Christian victims of Kandhamal riots of 2007 and 2008 have expressed sympathy and solidarity to the Christian survivors of the Middle-East nations, especially Syria.
A total of 115 Christians, who claim to have survived Kandhamal riots, gathered at the Pastoral Centre at K Nuagaon and paid silent tributes to those who lost their lives during the violence. They too expressed sympathy to the Christian victims of Middle East countries.
“We express our sense of solidarity for the Syrian people who are facing huge crisis and leading lives in danger. We pray for them that peace may be restored there and human rights and dignity might prevail over there soon. Violence in Syrian should end soon,” said Christudas Nayak, one of the participants.
They expressed deep concerns that people in Middle East region were killed, assaulted, raped and maimed and driven out of their own habitations and own places in unjust, inhuman and barbaric manner.
They appealed the United Nations, Vatican, interreligious bodies and civil society groups to work towards for promotion of peace, harmony and religious tolerance in the Middle East.
They sent a letter to Pope Francis expressing their solidarity with Syrians, informed Kanakalata Nayak.