An 11-year-old Iraqi refugee, whose video message of forgiveness for Islamic State (IS) went viral worldwide in December 2014, shared a new message for world leaders in December 2015.
In December 2014, Christian satellite television channel SAT-7 KIDS first filmed and aired an interview with Myriam in a Christmas special from Northern Iraq. When the station then published the clip of her interview on the internet and social media, millions of viewers around the globe were inspired by her faith and forgiveness.
Despite losing her home, her school and her friends after ISIS drove her family out of their hometown of Qaraqosh, she said that God loves ISIS, she forgives them and prays that God forgives them too.
Living in an unfinished shopping mall structure in Erbil, she had three wishes: that she could return to school, that she could be reunited with her best friend Sandra and that her message of love and forgiveness would reach the world.
Prayers answered
Today, all three prayers have been answered as she sits at the same desk as Sandra at a school in Erbil. (Sandra’s family had decided to return to Iraq, as financial difficulties made life in Lebanon challenging.) She has a new message for the world and shared this in December when reunited with the Egyptian reporter who first interviewed her, SAT-7 KIDS presenter Essam Nagy. When asked what message she would give world leaders, she said: ‘Walk with love and mercy in your hearts.’
Her friend Sandra said: ‘I want to tell them to pray to Jesus, because he is everything in life. He is the one who gave them life and shields them during the hard times.’
