Christians fleeing from Syria
Recently, I returned from Lebanon where I again saw the great work supported by Mission East and benefiting several thousand refugees from neighboring Syria.
Mission East supports all refugees irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation, but during my last visit I mainly concentrated on circa 8,000 Christian refugees from Syria who have been driven out of their home towns. Among those refugees are Armenians from the historic town of Kessab that in March was stormed by radical rebel groups. In Syria, the Christian Armenians make up an ethnic and religious minority that for many years have lived peacefully in their towns and villages in Syria. At this time, however, they are being driven away from their homes.
In Syria, the Christians are subject to persecution and atrocities because of their faith. “We help them as well as we can, but we need outside support,” says the Armenian bishop of Lebanon.
Please spend a few minutes and read the story about the people helping the refugees from Syria, as well as eyewitness accounts from the refugees themselves.
Kim Hartzner, MD, Managing Director
Read MoreMission East supports all refugees irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation, but during my last visit I mainly concentrated on circa 8,000 Christian refugees from Syria who have been driven out of their home towns. Among those refugees are Armenians from the historic town of Kessab that in March was stormed by radical rebel groups. In Syria, the Christian Armenians make up an ethnic and religious minority that for many years have lived peacefully in their towns and villages in Syria. At this time, however, they are being driven away from their homes.
In Syria, the Christians are subject to persecution and atrocities because of their faith. “We help them as well as we can, but we need outside support,” says the Armenian bishop of Lebanon.
Please spend a few minutes and read the story about the people helping the refugees from Syria, as well as eyewitness accounts from the refugees themselves.
Kim Hartzner, MD, Managing Director
Josef Saghdjian, a 94-year old refugee from Kessab, an Armenian town in Syria: ’Most of the inhabitants left the town because they heard that foreign troops would come and destroy our town. I stayed behind alone even though my relatives tried to convince me to go with them. I refused to go with my family. I did not believe that something like this could happen. I thought everything would be ok.’
