Zoroastrian representative urges Pope Francis to protect civilians in Sheikh Maqsoud

Awat Darya sent an official letter to the Pope following attacks carried out by mercenaries of the Interim Government on the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods on January 6.

According to Roj News, Darya said in her official letter: “The area witnessed horrific acts of violence, including killing and systematic destruction, resulting in large numbers of women and children being harmed, in addition to the displacement of thousands of families under harsh humanitarian conditions, coinciding with the peak of winter.”

She added, “What happened not only constitutes a blatant violation of human rights but also represents a deep wound to the human conscience and a serious threat to the remaining fabric of religious and ethnic coexistence in a region long suffering from violence, extremism, and exclusion.”

Awat Darya, who has previously visited the Vatican and met the Pope, noted that “Pope Francis represents the ‘voice of global conscience’ and a defender of human dignity and the rights of religious and ethnic minorities,” calling on him to use his spiritual and moral position for urgent humanitarian intervention.

In her letter, she called for “a clear international appeal to protect civilians, especially women and children, and to urge the relevant parties and the international community to stop the violence immediately, prevent the recurrence of such crimes, and support the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to the displaced and affected.”

She also stressed the need to affirm “the right of minorities to live safely and with dignity in their historical homelands,” warning that “the world’s silence in the face of such tragedies does not just kill the victims once—it kills the hope of achieving a just and lasting peace.”

Darya concluded her letter by emphasizing that “the voice of the Pope can awaken the human conscience and put an end to the path of violence and hatred,” renewing her support for all efforts aimed at promoting social peace and coexistence between religions and cultures.

a.k

ANHA