Parents of the 168 children who were killed on Feb. 28 by an U.S. Tomahawk missile which targeted the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, sent a letter of thanks to Pope Leo XIV. The handwritten letter was delivered to the Pope through diplomatic channels and was made public on April 19. The letter applauds the Pope for his work promoting peace around the world and urges him to “continue to be the voice of the voiceless children.” The parents express hope that the Pope’s moral authority can draw international attention to the suffering of children everywhere.
The parents declared: “We write this letter to you with trembling hands and a heart full of pain, from amidst the ashes and ruins of the schools of the city of ‘Minab’ in southern Iran…. In the dark days … the echo of your peace-seeking words became a balm for our endless wounds. When you courageously asked the world powers to ‘reduce the level of violence and bombings,’ we saw in every single one of your words the effort to save our children; those same defenseless humans whose lives you tried to protect by emphasizing the ‘necessity of protecting civilians and respecting international and humanitarian laws.’”
Addressing the Pope directly the letter continues: “You, with an aching heart and a divine perspective, warned the awakened consciences of the world that ‘hate is increasing, violence is worsening, and many have lost their lives.’ Today, the empty chairs of the classrooms in Minab are bitter testaments to this very truth; a truth brought about by the making of American bombs directed by illogical warmongers. We thank you that amidst the tumult of war, you became the voice of righteousness and reminded everyone that lasting peace and tranquility are achieved not through force and weapons, but through the path of dialogue and the genuine search for a solution for all.”
The letter concludes: “Our children will never return home again to build a better tomorrow, but the prayer of us bereaved fathers and mothers is that your message to ‘lay down weapons’ is heard. Especially when America and the Israeli regime, with their excessive demands, fuel the fire of these crimes. We ask you to continue to be the voice of the voiceless children and strive to reopen ‘all paths of dialogue,’ so that no more weapons are built, and no father or mother anywhere on this earthly sphere is forced to whisper a nighttime lullaby over the cold tombstone of their child.
“With endless sorrow and deep respect,
“A group of bereaved fathers and mothers of 168 martyred students of the city of Minab, Hormozgan Province—Iran.”
