change language
you are in: home - ecumenis...dialogue - internat...or peace - assisi 2...or peace newslettercontact uslink

Support the Community

  

Let us help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The Community of Sant'Egidio launches a fundraising campaign to send humanitarian aid to the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in collaboration with the local Church

Christmas Lunch with the poor: let's prepare a table table that reaches the whole world

The book "The Christmas Lunch" available online for free. DOWNLOAD! And prepare Christmas with the poor


 
printable version
September 20 2016 17:15 | St. Francis' Square

Speech of Tamar Mikalli


Tamar Mikalli


Witness, Syria

I come from Aleppo, the martyr city of Syria. 

Aleppo, to say this name breaks my heart: it is where I was born and raised, where I got married.

I remember my many Muslim and Christian friends. Now distinctions are made between Christians and Muslims, but before the war there was no difference. Everyone practiced his or her own religion, in a land that formed a mosaic through different cultures, languages and religions. 

Then the war broke out, and I still do not know why. Missiles started pouring down, destroying houses. I can still hear the screams of a father, of a mother, or children shouting, looking for their parents. 

When the heavy bombings were close to our houses, we met with our neighbours, sharing bread and water, the most precious goods that go missing during wartime. We encouraged each other and prayed. Prayer was the only support to us, we kept repeating the word of Jesus that says – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”. 

We resisted three years hoping for the war to end, we lived in misery; then my family’s home was bombed and we finally decided to leave Syria and go to Lebanon. We became refugees, together with thousands of Syrians. We had to leave everything behind. I took my elderly parents with me, I would have never left without them. It is the second exodus our families endure in one hundred years. 

We stayed in Lebanon for two years, then we met some angels, who told us about the humanitarian corridors and about the chance to live in peace. Now I live in Tuscany and try to integrate in this beautiful Country, Italy, where I arrived four months ago. 

I would like to thank everyone who worked for our sake, for giving us back the smile we had lost because of the war. 

To all of you men and women of religion, and to you Your Holiness, on behalf of the Syrian people, we ask for a prayer, for Peace and love to return to Syria and all over the world.

 

#peaceispossible #thirstforpeace
PROGRAMME

RELATED PRESS REVIEW
February 8 2018
Avvenire
Il sociologo Bauman al Papa: «Sei la luce in fondo al tunnel» La testimonianza di Riccardi
October 29 2016
La Civiltà Cattolica
Intervista a Papa Francesco in occasione del viaggio apostolico in Svezia
October 5 2016
Avvenire
Marco Impagliazzo: Nel tempo del noi
October 2 2016
Avvenire
Quale accoglienza? Il metodo «adottivo» che emerge da Assisi
September 30 2016
Vida Nueva
Marco Impagliazzo: “Los líderes musulmanes deben denunciar con más valentía el terrorismo”
all press-related


Giovani x la Pace