London: Jesuit priest appeals for peace summit on Syria

Fr Ziad Hilal SJ, a Syrian priest who works with Jesuit Refugee Services in Homs, gave a harrowing account of his work with thousands of families forced from their homes by Islamic State (Daish) at the Pax Christi AGM in London on Saturday. He also appealed for world leaders to start a new round of peace talks.

Fr Ziad was a colleague of Fr Frans Van der Lught, who was killed in Homs in 2014. Another colleague, Fr Jacques Mourad, was kidnapped on 21 May, this year. There has been no news of him since then.

There are currently nine Jesuits in Syria: in Aleppo, Homs and Damascus, working with nuns and more than 300 refugee-volunteers to provide food, medicine, education, and pastoral and social support to many thousands of displaced people, regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

Fr Hilal began his talk by explaining that for many centuries, Syria was home to many different religious and ethnic groups - Kurdish, Aramaic, Armenian, Azeri and others - who lived peacefully together. "My best friend at school was a Muslim boy, Hamad" he said.

The ancient Christian community - descended from the first Christians, had a particular role in Syrian society, he said, often acting as a peaceful bridge between the different Muslim groups.

But now the war, which is entering its fifth year, threatens to destroy that culture forever. The country is in chaos, overrun by Jihadists who come from, and are funded by, several foreign countries. IS now occupies vast swathes of territory, from Mosul in Iraq to Palmyra in Syria - just 80 kilometres from Homs.

Out of a population of 22 million, an estimated 10 million people have been displaced in Syria. More than three million refugees have fled to neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. "Fifty per cent of our town has been destroyed" Fr Hilal said. While thousands have left, many more refugees have arrived - especially those unable to travel far - the elderly and disabled.

Fr Hilal said he had the impression the UN representatives, working from their offices in Belgium, are not really aware of the situation on the ground in Homs. "Syria is one of the most ancient civilisations in the world. It is the land where Jesus walked. But I feel nobody cares," he said.

Fr Hilal said the Syrian people are sad and exhausted and desperately need peace. "We need prayers but we also need action."

Fr Hilal said he did not think that there was enough will on the part of world leaders to even try to begin any kind of negotiations. The last round of peace talks ended in February 2014 - with nothing achieved. Fr Hilal said: "We need a Geneva 3".

Fr Hilal will be speaking next month at Farm Street Church Hall on Wednesday 1 July 6.30pm

For more information, contact Fr Dominic Robinson SJ on (020)-7529-4802 or dominicrobinson@rcdow.org.uk

For more information on the work of JRS in Syria see: http://en.jrs.net/campaigns_focus?tn=promo-20120718025148

Read also: ICN 9 May 2014 Syria: Keeping faith and hope alive www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24691

Note: To date, the UK has accepted 187 refugees from Syria.