Christian Today
A Christian refugee from Iraq whose relative was violently murdered and mutilated by Islamic State has described how she prays for the terrorist organization.
Christina Shabo, who was born under a tree in a refugee camp after her family fled bombing in Iraq in 1991, told the Catholic News Agency (CNA): "I asked Jesus for the grace to forgive every time I would pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (a Catholic prayer). But instead of praying 'For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,' I pray 'have mercy on ISIS and on the whole world.'"
Shabo, 25, first gave her testimony to fellow youth on 29 July at World Youth Day (WYD), outlining the events that led her family to flee Iraq and those that have occurred after the rise of ISIS in 2014.
In an interview with CNA, Shabo explained that she was asked at the last minute to incorporate a message of forgiveness into her talk at WYD. She said that her first thought was, "I don't forgive ISIS." Shabo went on: "I've struggled with it, because I haven't gotten there yet. It's a daily reminder," she said.
Shabo's mother was eight months pregnant when her family made the decision to leave Iraq and travel through mountains into Turkey in 1991 due to the threat of bombing during the Gulf War.
Many others took the same decision and some died along the way, including her 8-year-old cousin Rita. When Rita died, Shabo's uncle didn't "have it in his heart" to bury her in the mountains, so he carried her body the rest of the way into Turkey, she said.
Christina Shabo, who was born under a tree in a refugee camp after her family fled bombing in Iraq in 1991, told the Catholic News Agency (CNA): "I asked Jesus for the grace to forgive every time I would pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (a Catholic prayer). But instead of praying 'For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,' I pray 'have mercy on ISIS and on the whole world.'"
Shabo, 25, first gave her testimony to fellow youth on 29 July at World Youth Day (WYD), outlining the events that led her family to flee Iraq and those that have occurred after the rise of ISIS in 2014.
In an interview with CNA, Shabo explained that she was asked at the last minute to incorporate a message of forgiveness into her talk at WYD. She said that her first thought was, "I don't forgive ISIS." Shabo went on: "I've struggled with it, because I haven't gotten there yet. It's a daily reminder," she said.
Shabo's mother was eight months pregnant when her family made the decision to leave Iraq and travel through mountains into Turkey in 1991 due to the threat of bombing during the Gulf War.
Many others took the same decision and some died along the way, including her 8-year-old cousin Rita. When Rita died, Shabo's uncle didn't "have it in his heart" to bury her in the mountains, so he carried her body the rest of the way into Turkey, she said.
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