A choir for peace in the Middle East
Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
Born in a Christian village surrounded by Muslim villages, Lea Akoury discovered the existence of “an extraordinary bond”, permanently present in her and her fellow citizens, when she met her husband, an officer in the Lebanese army, a Muslim by faith. She then realised that what truly matters is the quality of the person, not the religion they profess. And that was why when her husband died in 2007, during an anti-terrorist operation, Lea chose to transform her grief into strength and charity, through direct aid to the families of her husband’s comrades in arms, regardless of whether they were Christian or Muslim; and this, in favour of “a community based on love and mutual aid”.
She did so by creating from scratch an association that brings together Lebanese orphans, children of soldiers killed in the exercise of their profession, thus seeking to convey a strong message of peace and friendship. “My religion teaches me to love and help all people,” she told the Vatican News reporter, putting into practice the message that the Church taught her and that Pope Francis embodies: Faith, hope, acceptance of others. “At this time, more than ever, we need the presence of the Holy Father’s voice and his appeals for peace,” she concluded.
Since 2015, Lea has led a choir group that was originally founded to honour the fathers of children and young people on Father’s Day, celebrated annually in Lebanon. Through singing, these young people overcome the trauma of loss and share their personal stories with the world. This musical project – which initially began with 80 children and young people singing in Arabic – has grown with the support of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and has even performed on several occasions in France and Italy. It is an interdenominational choir group that brings together young people of different religions and speaks Arabic, Italian, English, French and Spanish.
In recent weeks, the choir has been preparing for a trip to Italy, during which 15 young people from different parts of Lebanon will perform in concerts at a hospital in Rome and in Forlì. The choir has the support of Alessandro Salvi, from the Order of the Knights of Malta, an organization that has sponsored Lea Akoury’s association for years and, among other things, allows Lebanese orphans to study in Italy.
“This trip is a good example of our resilience, and it is the result of it,” explains Lea. “The children will have to travel several dangerous roads to get to the airport, but the enthusiasm of those waiting for us in Italy gives us the strength we need to accomplish the task.”
With the help of the Italian army, the children and young people have expanded their repertoire in Italian, which represents not only an artistic challenge for them, but also the creation of a real cultural bridge. “The Italian soldiers stationed in our country have become people of reference for our young people, a bit like the parents they have lost,” emphasizes Lea.
We live in very, very dark times. Today it is more important than ever to sing for the well-being of humanity, fraternity, solidarity and to say: enough is enough! We all deserve to live in peace. And so, for those who have never known anything but instability and the horrors of war, as is the case with successive generations of children from the massacred Middle East, change is urgent.
“We have made so many sacrifices, we have gone through wars and suffering. Now is the time to rebuild our country and make it a strong state, where everyone is equal before the law,” says Lea. Lebanon, once called the “jewel of the Middle East”, is today in a deep crisis. This will most likely be made worse by the recent events in neighboring Syria. “We live with fear and uncertainty every day, but we never stop trusting in Providence,” admits Lea. “We are trapped in a dark tunnel, but we remain in our country with maximum resilience”. Lea experienced the tragedy of loss firsthand: her husband died in a clash with terrorists (in a refugee camp defending the most vulnerable), leaving her with four young children. Singing helped Lea overcome her grief and work to bring the most important message to the world: we want peace!
“Singing,” Lea tells us, “is like a prayer. It is our way of raising our voices and sending a message to the world: we have made so many sacrifices to live in peace. This is our desire and our supreme prayer.”
Lebanon is a small country, but full of beauty and hospitality. The choir that Lea Akoury formed conveys with its music a powerful testimony of friendship, resilience and faith that – “this is our goal” – will radiate beyond borders and inspire hope for the future of Lebanon and the world. “We hope that our friends around the world can be our voice to help this country finally live in peace,” Lea Akoury says with conviction.
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