women would rather fight and die than be brutalized by these vicious men.
They have formed a battalion of essentially 2,000 Christian fighters. They have called it Bethnahrin Women Protection Forces (HSNB) to fight ISIS. The commander of the woman’s fighting unit is NISHA. She is one brave, bright and courageous woman, a real leader in the fray. Nisha reminds me of the old saying:
WHEN YOU NEED A GOOD MAN FOR THE JOB
HIRE A WOMAN!
Nisha is attractive, tough, but feminine in appearance. One would never know a woman like her would fight, go into battle and with her fellow women warriors, fight on the frontlines. She probably states in an interview:
I AM THE COMMANDER OF BETHNAHRIN WOMEN’S PROTECTION FORCES
Nisha functions as commander from the headquarters, strategically planning and implementing and also in the field, the field of battle. She coordinates frontline activities. She assesses all potential risks and gives the marching orders to her 2,000 troops. Nisha is proud of the fact that she and her women play an active role in the battlefield. She chuckles when she says that there are “obstacles” to the participation of women in the military which are rooted in the MENTALITY OF THE MEN! But the men, the ISIS kind, and their deep-rooted disrespect of women are the very reason why these women fight to preserve their honor, dignity and femininity.
Commander Nisha probably states that she places her battalion in “the toughest places.” They fight on the frontlines in the battle against Islamic State in their capital of Raqqa. They have, the battalion does, the goal of freeing Raqqa from ISIS, step one, and then to completely remove them from their center of operations. They will, she boldly states, return Raqqa and in fact all of North Syria TO THE PEOPLE.
Commander Nisha is so proud of her female warriors, their resistance and superior performance. Her battalion is so strong that in battle, it “scares the enemy.” She requires her battalion to constantly train, conduct warlike exercises so that at all times these women warriors are COMBAT READY. She knows that ISIS fears engagements with women for if any ISIS fighter is killed by a female, “they are not allowed to enter heaven.” No matter who killed these vicious barbarians, they would never enter heaven anyway, but here and now, there is no greater disgrace than losing life to a woman warrior. Women in battle, Nisha says, “psychologically undermine the enemy-ISIS.” Female fighters add yet another psychological weapon in the battle.
Commander Nisha says that she and her battalion have hundreds of Christian warriors including Syriac-Chaldean, Assyrian, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Armenians. She is proud of the Christian diversity, but also the fact that there are non-Christian Arab and Kurdish fighters included as well. They join together with the stated purpose of protecting the Christian community which Nisha says, “has always been an easy target for oppression and genocide.” But now, the situation is different in Northern Syria where all ethnic and religious groups live together in friendship and peace without ISIS. Their objective is unity with diversity for all. Nisha and her battalion are determined to restore and keep those freedoms, willing to sacrifice their very own lives to accomplish those goals. Reminds me of the old motto in the once great State of Vermont where men would live freely and with equal rights or die. These tenacious, courageous women are willing to die for what they believe!
Commander Nisha indicates that she and her battalion will fight against whoever opposes the notion of living in democracy and coexistence. There will for them be no inequality of any kind, NONE! She states emphatically, as any commander would:
“The idea of democracy, freedom and peace among diverse groups will succeed and that is why this is a priority for us, a continued resistance until we reach our goal.”
Nisha is proud of the fact that she and her battalion are recognized by the coalition fighting ISIS and Syria (Assad) as well. Her battalion receives arms and ammunition from the coalition. The battalion does not use heavy weapons which are used only by American and coalition forces. But their weapons are more than adequate even though they know they will need more superior weapons to defeat the enemy. They are constantly in need of military supplies and ammunition which come on an irregular basis. She and her battalion constantly importune the international powers, including and especially America to support their “dignified and humanitarian war,” allow them to fight with coalition forces on the frontline, and to supply the battalion with the supplies and ammunition so sorely needed. The more of that, the better the battalion can fight.
In the Muslim dominated area of North Syria, Commander Nisha proudly states that:
WE SEE FREEDOM OF RELIGION AS VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING.
These primarily Christian warriors do not have the opportunity to pray in a church, but they do so on the battlefield. They know the Syrian leader al-Assad denies freedom of religion at every turn, requiring all to practice Islam, with an especial animosity for Christianity. To practice any religion but Islam would surely mean death or exile. The Syrian regime, Nisha says, built mosques with public funds, but built no churches. Now, she says, with the formation of the Kurdish Democratic Self-Administration, freedom of religion and freedom in general exists in every area! Nisha proudly states:
PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO LIVE REAL FREEDOM IN EVERY SENSE. ALL PEOPLES, BELIEFS AND CULTURES LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE AND FREEDOM. BASHAR AL-ASSAD’S AUTHORITY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE. THERE IS NO FREEDOM OR FAVOR THAT THIS DICTATORIAL REGIME CAN GIVE TO THE PEOPLE.
Commander Nisha goes onto state:
IT (THE AL-ASSAD REGIME) IS A COLLAPSED AND REACTIONARY REGIME AND WE WILL CARRYOUT ALL KINDS OF STRUGGLE AGAINST IT.
Reminds me of the old Biblical admonition that if one resists the devil, the devil will flee, or perhaps in the case of Syria, be destroyed by freedom fighters.
Again, Commander Nisha reminds the world of real diversity which lives together but works under common beliefs and ideals. She states proudly that Syriac, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian, Turkmen and all peoples living in the region of North Syria want to live together in democracy and peace. All of these brave human beings want to manage their futures and make their own decisions for their lives. Nisha defiantly states:
WE DO NOT ACCEPT DICTATORS AND AUTHORITARIANISM IMPOSED ON US!
What an incredible woman-commander. If I were ISIS and saw these fierce fighters coming at me, I would surely run the other way.
Commander Nisha, strong Christian that she is, was asked what Bible verse was most inspiring to her. Without hesitation, she stated:
“THE LIGHT TRIES TO SHINE IN THE DARK, AND THE DARKNESS COULD NEVER EXTINGUISH THE LIGHT.” (JOHN 1:5)
These words, to her, embody the teachings of Jesus Christ. No dark power (ISIS) will ever be able to overcome the light because the rightful ones always win. Darkness, Nisha says, can not beat the light. We will not let our bright future be dragged into darkness. HUMANITY WILL WIN OVER THIS DARKNESS!
Amen to that, Commander. Like the Israelis nearby who have vowed that there will never again be another Holocaust, a slaughter of the Jews, so Commander Nisha Gewriye vows that women where she lives will never again be sex slaves, raped, abused, and ordered by men how to live. NEVER AGAIN! She and her female fighters will leave their natural role behind and fight in battle for the freedoms to which they are entitled in every sense as any man, and especially the vicious ISIS men. It is, the Commander proudly states their:
DUTY
What a brave and right-thinking woman. The message of Nisha Gewriye should resonate with us as Americans. We should fight and destroy ISIS for it is today perhaps the most evil force on earth. We should mimic her courage, bravery and strategic will to win. She reminds us again that she and her brave female battalion must play an active role in every area especially where women face oppression and where humanity is threatened. And then she issues perhaps her greatest universal message:
WE CALL ON ALL WOMEN TO UNITE AND FIGHT AGAINST ALL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING AGAINST HUMANITY. IN OTHER WORDS, TO PROVIDE SOLIDARITY AND UNITY, BECAUSE THIS IS A WAR OF LIBERATING THE WOMEN. AS LONG AS WOMEN EMPOWER THEMSELVES, THEY WILL FACE LESS OPPRESSION.
What a great statement and what a great challenge.
This is one very special woman, this Nisha, with a very special calling and a very special mission. I for one fully support her. Do you?
Then the Commander goes onto state that there is also the problem of:
THE DIMINISHING AND DISAPPEARING OF THE CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. CHRISTIANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE TARGET OF PERSECUTION AND UNDER ATTACK. UNDER THESE TOUGH CONDITIONS CHRISTIAN WOMEN ARE THE ONES THAT SUFFER THE MOST.
If then, the men will not protect them then there is no choice but for these brave women to protect themselves and fight for all women. And especially for them, Christian women so that as Commander Nisha Gewriye says:
HUMANITY WILL NOT LOSE THIS CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL TREASURE (THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN SYRIA)
And one last time, Commander Nisha issues the ultimate challenge:
WE MUST THEREFORE BE UNITED IN SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORTING EACH OTHER TO FINALLY LIBERATE THE WOMEN AND TO SAVE OUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES!
It seems tragic indeed that the world in which we live now requires women to take up arms, and fight in battle, in combat, with lethal weapons first to defend themselves, then all women, then even humanity itself. But the male mentality, the ISIS mentality requires that. I do believe that if American women were threatened with rape, forced marriages, physical abuse and loss of freedoms like the women in Nisha’s battalion, they, our women would stand and fight, and protect themselves and protest male brutality in every way. I hope and pray it never happens in America, but in this world, one never knows. If that satanic time ever comes, I am confident our women, our real American women would stand and fight. Like Commander Nisha and her courageous female battalion. They would like she does:
FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITH
For us, privileged Americans, the fight is with words. For Nisha, the fight is with guns.
I say God bless her, and her brave women warriors, and endow them with strength, courage and wisdom as they fight to eradicate this vile and evil force known as ISIS. I would love to meet you here, Commander Nisha, but I know with your unbelievably strong faith, I will someday meet you UP THERE.