"This [graffiti] is an opportunity to gain back the public space that was stolen from us by the militias, formerly occupied by the regime with the pictures of Bashar and Hafez al-Assad, and now taken by Quranic verses [of ISIS]," professes Syrian activist Amer Mattar.

Amer is a member of Shera’ (Arabic for "The Street"), a group of young activists in the northern Syrian town of Kafr Nabl who are using graffiti as a way to reclaim a revolution they feel has gone horribly awry.

For the past few months, Amer and his colleagues in Shera’ have been spray-painting slogans on the walls of Kafr Nabl. The slogans are taken from the Quran and are intended to convey a tolerant, humanist Islam that runs counter to the doctrine of ISIS and the violent practices of the Assad government.

"We are trying to spread our ideas and to confront religious extremism with quotes from the Holy Quran like ‘Freedom without a doubt,' ‘No religion is to be against one's will,' or ‘How dare you take people as slaves, after they were born free,' a quote from Caliph Omar Ben Khattab," explains Amer.