10 Years of Injustice: Remembering Abduction Archbishops of Aleppo and A Call for International Day for Prayer

On Saturday, 22 April 2023, the world will remember the 10th anniversary of the abduction of Archbishops Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi from Aleppo, Syria. The kidnapping occurred near the Turkish-Syrian border, in the northern province of Aleppo, and the fate of the two Archbishops remains unknown to this day. 

 

The World Council of Arameans (Syriacs) (“WCA”) joins the global community in remembering and honoring our religious leaders, while praying and working for their safe return. We call on the international community to continue advocating for their whereabouts and to ensure that those responsible for their kidnapping are brought to justice.

The WCA recognizes the importance of solidarity and support from people of all faiths and backgrounds. Johny Messo, the WCA President, states: “The abduction of the Archbishops is a tragedy that has affected the entire Aramean community. We urge the international community to stand with us as we continue our quest for answers, justice and accountability.”

In recent years, the WCA has stood in solidarity with the Aramean community in Aleppo, initiating a number of important projects in honor of Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, a dear friend of the WCA. These projects included solar panel installations, entrepreneurship courses, microfinance projects, and humanitarian assistance after the recent earthquakes.

Furthermore, the WCA will mark the date of 22 April as the annual call for an International Day of Prayer for Archbishops Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi. We invite all people of goodwill to join us in prayer, reflection and solidarity as we remember these two respected leaders and call for finding out the truth about their abduction and whereabouts.

May this tenth anniversary serve as a reminder of the need for peace, justice, and the protection of religious freedom for all vulnerable faith groups around the world.

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See here for the WCA's 10-page report on this most peculiar abduction case. It summarizes what reportedly happened nine years ago, sums up noteworthy chronological developments, reviews the role of politicians and media, while concluding with some remarks and questions that still demand answers. 

In 2021, we published a beautiful Online Gallery of the Top 10 Artworks of WCA's Art Prize contest on H.E. Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim: watch this video of the Top 10 Artworks and see here for the beautiful Artworks by the two winners!

In 2018, we held this international symposium with our Federation in Germany to reflect on the kidnapping, on 22 April 2013, of H.E. Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and H.E. Paul Yazigi, the Syriac and Melkite ('Rum') Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo. The event was hosted by our local association in Gronau and was broadcast live by the Aramaic satellite channel Suryoyo Sat.