Syrian Priest Reportedly Kidnapped as ISIS Moves Beyond Palmyra

Aleteia ^ | May 22, 2015 | JOHN BURGER

[NYer]

A Syrian priest who has worked for the restoration of a monastery and for improved relations between Muslims and Christians in Syria has been kidnapped.

​The Syrian Catholic Archdiocese of Homs confirmed the news Friday, said Fides news agency.

Just a day before he went missing, Father Jacques Mourad, prior of the Monastery of Mar Elian and pastor of the community in Qaryatayn, wrote an appeal as jihadist forces spread out from the nearby city of Palmyra: "We are currently experiencing a very difficult time because the extremists who call themselves Daech approach our city Qaryatayn after their domination of Palmyra, or they kill many people by cutting heads."

The short note was published on the website of The Friends of Mar Moussa, another monastery nearby. Qaryatayn is a large town in the middle of the Syrian desert, 62 miles from Palmyra and 37 miles southeast of Homs. 

Daech is the Arabic form of ISIS.

"It is terrible what we're going through," Father Mourad wrote. "Today we are here, tomorrow we do not know. Life has become complicated. Please pray for us."

According to the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Father Mourad was abducted Thursday in his monastery of Mar Elias. 

"A lot of armed men arrived this afternoon. They put him in a vehicle and drove off. They also took his car and his computer. Since, we have not heard from him," said a woman who collaborates with the monastery, identified by Le Temps as "Marie Rose." The small community of monks, fearing the worst, abandoned the monastery and took refuge in private homes.

Fides quoted local sources saying that a deacon, Boutros Hanna, also was kidnapped, but that was not confirmed by the Syrian Catholic Archdiocese of Homs. The news agency cited preliminary reports which said that two armed men on motorbikes arrived at the Monastery of Mar Elian, forced Father Mourad to get into his car and, threatening him with weapons, forced him to go to an unknown destination.

Local sources consulted by Fides speculate that behind the kidnapping there are Salafi groups in the area, who felt strengthened by the recent success of the jihadists of al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State in Syrian territory....

T he monastic settlement, located on the outskirts of Qaryatayn, is a branch of the Monastery of Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, refounded by the Italian Jesuit Fr. Paolo Dall'Oglio, who was also kidnapped on July 29, 2013 while he was in Raqqa, the Syrian capital for years under the control of the jihadist of the Islamic State.

In the years of conflict, the city of Qaryatayn was repeatedly conquered by anti-Assad militias and bombed by the Syrian army. It was Father Jacques, along with a Sunni lawyer, who acted as mediators to ensure that the urban center of 35,000 inhabitants was spared for long periods by armed clashes.

The monastery hosted hundreds of refugees, including more than 100 children under 10 years of age. Father Jacques and his friends provided the bare necessities for their survival even by seeking the help of Muslim donors.

"He appeals for funds to help them to bring water tanks, generators, agricultural tools so that these people can return home," says Nadia Braendle, who work in Switzerland the association Friends of Mar Musa, quoted by Le Temps. "Father Jacques is deeply Syrian in that he believes in the coexistence of all. Purposeful, bright, he is guided by the love of people."

The news outlet said that several months ago, Father Mourad went to negotiate with the Al-Nusra Front for the release of a young man that another Islamist group held hostage. 

The paper speculated that the removal of Father Mourad is a signal that ISIS wants to advance towards the city of Homs. It quoted another priest in the region, who spoke of the activation of sleeper cells and a pattern of local sympathizers and other rebel groups as ISIS moves in. This, he said, is often accompanied by the disappearance of local figures: politicians, village leaders and churchmen, who until then have helped block the advance.

Father Mourad's abduction comes during a week which saw significant gains for ISIS, including the fall of Ramadi in Iraq and Palmyra in Syra. The BBC reported Friday that the terror group has now won the last government-controlled border crossing from Syria to Iraq: "Government forces withdrew from al-Tanf—known as al-Waleed in Iraq—crossing as IS advanced, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said."

The UK-based SOHR says the Islamic State now controls more than 50% of the country's territory, dominating the provinces of Deir al-Zour and Raqqa and with a strong presence in Hasakeh, Aleppo, Homs and Hama.

[NYer]

Prayer ping!

[aimee5291]

prayers

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Imagine if Hitler had the use of technology that we have today. Would he have been as barbaric as ISIS and friends with his use of it? With the video beheadings, the school murders, the raping and enslaving of women and children.....on and on....WHY is the world not going “shock and awe” on them?

[dayglored]

Our so-called government leaders, claiming to represent us, have already surrendered in effect.

All that is left is for our enemies to advance sufficiently; a few years at most. Our defenses have been systematically weakened, and this is the result.

The fate of this priest will be visited upon all of Western civilization by these unholy barbarians.

May Almighty God have mercy on us, because our enemies will surely not.

[MNDude]

http://www.acnuk.org/news.php/567/syria-jesuit-priest-abducted

Here’s a link to him. Seemed like a very kind and devoted Christian. :(

[Biggirl]

Get ready to do some “locking and loading”. Look for us to have to take up arms to fight back.

[dayglored]

> Get ready to do some “locking and loading”. Look for us to have to take up arms to fight back.

You sure got that right. We aren't going down without a fight, and God willing, we'll stay up.

[TexasCajun]

The middle-east is a disaster, literally in flames, ISIS marches on in Libya, Iraq, Syria; Obama allows Iran nukes.

Yet, our candidates stammer of old Iraq questions. ...geeez.

[NYer]

WHY is the world not going “shock and awe” on them?

You will find the answer here. What Is the Deepest Root of Sin? It’s Not in Your Wallet and It’s Much Closer Than You Might Think

Seriously, read through the post and compare it to what you see in the world around you. Frighteningly simple for those of us who read the Bible and practice our christian faith. Around us, however, society has slipped into moral relativism.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I don’t think the answer here is theological. The origin of sin is an important issue but ISIS is so far out on a limb evil that even a fallen world full of self-love people should seek to destroy it if only out of self-love.

Sometimes turning a big issue into a single theological statement is a disservice to the issue and to theology. Every big evil in the world stems from little evils of the heart. But government is not the keeper of hearts, only sometimes the punisher of deeds.

In the O.T. you read about the Kings of Israel. There were good kings and bad kings. There were good but not entirely good kings and there were bad and really really bad kings. A fallen humanity still must address evil — deal with it and punish it. Ultimately we will all answer to God for thoughts, words, and deeds. In the meantime we answer to each other on deeds. What we do separately and collectively matters.

[I want the USA back]

Waiting for 0 to condemn this...

[SunkenCiv]

• New York Times Op-ed: Calm Down. ISIS Isn’t Winning.
• New York Times: Eating Food Aggravates Drought

[left that other site]

Prayers up!

[Salvation]

Prayer for Peace in Syria   

 

God of Compassion, 

Hear the cries of the people of Syria, 

Bring healing to those suffering from the violence, 

Bring comfort to those mourning the dead, 

Strengthen Syria’s neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees, 

Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, 

And protect those committed to peace.   

 

God of Hope, 

Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with enemies, 

Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria, 

And give us hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.   

We ask this through Jesus Christ,  Prince of Peace and Light of the World, 

Amen. 

 

From Anonymous:

Father God, Our Savior and King,

We come to You in despair over the evil being done to our Middle East Christian brothers and sisters. We ask that You would put Your hand of protection upon them and that You would sustain them as You did the Israelites in the desert. Lord, cause our brothers and sisters to cry out to You for help and show them the peace that only You can give in answer to their needs. In their darkest moments, Lord, keep them, strengthen them, and comfort them. When they despair that no one is coming to help them, Lord, reveal Your glory and restore their souls.

We ask you these things in the blessed name of Your precious son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Pray the Rosary to get rid of ISIS!

[BlackVeil]

The paper speculated that the removal of Father Mourad is a signal that ISIS wants to advance towards the city of Homs. It quoted another priest in the region, who spoke of the activation of sleeper cells and a pattern of local sympathizers and other rebel groups as ISIS moves in. This, he said, is often accompanied by the disappearance of local figures: politicians, village leaders and churchmen, who until then have helped block the advance.

Nightmare.

In these dark days, we must pray for Father Mourad, and for all the innocent people in Syria.

[SunkenCiv]

Just adding to the keyword, no ping.