Syrian rebels regularly publish videos showing off their weapons or their successful attacks on the army. One of the latest propaganda videos to emerge online, however, shows a very different kind of accomplishment. The video, which was posted July 29 on YouTube, is described as a Japanese journalist’s conversion to Islam. According to the video’s description, this took place during a ceremony organised by Syrian rebels from the Manduh Jolha battalion. Based in Jabal al-Turkman, in the northwestern province of Latakia, this group has declared it is fighting against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

This video was translated into English by the YouTube channel AhlNussrah . The original videos were posted were posted here.

In the video, the young man repeats, in Arabic, a profession of faith: “There is no God but Allah and Muhhamad is his prophet.” A man then asks what his name is, and he answers “Mustapha.” In Islam, new converts traditionally adopt a Muslim name.

The young man then performs a ritual purification by face, hands, and feet. Meanwhile, the cameraman proudly explains in Arabic: “Thanks to Allah, this man converted to Islam after witnessing the great morality of our battalion.”

The video below shows the same man breaking a fast with the same battalion, which seems to indicate this was filmed during Ramadan.