Wounded ISIS fighters get treated in Christian hospital outside Mosul
Islamic State fighters who are wounded in the battle for the liberation of Mosul are being treated in a hospital set up by an evangelical humanitarian aid group outside of the city.
Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, revealed on Facebook last Saturday that his organization not only treats the residents and injured Iraqi-led coalition soldiers but also the members of the terror group they are trying to defeat.
Graham's post came in defense of President Donald Trump's controversial executive order that restricts travel of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries and indefinitely bars refugee settlement from Syria.
"At Samaritan's Purse we work in over 100 countries and have worked in most of those on the banned list, so I feel I have something to say about this issue," the evangelist wrote.
Graham pointed out that the Emergency Field Trauma Hospital set up by Samaritan's Purse outside Mosul is treating Muslim civilians, including women and children, many of whom were shot by ISIS snipers as they tried to flee the city.
"At the same time, we are treating badly wounded ISIS fighters. Our medical teams take them in, perform surgery, bind up their wounds, and give everyone the same compassionate, Christian care—helping them in Jesus' Name," he added.
The field hospital, which was opened in early January, became the closest medical facility to the front lines of the battle to liberate Mosul from ISIS.
In his Facebook post, Graham said that the borders of the U.S. need to be secured, and he argued that providing medical care to wounded ISIS fighters does not mean that they should be allowed to immigrate to the country.
"God does tell us to help the stranger and those in need; but God doesn't tell us to expose our cities, homes, and lives to hostile people," he asserted, adding that Jerusalem had walls and gates which were closed when there was a threat against the city.
Some Christian leaders have disagreed with Graham's stance on Trump's executive order. Last week, the board members of Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico withdrew their support for Graham's Festival of Hope rally, which was held in the country's capital of San Juan on Feb. 10–12.
The Puerto Rican baptist leaders argued that Graham's endorsement of the immigration policy are contrary to the "values of the Kingdom." They said that they did not intend to undermine the festival, but they made their statement in order to affirm their "testimony in favor of the poor, marginalized and foreigners."