From ISIS Spy to Follower of Jesus: "I Hate Those People and They Show Me Love"

Chris Mitchell : Jun 21, 2016
CBN News

"When they pray for me, I start to cry like a child. And I feel like something come out of my body—very heavy," he said. "When I finished the service, I went home, but there is a Person walking with me, just talking, but I feel like I'm not on the earth. I said, 'am I flying? I don't feel like I'm walking. Like Someone carry me.'"

(Vienna, Austria)—[CBN News] Europe faces an unprecedented threat from members of the Islamic State infiltrating the continent. That should send a sober warning to the West. (Photo: CBN News)

Several years ago, Pastor Ghassan Thomas fled Bagdad when Islamists threatened him and his family. He went to Turkey and started a church to reach out to other refugees.

"I go everywhere because I was a refugee and I can put myself in their shoes and I understand them," Thomas told CBN News.

One day, ISIS sent a spy into Pastor Thomas' church. The visit led to a life-changing decision and also provided an opportunity to learn more about ISIS.

Pastor Thomas arranged a phone call for us with a man we'll call "Mohammed." We won't disclose his identity or location for his protection.

After greetings in Arabic, he said, "Hello my dear brothers" and began to explain his job within the terror group.

When ISIS killed a family inside their house, he would go back and kill anyone who was still alive.

"In that time, I think in this way: I should kill. I should do many bloody things just to be close with my Allah," he said.
Mohammed says this blood lust motivates ISIS.

"For sure it will be more and more since it's in the Koran," he explained. "If you are not a Muslim, you need to be a Muslim or we should kill you and take your everything—financial, women and everything. This is in the Koran."  

Fighting between Sunni ISIS and Shiite militias often put Mohammed's own life in danger. For his safety, family members told him to flee to Turkey. As a devout Muslim, he obeyed his parents. His opportunity came when ISIS sent him to spy on Pastor Thomas' church. But Mohammed also had his own questions about Jesus.

"I saw the people, how they welcomed me and they don't know me," he recalled. "And I hate those people and they show me love."  

They prayed for Mohammed and it changed his life. (Photo: Aimee Herd)

"When they pray for me, I start to cry like a child. And I feel like something come out of my body—very heavy," he said. "When I finished the service, I went home, but there is a Person walking with me, just talking, but I feel like I'm not on the earth. I said, 'am I flying? I don't feel like I'm walking. Like Someone carry me.'"

Then Mohammed began reading the Bible and comparing it to the Koran.

"I went there and discovered this is the God I'm trying to find. This is the true God.  This is what I want for my life," he said.

Pastor Thomas says Mohammed's change of heart means the church in Europe needs more workers.

"For this reason, we need some people [to] come and serve God in Europe with the refugees, just to wake them up—to be against what ISIS do," he said.

This former ISIS member expects more attacks like the one in Brussels. He delivered a warning for Europe.

"Do you think there's a great danger to Europe right now?  For sure!  It's a huge thing. They should wake up," he said.