The Islamic State
"Daesh" has Demolished historic Mar Elian monestary in the city of
Qaryatain in the Homs province, Syria (85 kms away from Homs city). The bombing
happened on Thursday morning, 20th August 2015. This act of terrorism comes after
ISIS took control of the city on the 5th of August. Mar Elian is an ancient
Syriac Monastery dating
back to the 5th century AD, which housed monks who prayed and worked the land
there up until the end of the 17th century.
For the past two decades the Mar Moussa community (which was founded by the
now kidnapped Jesuit monk Paolo Dalilo), have been trying to bring life back to
the monastery by opening its doors to visitors and the faithful, making it a
centre for interfaith dialogue owned by the Homs Diocese following the Syriac
Catholics.
Meanwhile the fate of Father Jacob Murad and Monk Peter who were kidnapped on the 27th of May 2015 is still unknown, as is the fate of 227 Syriac Assyrians taken by the terrorist group IS (Daesh) since they took over the city.
We at the The Assyrian Monitor For Human Rights express deep concern regarding these crimes and attacks which target Christians in Syria specifically and in the East in general, and call on the United Nations and the Security Council and all organisations aimed at securing peace, to intervene and put a stop to all terrorist attacks targeting people and buildings in Syria.