Amadiyah
(AsiaNews) - "We welcome Syrian refugees to our homes, because we want to
give them a testament to the universality of the Church and the message of love
of Christianity", says Msgr . Rabban
al- Qas, Chaldean bishop of the diocese of Amadiyah - Zakho , one of the areas
of Iraqi Kurdistan, which in recent months has welcomed more than 20 thousand
people fleeing from the horrors of war in Syria.
"Most
of them - says the prelate - have lost everything : family, friends , their
homes , and many also hope to return. I invited the faithful of the diocese to
host their Syrian brothers and sisters in their homes , because they do not
have to feel foreign ,
avoided or marginalized, but welcomed . " The
fruits of this approach based on love of neighbor have already emerged . A
village situated near the border has hosted more than 20 Christian families ,
who have integrated into the local community . "
In August, - says the bishop - I gave first communion to many children born of
Syrian refugees. The entire diocese took
part in this celebration by offering money, food , gifts for these families."
Msgr.
al- Qas states that "this type of bond between peoples of different ethnic
origins and language is never taken for granted in these areas ." Syria
is Arabic-speaking , while in Iraqi Kurdistan the most widely spoken languages
are Kurdish and Aramaic . Often,
the families who flee have always been accustomed to communicating in their own
language and they tend to isolate themselves from the rest of the population. The
most recent episode of this growing unity was the marriage of George and Nour ,
two young Syrians who arrived in Kurdistan along with their relatives . "
The young couple - continues the Chaldean archbishop - joined in marriage in
front of the whole Christian community of the village that hosts them. For us
it was a day of celebration and joy dedicated to these two young people. In my homily
I reiterated that
languages and cultures are not an obstacle to see the love of God, manifested
in these small gestures. Whoever arrives in our villages is our brother , not a
stranger. " (S.C.)