Last week I returned to Lebanon, a quarter of a century after being kidnapped and held captive for almost five years, most of the time chained to a wall and denied many basic comforts. You might think such a trip foolhardy, but the crisis developing there desperately needs attention.
I had been invited to go back to see for myself the plight of the many Christian refugees who are flooding across the Syrian/Lebanese border, and travelled to the Bekaa Valley to visit the refugees who have been forced into exile from Syria. The situation there is tragic. Syria has a unique and rich history of religious diversity and tolerance, and in the past Christians and Muslims have shared the same place of worship. Since the beginning of Islam, they have lived in relative harmony – but the war is pushing Christians out, and many believe there will be no way back.
Terry Waite