For some years now, paintings by a Syrian artist, Najah Albukai, have been displayed on the walls of the monastery of Sant'Egidio, the first home of the Community. The artist, who was detained in the prisons of the Damascus regime for a long time, illustrated the dramatic living conditions and torture.
Three paintings illustrate what he himself saw and experienced: torture, deprivation of air and light, and death of his fellow prisoners. They are placed right next to the entrance of the church and are testimony to Sant'Egidio's constant memory and prayer for Syria and its people.
In recent days, flowers have been placed in front of the paintings: a sign of homage to the memory of all those who in recent years have suffered imprisonment in these places of which further atrocities are now being discovered. Let us hope for a time when peace will finally be restored.
