A woman witnessed the murder of three Catholics in the Syrian Christian village of Ma’loula, a Syrian Christian village attacked by militant Islamists.
The rebels entered many homes of civilians on September 7, destroying and terrorizing people, damaging all the sacred images, Fides reported. In one house there were three Greek Catholic men, including Sarkis, and a woman who survived the slaughter and gave witness to the events.
“The Islamists warned everyone present to convert to Islam,” the report continued. “Sarkis answered clearly, ‘I am a Christian, and if you want to kill me because I am a Christian, do it.’ The young man together with the other two was killed cold bloodedly. The woman was injured and was saved by a miracle, later taken to [a] hospital in Damascus.”
“”What Sarkis did is true martyrdom, a death in odium fidei””, [hatred of the faith] said refugee helper Sister Carmel to Fides.
Rasha, another resident, recounted how the jihadists had seized her fiancé Atef, who belonged to the town’s militia, and brutally murdered him.
“”I rang his mobile phone and one of them answered,”” she said.
“”Good morning, Rashrush,”” a voice answered, using her nickname. “”We are from the Free Syrian Army. Do you know your fiance was a member of the shabiha (pro-regime militia) who was carrying weapons, and we have slit his throat.””
The man told her Atef had been given the option of converting to Islam, but had refused.
“”Jesus didn’t come to save him,”” he taunted.
