At a meeting in April at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in Damascus, Iraqi Christian refugees and church representatives agreed that "stories of lost loved ones, the sudden need to flee home and community and the hardship of life as refugees need to be told".
"And those who have the power to help end the tragedy of being a refugee need to listen," they agreed.
The Iraqi Christians at the meeting are now refugees in Syria. They shared their concerns with church members from the US, Germany, Lebanon, Pakistan and Sweden, along with the general secretaries of the World Council of Churches and Middle East Council of Churches.
What the church representatives heard were stories of incredible suffering in Iraq and overflowing hospitality in Syria. They heard about the pain of living in Iraq and eventually leaving. They also heard of the strain the influx of 1.5 million Iraqi refugees have placed on the economy of Syria creating the need for jobs, safety and security despite the unanswered questions of what next for the Iraqis.
The prices for food and housing are skyrocketing, and it is extremely hard to find a well-paid job. "Even if there were no refugees, the economy would have to create thousands of job opportunities a year in order to integrate our young people who join the labour market," Samer Laham, director of ecumenical relations at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, explained to the visitors from abroad.
'Animals live better lives than human beings'
That evening many spoke of the trauma suffered by their children and the insecurity of their future. Cayran said her son cannot speak normally since he closely escaped a kidnapping.
"Animals live better lives than human beings in Iraq," said Samira, a Syrian Orthodox refugee. "At least they have the freedom to move. We were even too afraid to go to church because people were kidnapped from church."
One day, when she was still living in Iraq, Samira went shopping with her daughter. "Three gunmen stopped us. They pushed my daughter around and asked her why she was in the street without a veil. Since then, she did not want to leave home and she dropped out of university."
