2016-05-05 14:55:00

Kayla Mueller saw "God in the suffering eyes" of others


Kayla Mueller was a human rights activist and humanitarian aid worker from the United States, who ‎lived her life for the needy, out of a deep conviction of God in her and in others.  She was taken ‎captive in August 2013 in Aleppo, Syria, while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital. She was ‎held  in brutal captivity by the extremist group ISIS for 18 months before she was killed in February ‎‎2015.  She was 26.  It was reported that Kayla had been forced into marriage to ISIS head, Abu Bakr ‎al-Baghdadi who tortured and raped her repeatedly, and that she was a "personal captive" of Abu ‎Sayyaf, the high level ISIS commander who oversaw the terrorist group’s lucrative gas and oil ‎operations.  ‎

Since Kayla’s death, her parents Carl and Marsha Mueller, have been the voice of their daughter and ‎what she stood for.  The couple was recently invited to share their testimony at a special event at the ‎United Nations headquarters in New York on April 28, organized by Archbishop Bernadito Auza, ‎Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.  The theme of the ‎event was, “Defending religious freedom and other human rights: stopping mass atrocities against ‎Christians and other believers.”  In our edition of THE BACKGROUNDER, we bring you excerpts ‎from the heart-breaking testimony of Carl and Marsha Mueller, who at times choked with emotion ‎talking about their daughter, Kayla.  To begin with, Carl Mueller: ‎

Listen: 

 

Some of the words of Kayla as provided by her parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller:

Here we are.‎ Free to speak out without fear of being killed,‎ blessed to be protected by the same law we are subjected to,‎ free to see our families as we please,‎ free to cross borders and free to disagree.‎  We have many people to thank for these freedoms I see it as an injustice not to use them to their fullest.‎

‎I've known for some time what my life's work is, using my hands as tools to relieve suffering.‎

‎I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine.  If this is how you are‎ revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.‎

‎I want to tell the world about the situation in Syria ... There is no fuel, no electricity, no food…  There is shelling, explosions, gunfire... violence… No one is working, there are no jobs.‎  People are just surviving day to day, living for the sake of living...‎  Every human being should act.  They should stop this violence.‎  It is killing women and children.  People are fleeing... This, this is too much ... ‎  I hope that you can tell the entire world what I have said here, what I have seen.‎ I am only one person, but every person will say the same ... I wish the world could see the truth, I wish ‎you could.‎  I don't think there is a single child untouched by this war.  Everyone has seen death, everyone has lost ‎someone, it is on such a scale.‎  When the world finally sees what is happening in Syria, when you go to villages beyond those you are 'allowed' into - you will not have the words. Everything is destroyed. A people is destroyed.‎  You ... will not be able to bear what you will see in Syria.‎  We know what is happening, but the world is not listening.‎

‎You are right, this is not my war.‎  I would never stake claim to something as barbaric as war.‎  But, any struggle for greater freedom and justice is my struggle and any time innocent lives are being slaughtered, they are my people.  And any time the world is not responding to such things because "it is not their concern. It becomes my concern.‎  Because of my privileged American life, I've been able to purposefully build my life in such a way that ‎this idealism can be my life and my work and I can act and stand by the fact that this is the way it ‎should be. There should be no 'my people, your people' mentality in this world. There should be no ‎greater value placed on anyone's life for any reason. I don't think that's idealism, in one form or another ‎that's what Jesus said. I don't know why we call what is .. .just ... idealism. I think we place it in that ‎category because we know what is .. .just ... and we know we aren't doing it despite being able.‎

I remember mom always telling me that all in all in the end the only one you really have is God. I have ‎come to a place in this experience where, in every sense of the word, I have surrendered myself to our ‎creator because literally there was no else .... and by God and by your prayers I have felt tenderly cradled in free ‎fall.  I have been shown in darkness light, and  have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am ‎grateful...‎  None of us could have known it would be this long but know I am also fighting from my side in the ‎ways I am able, and I have a lot of fight left inside of me. I am not breaking down and I will not give in no matter how long it takes.‎

Please be patient, give your pain to God. I know you would want me to remain strong. ‎That is exactly what I am doing. Do not fear for me, continue to pray as will I, and by God's will, we will ‎be together soon. ‎

(Source: UN/Holy See)








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