The tragedy of thirty-five Assyrian villages
- Patriarch Gregorios III telephoned Mor Yacub Behnan Hendo of the Syrian Catholic Church to ascertain about the situation in Hasakah.
- His Beatitude also called Mar Afram Nathaniel of the Assyrian Church on 25/02/2015 to express his condolences, solidarity and prayers for the safety of the people there. Mar Afram told His Beatitude about the situation there, as follows:
- The attack took place on 23/02/2015 at 3:30 a.m. and about nine hundred (900) families were displaced from thirty-five (35) villages around Al Khabur River.
- About three hundred (300) persons were captured
- Formerly, the number of habitants there was five thousand (5,000) families, but many had emigrated, the majority to Europe and Lebanon
- Fifteen hundred (1,500) families still remained there, some of whom had been allocated houses abandoned by their owners when they themselves had been displaced to Hasakah and Qamishli
- On 26/02/2015 Patriarch Gregorios heard that one hundred and twenty (120) Assyrian persons (including men and women, the elderly and children) had been kidnapped and killed
- Therefore, His Beatitude again called Mar Afran Nathaniel and asked him about the validity of those reports, but to date they remain unverified.
- “When will the whole world, both overseas and Arab countries, unite and stand together in order to eliminate this epidemic that is a shame to humanity in the 21st. century?” wonders Patriarch Gregorios.
- “This issue has gone beyond the Syrian crisis and its tragedy and the war on Syria.
- “It has become a global earthquake! That is why I am trying to solve it not only as a pastor and spiritual father but as a human being and citizen… In the words of the Second Vatican Council, 'The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.'”
- So with these feelings, His Beatitude launches this appeal:
- “Shame on countries’ powerlessness to stem these crimes!
- “Shame on the European Union for its inaction!
- “Shame on the League of Arab States for its inaction!
- “Shame on Christians and Muslims for their indifference!
- “Shame on the International Community for being incapable of defeating takfiris, those barbarous and inhumane extremists, and for refusing to stop arming and supporting them.
- “Is there an international conspiracy? Or widespread falsehood?
- “It is impermissible for these criminals to continue terrorising everyone and making our God-created world a world of sin, killing, and terrorism and reducing humans to slavery to greed and malice.
- “As the Holy Father said in his Lenten message, there is a 'globalization of indifference,' so we have to work together as His holiness said toward a globalization of solidarity and of Arab solidarity. So we appeal with hope: 'Countries of the world, unite to save human civilization, the civilization of love!'
- “God willing we will overcome this epidemic of hatred with love!”
