Arabic Nun symbol on Christian cross

You may have noticed the cross with the odd symbol on T-shirts, websites, or in the news. It’s become a symbol of solidarity for Christians all over the world. Oddly enough, the cross’s origins derive from the radical Muslim group, ISIS. Here’s how it came to be.

The symbol on the cross is “Nuun” (or “Nun”), the Arabic alphabet equivalent of the Roman letter “N”. It’s the first letter of the word “Nasrani” or “Nasarah” (Nazarene in English), a word commonly used by ISIS as a derogatory referral to Christians. The symbol became known in Iraq and Syria where Jihadists spray-painted the letter on houses occupied by Christians in order to mark them for attack (see image gallery below).

Christians around the world picked up on the symbol and began to incorporate it in literature and social network posts (#WeAreN) as a symbol of solidarity with persecuted Christians throughout the world.

Below is a gallery of images showing they symbol marking Christian homes.

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