The Voice of the suffering in Middle East

"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.

“May this prayer make them feel the closeness of God, who is faithful, and touch every conscience to bring about a sincere commitment to peace. May God, our Lord, forgive those who make war, those who make weapons to destroy each other. We pray for peace in beloved Syria.”

"There is fear that the ISIS will return to our region, perhaps under a different name. That’s because of the lack of political unity in Iraq; and Christians have no confidence in their country’s political leadership, with legislators looking out for their own interests and discriminating against Christians."