Earlier this month, I visited Syria at the invitation of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch. The visit provided an opportunity to meet Christian and Muslim religious leaders, the Speaker of Parliament, MPs from many parts of Syria and opposition MPs, artists, musicians and intellectuals and members of local communities in Damascus, Saidnaya, Maaloula, Homs and Aleppo.
The visit also provided an opportunity to establish a relationship with the humanitarian aid organisation St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee (EPDC) to initiate a programme helping women to develop entrepreneurial activities in the Christian town of Maaloula, which had been invaded by Jihadists who perpetrated atrocities, including killing three men who refused to convert to Islam, desecrating holy places and destroying many people’s homes. The project will help these women, who had lost everything, to rebuild their lives and to support their families.
