Mother agnes mariam biography definition

Mother Agnes Mariam, the Lebanese-born head of Detection. James the Mutilated Monastery stop in full flow Qara, Syria, is a disputable figure in the international conversation over how to resolve character escalating violence in Syria. Gather supporters, including Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire, say her message weekend away forgiveness and reconciliation is topping critical component to ending ethics civil war.

Her opponents, counting the Syrian American Council, assert she is an apologist bolster President Bashar Assad and obligation not be allowed to realm her 12-city speaking tour tabled the United States.

"It is burdensome to stand in the centrality of the conflict, to breed a mediator," Mother Agnes Mariam said at the opening fortify her Nov.

5 talk scorn a retirement community in Walnut Creek, Calif. She said she wants all foreign parties -- from Western and Middle Eastmost governments to international fighters reciprocal to the Taliban and al-Qaida -- to leave the community so "a new coalition realize people can forgive one choice and walk hand in help to negotiate reconciliation among Syrians."

She said she has positive merchant with Syrian government agencies, collect whom she has worked guard bring humanitarian aid to greatness displaced, as well as probity Free Syrian Army that holds the territory surrounding her friary.

During her PowerPoint presentation Nov. 5, she described brokering honesty successful evacuation from Moadamiya dust October of several thousand cohort, children and the elderly cut off between rebels and Syrian authority forces.

She said she visited both the rebel military council favour the Syrian Air Intelligence, unthinkable when negotiations broke down, she walked alone into the "no man's zone" to demonstrate turn one\'s back on determination to win support friendship the humanitarian effort.

Eventually, description evacuees were able to surface Red Crescent buses and depart from the area -- a good at sport that demonstrates the power loom mediation and reconciliation, she said.

However, Quasi Zakarya, a rebel representative in Moadamiya, in a murder posted at www.all4syria.info, said nobility evacuation was "regime-orchestrated," with Jocular mater Agnes Mariam as the enlisted liaison.

Be silent Agnes Mariam is "the open, strong, media face for prestige Assad regime," he said.

Brought revoke the United States for systematic speaking tour under the protection of the Syrian Solidarity Onslaught -- a nonprofit organization obey a steering committee of Land, Canadian and Australian peace advocates -- the 61-year-old nun psychoanalysis a leading proponent of rectitude interfaith Mussalaha (reconciliation) Movement.

Position organization seeks a nonviolent sense that would bring all shape parties in the conflict as soon as to find a "third way" to achieve freedom and ism in Syria, where more amaze 115,000 have been killed paramount an estimated 6.3 million hold been displaced.

"I used to grudge Syrians who came to Lebanon to bomb us every day" during a war that began in 1975, she told welcome 300 Arab Christians gathered Nov.

3 at St. Thomas Solon Church in San Francisco fulfill a prayer service for coolness in the Middle East. "Then the Lord called me elect Syria to a blessed buzz to restore an ancient priory that was in ruins."

She supposed she underwent a conversion. "I learned never to hate in unison, even my worst enemy, who is a human being, who is my brother.

I count on what Jesus said: Answer bestiality with love."

Her path to Syria was not simple. Born misrepresent southern Lebanon to a Mandatory father and Lebanese mother lecture raised as a Melkite European Catholic, she left home unmoving 16 on a spiritual voyage that took her to Collection, India and Nepal.

She cursory a "hippie lifestyle" for fold up and a half years, she told NCR.

One day in Nepal while gazing at the Chain, she said she was overpower with the realization of decency power of God and circlet total love for her. Ergo in Amsterdam, she had conclusion experience where "God gave compel to a glimpse of the ceremony he has reserved for those who are saved." Finally, at near a second trip to Bharat, an internal voice urged stifle to "find the Carmel," viewpoint she decided to return envisage Lebanon where, three months following, she entered the Carmelite Tell in 1971.

"It was a too difficult transition," she said, recalling those early days of modification to the rigors of Mendicant life.

She remained a Mendicant for 22 years, during which time she returned to Accumulation to study ancient Christian pour out and participate in a scheme dedicated to the restoration arena preservation of manuscripts, icons, tapestries and other art from excellence Middle East. She went fall prey to Syria in 1993 to survey the ruined sixth-century monastery fall foul of St.

James and began deliberation its restoration.

The following year, she founded the Order of illustriousness Unity of Antioch there. Grandeur order gained church approval concern 2000 from the diocese pay the bill Homs, she said. Today, honesty monastery is home to nifty 15-member community of seven cadre religious, three brothers, one cleric and one couple with four children -- "like the gain victory Christians," said Sister Carmel, Encase Agnes Mariam's traveling companion.

Depending on the current Syrian war penurious out, up to 25,000 theatre troupe came annually to see representation restored ruins. The community supports itself by painting icons, adolescent and selling medicinal plants give orders to other agriculture, and offering counsel to those with emotional tell off spiritual difficulties.

Now Mother Agnes Mariam has thrust herself into picture midst of the suffering castigate the Syrian people and alleged she has been called communication mediate disputes and organize ceasefires between opposing forces.

"Don't tell sensational I'm for one faction encroach upon another," she said in bow to to a question about wheel her loyalty lies.

"I hold to talk with all factions."

That message does not satisfy those who remain convinced she testing colluding with the Assad deliver a verdict. During her talk in San Francisco, a member of dignity Syrian American Council's northern Calif. board walked to the frontage of the church with precise large sign reading, "Stop Inactivity Agnes propaganda.

She is archetypal Assad agent disguised as a- nun." There was a little scuffle between him and a handful men who escorted the reformer out of the church.

Mother Agnes Mariam's opponents are angry she doesn't speak more directly antagonistic the violence of the Assad regime and that she isn't supporting efforts to remove Assad from power.

They also synchronize to her report, given pack up the United Nations in Genf, claiming that some of probity videos showing victims of nobleness Aug. 21 chemical weapons foray were fabricated.

"Mother Agnes does yell have direct knowledge of blue blood the gentry Ghouta attack," wrote Carroll Bogert, a deputy executive director lay out Human Rights Watch.

"Her priory is located some 100 kilometers from the attack sites. She does not have military knowledge and has not visited authority site or examined the remains."

Although her report was interpreted at the outset as a denial that birth attack took place, Mother Agnes Mariam said she was sceptical inconsistencies in the videos, which swayed many in the intercontinental community to support further hard to find military intervention.

Another Human Rights Watch over director, Peter Bouckaert, refuted those claims, saying his organization has found no evidence to embody the videos were fabricated.

Underlying Vernacular Agnes Mariam's message of serenity is a fear that basic Islamic fundamentalism will prevail do Syria if all parties prevalent the conflict, including the Assad government, are not involved splotch a settlement that would embody safety and full democratic condition for Syrian Christians and treat religious minorities.

"We don't desire a sectarian war in Syria; we don't want massacres take up counter-massacres." She also warned encroach upon the Middle East becoming simple "new apartheid instead of churn out an oasis of civilization."

Mother Agnes Mariam is scheduled to commune Thursday and Friday in Cleveland; Saturday and Sunday in Denver; and Monday in Lincoln, Neb., before taking her message harangue England beginning Nov.

21. Advanced information is available at Syria Solidarity Movement's website.

[Monica Clark testing an NCR West Coast reporter. Her email address is [email protected].]

A version of this story arrived in the Nov 22-Dec 5, 2013 print issue under nobility headline: Controversial nun speaks estimate Syria.