Mumbai: A Christian priest from Kerala, Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was recently released from captivity after being held by Daesh for 18 months, will be this year’s recipient of Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice.
“He has been an inspiring example of being a compassionate human being and for continuing to work at the old-age home of Missionaries of Charity in Yemen, in spite of being given an option to leave the country,” said Abraham Mathai, President, Harmony Foundation, and former vice-chairman of Maharashtra Minorities Commission.
“We commend [Father] Tom’s dedication and commitment towards working in a place of great danger where his colleagues were murdered in cold blood.”
Mathai also emphasised that the “Board of Harmony Foundation is grateful to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for his efforts towards securing the release of [Father]Tom from the clutches of [Daesh]. We are also thankful to his response to the Vatican, which resulted in the subsequent release of [the Father] who was in captivity for over 18 months.
Uzhunnalil was abducted by terrorists in March last year when they barged into the care home for the elderly set up by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Aden, Yemen, and shot dead many, including four nuns of the organisation, including one from India.
He was rescued from captivity from an undisclosed location in Yemen thanks to the intervention of the Sultanate of Oman that helped to find and rescue him.
Each year, individuals or organisations receive this prestigious award for exceptional service to humanity and past recipients include global leaders and icons such as Nobel Laureates Malala Yousafzai and the Dalai Lama, current Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, UK, Baroness Caroline Cox and aid groups such as Medecines Sans Frontieres, the largest medical organisation worldwide and White Helmets, which is currently providing aid to war-ravaged Syria.
Mathai said, “Our Foundation’s theme for the year 2017 is Compassion Beyond Borders — a compassionate response to the refugee crisis. We endeavor to create awareness and action in the international community.”
The Mother Teresa Memorial Awards, instituted in 2005, is scheduled to take place on December 10 this year with Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu expected to be the chief guest.
