Nobel Prize Laureate Praises Iranian Documentary on Syria


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner hailed what she called an “extraordinary” documentary by an Iranian director about the root causes of crisis in Syria, saying the film demonstrates the Syrian people’s efforts to end violence in their country.

Mairead Maguire, 71, is a peace activist from Northern Ireland who won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1976.

She was among members of an international peace convoy that made a journey to Syria in April 2014.

Iranian director Mohsen Eslamzadeh, who was also in the convoy, has made a documentary on the developments in Syria during the trip, titled “Looking for Peace”.

In a message, Ms. Maguire praised the documentary, inviting people to watch it to gain an understanding of the root causes of crisis in Syria.

“I recommend this excellent documentary to all those wishing to understand the roots of the Syrian conflict.  Although deeply sad, as it shows the cost of proxy wars, it gives hope that through peace and reconciliation the Syrian people are rejecting violence and war and all outside interference in their country, and rebuilding their beloved Syria together,” she said.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011. In the past four-and-a-half-year, more than 240,000 people have died in Syria -overwhelmingly civilians– and around 4 million Syrian people are now refugees in other countries. Around 8 million are also displaced inside the Arab country.