Ma'aloula nuns in video: We're fine, we will be released in two days
Beirut ( AsiaNews)
- The group of Orthodox nuns
kidnapped December 2 from their monastery in Ma'aloula, appeared yesterday
in a video broadcast by Al Jazeera. In
it, the nuns reassure everyone by saying that they are comfortable and that
will be released within two days.
A
few minutes before the video was released, a rebel group calling itself Ahrar
al-Qalamoun Brigades claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and called for
the release of "a thousand Syrian women detained in prisons of the Syrian
regime" in exchange for the release of the sisters.
The amateur
video shows the sisters in a large room with sofas. The
person filming is a man who is never scene in the video but questions and
suggests things to say to the sisters .
"We are fine. We're staying at a beautiful
villa
and we'll leave in two days," says one of the nuns in the video.
"We left the monastery because of the intensity of shelling ... We call for an end to the shelling of churches and mosques ... Our hosts are kind and they have taken care of us," says another nun.
"We were treated in a good manner and we're happy because we were evacuated from the monastery" says a third nun.
A fourth
held woman added: "We
will leave in two days".
Then
almost recovering, states: "We are not abducted, we only kept in
safety."
The
sisters continue to say that "the group that hosts them and that made them
leave the monastery of St. Thecla", did so for their "safety". And
ensure that they are "13 religious and three civilians to have left the
monastery because of the bombing".
In
recent days, Pope
Francis and Greek
- Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna Yazigi have appealed to the kidnappers to
release the sisters and asked for prayers for them.
A
few hours ago the Greek
- catholic patriarch Gregory Laham
thanked
"everyone who contributed to the well-being" of the Maalula nuns but said that
"real comfort" is their safe return home.
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