KIDNAPPEDINIRAQ Christian aid worker recounts his 66-day abduction by Islamic militants BYIANM.GIATTI Frenchformer millioneuros'worthofmedical Catholicschool equipment,food,warm A teacherhas clothesandhygienicproducts openedup toSyrians.Thecharityalso aboutthe helpedreconstructchurches, torturousconditionshefaced houses,schoolsandhospitals. whilebeingheldhostageby Theorganizationalso Islamicmilitantsfortwo financedsummercampsfor monthswhileservinga "thousandsofyoungAleppins Christianhumanitarianeffort whoknewnothingbutwarfor inSyria,somethinghefeltGod severalsummers,"said hadcalledhimtodo. Goodarzy. In2014,Alexandre Inhisnewbook,Kidnapped Goodarzybecamealarmedat inIraq:AChristian reportsofChristian HumanitarianTellsHisStory, oppressionintheMiddleEast Goodarzyrecountshisrelief andrespondedbyjoiningthe tripstoSyria,histravelto reliefgroupSOSChristiansof Aleppo,thesecond-largestcity theMiddleEastinSyria.He inSyriaandoneoftheoldest traveledtothecountryin2015 inhabitedcitiesinhistory.He toassistpersecuted alsodetailedwhathewent Christiansintheregion throughduringthe66dayshe rankedasoneoftheworst washeldhostagebyjihadi ▲ AlexandreGoodarzy|CourtesyAlexandreGoodarzy whenitcomestotoleranceof terrorists,recountingtorture Christianity. andthreatsagainsthislife. Asahistoryandgeographyteacher, comingtorelieveHischildren,my GoodarzytoldTheChristianPosthe brothers." Astrong'jihadist firstheardofSOSChristians—known Afterhearingreportsofthe presence' inFrenchasSOSChrétiensd'Orient— dwindlingChristianpopulationin fromoneofhisstudents. Syria—whichhasgonefromroughly2 AccordingtoGoodarzy,astrong "Foralongtime,Iragedtoremain milliontoabout700,000sincethe "jihadistpresence"ofAlNusra—the spectatorsofallthishumanmadness, startofthecivilwaradecadeago— branchofAl-QaedainSyria—andthe tohavetowatchfromafarthisregion Goodarzyfeltcompelledtohelp. IslamicStatemarkstheroadtoAleppo thatIlovedsomuch,toendup "Wedonotpreventorjudgethose forhundredsofkilometers.Ittakes remainingpowerless,"Goodarzywrote whowanttoleavethecountrvy,butwe severalhourstotraveltherebycaror viaemail."[SOS]wasformeacall helpthosewhowanttostay,"hesaid. bus. fromtheLord,acalltoserveHimby SOSChristianshasprovidedseveral Thejourney,Goodarzysaid,was 48 VOLIII AUG2022