Fighting ISIS on a Norwegian salary
In 2014 The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant known as ISIS had already taken over political control over Syria, forcing their radical jihadist views on their subjects, causing millions of Syrians to seek refuge all over Europe.
ISIS have been in alliance with Osama Bin Laden’s al-Qaida, but separated from them in 2013 with the plans to collect the whole world under a global Islamic Caliphate, which they planned to achieve through a global war.
After taking control over Syria, ISIS made their way towards Iraq, taking over Mosul as their city of operations. Since ISIS seeks to make the whole world follow their Wahhabism, an extremely strict branch of Sunni Islam, ISIS sees themselves as the religious authority of all Muslims in the world, and as the appointed judges of the non-Muslim population. People who don’t convert to Islam are shot where they stand.
Tensions grow and insecurity arises when ISIS manages to take over Syria, and fix their sights on Iraq. The northern areas of Iraq houses the biggest concentration of Yazidis, who have lived in the areas of Kurdistan for almost a thousand years, but since they are not Muslims, they quickly became a target for the marching forces of ISIS.
Already during the time of uncertainty before the invasion of Iraq by ISIS, two brothers from the quiet city of Tønsberg in Norway, Saman Ali Beg and Said Ali Beg decide that they cannot sit in the comfort of their own homes and watch their people get killed, so they bought tickets and traveled to the front.
“It was frightening, but it was either that or to watch people die on TV” The older brother Said says. The brothers had lived in Norway for more than 5 years, got educations and steady jobs. But as Yazidis, Saman and Said could not stay in the welfare state of Norway and ignore the threats to their people. “When you sit here at home, you are unable to do anything for the kids or the people, you just want to do something”, Said follows up.
The contrast between the peaceful summer months of Norway and the warzone that met them could not have been greater, but through strong camaraderie between the Kurds, they fought back with what they could, and helped those in need. “Everybody contributed with everything, shelter, food, money and clothes, people helped with what they had, every day”, Saman says.
Only 20 kilometers outside of the ISIS headquarters in Mosul, on the border between Iraq and North-Iraq lay the village Shekhan, where Saman and Said’s family have had farms for generations. From the heights of their village, shooting and explosions can be seen from the outskirts of Mosul.
The brothers operated from the farm, and helped refugees with shelter and food until everybody but the fighting men were relocated. The job of relocating refugees were according to Saman efficient, but people were still suffering; “People slept on the streets for months at the time”, says Saman.
Their farm in Shekhan is working as a shelter for refugees, and they have helped hundreds. After ISIS’ genocide of Yazidis’ in august of 2014, thousands escaped into the roaring heat of the Sinjar mountains, being up there without food, water or shade for days. Saman, Said, the Peshmarga and Kurdish civilians fought heroically and managed to clear a path down the mountain for the refugees. After the episode in the mountain, the Ali family’s farm was filled to the brim with over 200 survivors of the Sinjar Mountains. “The kids there didn’t know if they were going back to school or ever going back home again”, Said says.
The brothers worked with Peshmerga, the Kurdish military forces fighting against ISIS’ expansion into Kurdistan, but the Peshmerga were heavily outnumbered by the growing jihadist forces, and were helped by the civilians in the area, both with fighting and acquisition of equipment and food. “We need all the help we can get, first and foremost weapons”, Said says.
Because of a lack of equipment and forces, the Kurdish army had to give up Mosul, and also later Shekhan because they did not have enough forces to protect it from the radical jihadists. “The village was completely empty”, Saman says, “People ran because they didn’t have any guns to fight back.”
After working for years saving up, Saman and Said spent 120 000 Norwegian Kroner or almost $15 000 of their own hard earned on money on weapons, not only for themselves and neighbors, but also to supply the Kurdish army with much needed firepower. “The state gave out no guns or ammunition, it was the opposite, we had to buy guns and ammunition for them”, Saman says.
The brothers themselves had to reach out to black market weapons dealers who sold weapons left by the Iraq forces after their retreat. “I spent 30 000 NOK on a Dragunov sniper rifle, while Said bought a 20 000 NOK light machinegun”, Saman says. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, it is apparent that the Kurdish will stand together and fight ISIS until their last breath.” “If it wasn’t for the civilians, ISIS would’ve had control over Kurdistan by now too”, Saman says.
Saman and Said’s cousin Semian is also active in the fight against ISIS, and despite having a wife and two kids in Norway, after working there for years. Semian have seeked refugee in Norway several times, but gets declined every time. “I lived Norway for eight years. My residence permit were declined, and they sent me back to Baghdad when it was dangerous”, Semian says. “Norway knows that I am Yazidi, and that it is dangerous for us to live here, but I was still declined”,
“If immigration in countries likes Sweden or Germany realizes you are a Yazidi, you get residence permit immediately, but in Norway the case is different”, Saman says. But despite being Norwegian residences living in a very different culture for years, the brothers say there is no question about their continuous returns to the war zone. The strong sense of nationalism and camaraderie which brought these two brothers all the way from Norway to fight, is the driving force that allowed the Kurdish to stay afloat during a time of ISIS imposition. “We will always help Kurdistan and stand for it”, Semian says proudly.
