The Voice of the suffering in Middle East

"I believe that I survived these attacks because the angels were protecting me. We would have stayed in Aleppo had my father not taken the violence seriously; he secured a safe place for us and did not waste a moment."

“This visit will help to correct the false image that many Muslims have of Christianity, Conversely, many Christians will realize that the majority of Muslims are not terrorists. The Islamic authorities want to show that they have nothing to do with terrorism.”

"I am not aware of any Muslim country that allows full religious freedom. Even in those where converting a Muslim to another religion is not punishable by law, at the very least the person’s social circle, in particular his or her family, will react with ostracism or even physical violence."

"I am a religious, and my first responsibility is to bear witness spiritually and help people. This is what moves me. We lived through the war and witnessed it up close. Catechesis is important in helping to heal the wounds.”

“Being able to continue with my studies is what has helped me to remain hopeful and stay happy through these years. Now I want to be able to deepen my knowledge and help other people here in my country.”

Funding is falling short, the statement said, noting that “there is still a lot to do” to facilitate the return of Christians “to their respective ancestral communities from which they were expelled” as ISIS swept through the region in the summer of 2014.