Maker of Joy in Syria, Father Elias Zahlawi is honored at Al-Assad Library

How can we sum up in a few words more than eighty years of continuous humanitarian giving? This was the voice of hundreds of lovers who gathered on Wednesday to honor their exceptional Syrian humanitarian role model and joy maker in Syria, Father Elias Zahlawi at Al-Assad National Library.

Father Zahlawi did not get tired despite the years of continuous work and giving, devoting his life to human beings and elevating him to serenity, joy and purity. Thus his fingerprints were evident  in speech, music, theater and patriotic stances.

Dilmun House held the honoring ceremony in the presence of representatives of the various components of Syrian society. The ceremony included the signing of Zahlawi’s book “I may have what I say” in its first and second parts, in which he outlines the course of his life, including its diversity, richness, belief in his homeland, support for the weak, and spreading culture and joy as an interlocutor.

The war on Syria etched deep in the conscience of the Damascene priest and didn’t prevent him  from foreseeing the future.

During the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, said that Father Zahlawi embodies love practically in his life. If we go back to the history of his founding, the choir of joy, we find that it was launched during the period when Syria was suffering from terrorism and fanaticism at the hands of the so-called Muslim Brotherhood, as if he is guiding us to the panacea to get rid of deadly diseases through joy which means resistance, steadfastness and respect for the other with his humanity, faith and belonging.

Al-Jaafari added that Father Zahlawi wrote 37 books and translated works, which are approximately 6 works, which constitute a great contribution to the renaissance of the Arab nation from its stagnation, as was his brothers before, who contributed to the renaissance of the nation in the nineteenth century and their founding of Arab nationalist thought in Damascus and its redemption from the yoke of Turkification and the occupation. He expressed his happiness for honoring this lofty national personality that bears the humility of the philosopher and the effort of the priest who resides in the hearts of all Syrians.

The Lebanese journalist, Ghassan Al-Shami, said in a similar speech that Father Elias will not stop saying and doing and raising his voice to make what he said belong to future generations. He noted that every time he meets Priest Zahlawi, who masters crossing pain towards joy and giving, he glimpses in him a world of love and joy.

The Lebanese journalist Hassan Hamadeh sent a word that was read on his behalf by Former parliament member Maria Saadeh in which he said that Father Zahlawi devoted his life to Syria and to  Syrian people, with a pioneering civilizational Arabism from the ocean to the Gulf.

The Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Archbishop Atallah Hanna, addressed, in a recorded speech, a message of love, brotherhood and loyalty to Syria’s  president, army and people, who always support the Palestinian cause.  He stressed that Father Zahlawi defended the Palestinian  cause and people in all forums, so Palestine in which he learned and which remained in his memory is still loyal to him and honors him as well as Damascus because he is the Arab Christian voice of the Levantine and defender of the noblest and greatest cause known to modern human history.

Director of Dilmun House, Afraa Hadba, considered that the house gained an added value through the printing of the book of Father Zahlawi who  expressed his voice on the wide range that the human being is the first and foremost.

At the end of the ceremony, Father Zahlawi said: Your presence today with this intensity is evidence of your love for me that I tried to live in this great country.

Father Zahlawi called on all thinkers, intellectuals and specialists to write the history that we live in with our thoughts, blood and body, this history that thousands of martyrs paid the price for.

The signing ceremony included the screening of a documentary film entitled “The Maker of Joy”, prepared and directed by Rami El-Badawy, which talked about stations from the life of Father Zahlawi. The ceremony also included the presentation of an honorary shield designed by the plastic artist Aksam Al-Salloum, while the plastic artist, Badi’ Jahjah, presented his icon “Symbol of Love”.

Inas Abdulkareem