Father Paolo of Syria, in NYC RECAP

Father Paolo concluded his 2-week North America tour with a short stay in NYC where the National Alliance for Syria had the honor & opportunity to host (along with friends) and coordinate his activities.

His whirl-wind schedule included community outreach events aimed at bringing the Syrian and Arab community together on the issue of Syria, a Press conference in front of the UN, and multiple events/ meetings with International diplomacy "Influencers" and Interfaith circles.

Here is a quick recap of images, video and media coverage his short stay in the area:

Iftar w/ Father Paolo and Danny Abdel Dayem in NJ, hosted by Syrian Americans for Democracy. Saturday August 5.

Interfaith Gathering at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, NYC. Sunday August 5.

An important event that brought together Syrian Muslims and Christians, along with friends from the broader Arab community to discuss the future of Syria.

Press Conference at the UN Millennium Hotel to International Press. Monday August 6.

Cosponsored by National Alliance for Syria, Syrian Expatriates Organization & Syrian Americans for Democracy.

Event Hosted by the International Peace Institute, Monday August 6.

Understanding the Syrian Puzzle: A Conversation with Father Paolo Dall’Oglio

“In Syria, where he lived since the early 1980s, Father Paolo led the restoration of a 1,000 year old Byzantine monastery—known as the Mar Musa monastery—that stands today as a spiritual and physical meeting point between Muslims and Christians.  Father Paolo was expelled by the Syrian government in June 2012 for supporting pro-democracy protestors in the country, including by addressing in May 2012 an open letter to Kofi Annan, the then UN-Arab League Special Envoy for the Syrian crisis, calling for greater international involvement.” Read more at IPI website.

Media Highlights: 

Out of Syria: An Expelled Italian Priest Calls for Peace and Reconciliation

“The Christians are a minority in Syria [for] centuries, so they have a minority attitude. It’s to be protected by the power,” says Dall’Oglio, gesturing to the historically close ties between Syria’s Christian grandees and the Assad regime. However, Dall’Oglio insists that the majority of Christians within the country are against the regime. “It is very clear that the opposition is not sectarian. Christians have been jailed, Alawites have been jailed, Jewish people have been jailed, Kurdish people have been jailed, obviously Muslims, Sunni and Shiites [too],” Dall’Oglio says. 

Read more at TIME. 

Expelled Jesuit Priest Calls for UN Peacekeepers in Syria.

“We need now U.N. forces - not U.N. permission for Western forces, but real U.N. forces - coming to separate the civilians that are fighting each other," said Dall’Oglio. "And the presence of the United Nations forces on the ground at the falling of the [Bashar al-Assad] regime will help the Syrian people to have a deal of negotiation, to have a constitution that will warranty rights for all the components of this nation.” Read more at VOA.

Jesuit Priest Exiled From Syria Says Assad’s 'Puppet State' Will Soon Fall. 

"It's very strong in my mind," said Dall'Oglio of the ceremony at Deir Mur Musa. "There were ladies dressed in black, Alawites, Christians and Muslim Sunnis crying together for their friend in one group. It's such an important image of the real, deep Syria." Read more at IBTimes.

"For now, I consider myself homeless, until I go back, and this will be soon, inshallah," he said, using the Arabic for "God willing." "And I will go back to my responsibilities. My aim now is the harmony of these people, for a friendly Syria."

Interview with Father Paolo Dall'Oglio on the Syrian Crisis.

“Syria is paying a high price for these tensions that have paralyzed the action of the United Nations that should have protected the Syrians from the wild repression of the pacific revolution of the Syrians. From the first day, the repression was of absolutely non-proportioned and immediately violent. The use of terror and torture has been systematic. The jailing of innocent people has been absolutely universal. And it’s not astonishing that soldiers that have been ordered to fight and to use their weapons against their own people just went away to create a free army to defend the revolution.” Read more at Global Observatory.

NYC Press Conference by UN.

“Reverend Paolo Dall'Oglio, an Italian Jesuit Priest who spent 30 years in Syria as a champion of interfaith dialogue spoke in NYC on Monday about the realities on the ground in Syria, the role of Christians and other minorities groups, and the expectations of a post-Assad future in Syria.” See Video at FirstPost.

SEO Thanks Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, The Italian Priest Expelled by the Assad Regime, For His Support of the Revolution and Message of Unity and Reconciliation Within a Post-Assad Syria.

“SEO expresses their gratitude to Father Paolo for sharing his insight on the realities on the ground in Syria, the role of minorities in the revolution and strategies to ensure national reconciliation after the fall of the Assad regime. SEO shares father Paolo’s vision on the reconciliation in Syria based on unity of “One Syria” and justice for the victims of Assad crimes, which relies mainly on the complete ouster of Assad regime, including the systems of security forces, and the death squads, who will be held accountable for their crimes.” Read more at PRWEB.

Will Syria have any Christians left? Assad exiles Syrian Catholic priest for joining the revolution.
“People will never go back to the dictatorship of Bashar,” he insists. “We want to have a Syria that can be fully democratic, a change from the past, a modern state. We cannot accept Assad anymore. For this, our people are dying.” "Dall’Oglio himself recently left Syria—but not by choice. An Italian-born Jesuit priest who arrived in Damascus three decades ago, Father Paolo was expelled from Syria in June after openly criticizing the Assad government. He says he supported the revolution from the beginning. Read more at Latitude News.