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. 

Father Paolo Dall'Oglio Press Conference by the UN

Reverend Paolo Dall'Oglio, an Italian Jesuit Priest who spent 30 years in Syria as a champion of interfaith dialogue spoke in NYC across the street from United Nations on Monday August 6th, 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. 

Moderated by Sarab Al-Jijakli (@sarabny) the press conference was sponsored by the National Alliance for Syria, Syrian Expatriates Organization and Syrian Americans for Democracy.

For more perspective from Father Paolo, please also read his statement from NYC, on the occasion of his visit to the United Nations.

Is there reconciliation left in Syria today? A Statement from Father Paolo.

Statement from Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, in NYC on Monday, August 6, on the occasion of his visit to the United Nations.

Is there reconciliation left in Syria today?

Father Paolo at press conference in NYC

The answer is, quite clearly yes - however all of us Syrians must work in our hearts to keep reconciliation as the aim of our action, knowing there is no possible reconciliation without the pursuit of a pluralist democracy, and respect for human rights. These are the platforms on which future harmony will exist, through recognizing each other’s values.

Some of the Syrian people fighting for revolution have stayed consistently non-violent in their resistance over the past 17 months and have paid a high price for their faithfulness. They must keep their non-violent commitment in order to facilitate reconciliation in the country during the process of collapse and after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. 

Reconciliation is also part of the commitment of the Free Syrian Army, who have clearly and officially advocated for restraint against actions that undermine human rights, even for actions that may target enemies who have acted against the human dignity of the Syrian people during the past 40 years, especially over the past terrible months and will face fair trials for their crimes. The free Syrian soldiers who commit to this pledge and are respecting human dignity in all conditions are the heroes fighting for the honor of an entire people, an entire country and of all humanity.

There is no contradiction between the actions of the Free Syrian Army, those of the Syrian revolutionary parties who are against the use of weapons and the positions of pacifist activists. All of them will become actors within the coming pluralist democracy, which will need the participation of all faithful and sincere citizens.

It is evident that this deep attitude of reconciliation is difficult and painful, especially for those who are directly victims of violence. Justice however will need to be re-established through internationally guaranteed fair trial and not through personal revenge. Everybody is aware that some mistakes are happening and crimes should be punished regardless of who perpetuated them. Of course, in the coming free Syria we will also need to rehabilitate those who have fallen into the practice of using indiscriminate violence to achieve their goals.

Regarding the role of minorities in a future Syria - the country is a nation of minorities, and all people regardless of faith, ethnicity or ideology are crucial to building a new Syria. We must also leave behind any collective guilt or place responsibility for the crimes of this regime on any one group, as the criminals and victims over the past 40 years cuts across all ethnic and religious groupings.

Women and men of a free Syria, both inside and outside the country, will need to promote "Syrian to Syrian" dialogue for reconciliation. The "one Syria" we are all fighting for will be a homeland for all of us regardless of our religious, ethnic or ideological belonging. Unity in harmony is our goal which will shape a project of justice and peace for the Arab nation and the Middle East region altogether.

As we stand in New York City, we ask the UN to work side by side with the Syrian people in the fight for freedom and harmony. UN soldiers from non-aligned nations should assume direct responsibility to protect the endangered civilians in those parts of the country where massacres are occurring and where inter-communal conflict is growing. UN forces are needed today on the ground, together with international unarmed peace promoters, to separate those Syrians being pushed by regional enemies to kill one another.

This approach will empower the Syrian people and allow them to rebuild the unity of Syria throughout negotiations and international warranties for all the components of this great civilization - a nation that must be preserved for the good of the world. 

May Allah have mercy on all of us, so we can show mercy to one another!