Father Dave, David Smith, is an Australian parish priest of Holy Trinity Dulwich Hill and also a professional boxer. He has been spending some days in Iran and joined the pace pilgrim caravan to Syria for humanitarian aid transfer.
In an interview with Mehr News correspondent, Father Dave said that he had been to Syria another time before and it is going to be his 2nd time.
About participation in this humanitarian movement he said that “it is the second time I join a group of people who travel to Syria for peace. I am going there to fight boxing with the Syrian children to delight them and we are bringing medicine and toys – which is very lovely – for the kids.”
He continued that he is a professional boxer and boxing is a matter of thinking and mental power rather than physical power and that boxing with Syrian children is all fun, giving them the pleasure of childhood eager to fight specially among little boys.
Father Dave mentioned that traveling around the world to different countries, one would see that people are all involved in ordinary life just like the others in other countries and when you enter Syria you will see the same thing in Damascus. War-torn people of Syria have their own lives and routines just like the others around the world.
About those who may benefit from this war which has led to a human crisis over there for more than three years, Father Dave mentioned that this is a big business of domineering powers who wish to bring tension to the region and they recruit fighters from different countries for that and it is all a big business for money.
But the unfortunate result of all these wars is that people are suffering due to these businesses going on there but at the same time western powers are losing their reputations in the world and the crisis will end soon and he emphasized that he is sure that the crisis will end very soon.
Referring to Syrian Peace conference of Geneva I and II Father Dave told that “it is clear there is no result out of the peace talks in Geneva for Syrian people” and continued that “countries like Canada who have no role or can have no role in solving Syrian crisis were invited to the conferences, while Iran that cares and can help to put an end to the crisis was not invited, so the conferences went on as if with no good result and the war is still going on in Syria.”
Talking about probable solutions for ending the human crisis in Syria, Father Dave added that he believes only a Syrian-Syrian dialogue can help the crisis end in Syria, other countries interventions would only add to the crisis out there.
Father Dave believed that the ongoing war in Syria is not a religious war at all, people with different religions have different ways of living but we are all human beings and have almost the same routines. “People with different religions, you as a Muslim and I as a Christian and with different cultures are all created by one God, we all have the same Creator” he said and believed having the same Creator makes us united.
About Iran and in the face of media propaganda against Iran and what he sees as an eyewitness in this country, the conditions here, people and cities, whether he likes the country and likes to be back to Iran, Father Dave said he had already been to Iran and visited Isfahan and this time he visited Tehran, Isfahan and Qom and he loved all of them. “People here are really lovely and friendly, none of the things about Iran as a dangerous place on media is true,” he said.
He continued that he loves Iran and will surely be back, bringing his family to the country as soon as possible. About the society and security he pointed to the people moving around easily and safely and added he wonders that families with no fear go out to the parks at nights or walk on streets while in his country, Australia, no one dares to do so at nights and they prefer to stay home to be safe.
He said propaganda against Iran shows a wrong face of the country, while when someone sees it closely, will recognize that this is a lovely country with lovely people.
He wishes to come back to Iran soon with his family because people are so good and the country is very beautiful.
