Muslims help restore church in Mosul after it was devastated in battle with ISIS

Muslims and Christians cleaned the Mar Georges monastery at al-Arabi in Mosul this week. Facebook/This is Christian Iraq/Mohammed Al-Zakaria

Muslim neighbours helped to restore a church in Mosul which was left ruined after Kurdish and allied forces pushed Islamic State out of the Iraqi district.

One of the occupied areas was al-Arabi in Mosul, where the Mar Georges monastery is located and during the IS occupation the Chaldean church was shot at by terrorists.

But rebuilding began this week after Muslims in the community were accused of harassing a Christian family, a rumour that was denied by the Muslims.

They said they wanted to show that 'Mosul is yours as it's ours' and 'our differences are our strength'.

Photos on the This Is Christian Iraq website show how Muslim neighbours rushed to the church to clean the space and repair the holy rooms.

Locals help with the reconstruction effort at the church. Facebook/This is Christian Iraq/Mohammed Al-Zakaria

Mosul is set to be liberated by the end of next month, after years of Islamist domination.

Iraqi Christians were driven from their homes by the ISIS advance in the summer of 2014, when some 80,000 Christian refugees fled Mosul and the Nineveh Plain under threat of forced conversion or execution.

The 2,000-year-old Christian population of Iraq shrunk from 1.4 million to around 250,000 in the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq war, with many of those who are left now living in disused steel containers or hiding out in churches.

Some experts have predicted that Iraqi Christians may never return to Mosul.

News
Marriage is the safest relationship, latest figures suggest
Marriage is the safest relationship, latest figures suggest

Of the eight children murdered during lockdown, 7 were killed thanks to the actions of a step parent or new partner.

Abortion rises in Northern Ireland for fifth year running
Abortion rises in Northern Ireland for fifth year running

Abortion was legalised in Northern Ireland in 2019.

Churches helping millions of Brits get by as living costs remain high
Churches helping millions of Brits get by as living costs remain high

Across the country, people are looking to the church for help.

Isaiah 41:10 is YouVersion's Bible verse of the year
Isaiah 41:10 is YouVersion's Bible verse of the year

Isaiah 41:10 had the highest international engagement on YouVersion during 2025, while in the UK it was Jeremiah 29:11 that topped the list.