Crop fires have become a weapon of war in Iraq and Syria. An article on Morning Ag Clips reports that farmers were looking forward to the best harvest since war began across the region, but now once golden fields of wheat and barley have been destroyed by fires presumed to have been deliberately set by fighters of the Islamic State and perhaps others. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 74,000 acres (30,000 hectares) of farmland in Hassakeh, Raqqa and all the way to Aleppo province to the west, have been burned.

And so we pray this news . . .

Ya Rahman, the Infinitely Compassionate One,
Ya Raheem, the Infinitely Merciful One,

Our hearts are breaking with the news of crop fires in Iraq and Syria. We weep when we consider what the loss of the harvest means to our brothers and sisters in the area.

We wring our hands and hold our heads, crying out:
How could this happen?
Why is it happening?
When will it stop?
What can we do?

Full of sadness and sorrow, we send condolences to the farmers and their families. We mourn the loss of their crops, animals, livelihood, and future sustenance.

And, although many of us are half a globe away, we pray that our brothers and sisters in Syria and Iraq will know that we are with them.

Their sorrow touches us.
We share their despair.
We are part of the same human family.

We pray that hope can still emerge through your Mercy and Compassion.

Amen.


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