Int'l Initiative to Start Movement for Syria Peace from Tehran

The “Pilgrims of Peace” international initiative for Syria will begin with a three-day gathering of international figures in Tehran on April 6-8.

Various human rights and anti-war organizations will contribute to the international initiative.

Renowned figures like Lebanese nun Mother Agnes Mariam (Carmelite nun and peace activist), Irish Mairead Maguire (1976 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and member of the International Peace Council), Canadian Eva Bartlett (independent activist and freelance journalist), and Australian Father Dave Smith (Anglican Parish priest and peace activist) are among those who have so far announced their preparedness to attend the gathering in Tehran.

After holding formal meetings and participating in several public programs in Tehran and Qom, the peace activists will leave Iran for Syria to call for an end to the crisis in the war-torn country.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

The UN says more than 100,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the unrest in 2011. More than 2.2 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries while an estimated 4.25 million have been displaced internally.

It recently warned against the humanitarian situation in Syria, saying that over nine million people are in need of urgent aid due to the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.

The UN-brokered peace talks between Syria’s government and the Western-backed opposition ended last month in Geneva, Switzerland, without any breakthrough.

The negotiations hit a deadlock due to sharp differences between the two sides, namely the persistence by the so-called Syria National Coalition (SNC) on the formation of a transitional government and the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad before the deadly militancy in the country is addressed.