The right to practise one’s religion freely is violated in many parts of the world in our own time. Here are just two stories which give examples from two very different countries showing that for some people the present age is no less brutal than the 16th century.
Recent examples of religious freedom violated: the stories of Father Fadi Jamil Haddad in Syria and Heidi Salib in Egypt
Posted by Olivia, Libby and Aleksandra
Heidi Salib of Egypt
Heidi Salib, a vulnerable 17 year old girl from Cairo, Egypt was kidnapped in an attempt to convert her faith. She was violently drugged and her kidnappers forcibly removed her Coptic Cross wrist tattoo. Her parents believed that the local police as well as their local member of parliament supported their daughter’s brutal kidnappers. They blocked the intimidated family members in their attempt to rescue her; however she was luckily reunited with her family and returned to living her life with them. Despite moving house several times, she was unfortunately traced and abducted again by her kidnappers.
They blocked the intimidated family members in their attempt to rescue her.
This story shows the way in which an individual has suffered because of their religious faith. This is going on in places like Egypt, Pakistan, Syria and others.
Father Fadi Jamil Haddad of Syria
Father Fadi Jamil Haddad was a Greek Orthodox Parish Priest who was kidnapped in the City of Damascus after setting off to negotiate the release of a Parishioner. He surrendered a very large amount of money equivalent to £475,000 however he was still killed. Six days after being killed his body was found on a road showing indescribable signs of torture and mutilation. He was found to have his eyes gouged out. His funeral was attended by thousands of people on the same day. He was called a martyr after his death and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch called Father Haddad a “Martyr of reconciliation and harmony”. Terrorists set off a bomb at his funeral to add insult to his martyrdom. The explosion killed two civilians and some soldiers. He was born on February 2nd 1969 in Qatana and died on 28th October 2012. Fr. Fadi Haddad had been acting as an intermediary for a doctor from Qatana who had been kidnapped, as he had acted previously as an intermediary in obtaining the release of kidnap victims and the return of stolen cars.
A Martyr of reconciliation and harmony.