Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, born on August 18, 1948, in Qamishli, Syria (dual U.S. and Syrian citizen), served as the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo. He pursued theological studies at St. Ephrem Theological Seminary in Lebanon, the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Birmingham, focusing on Christian Arabs in Mesopotamia before Islam.
Ordained as a bishop in 1979, Ibrahim was deeply involved in ecumenical efforts and interfaith dialogues, holding positions in organizations such as the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches. He also established the Al Raha Mardin Publishing House in Aleppo in 1988, contributing significantly to Syriac Christian literature.
On April 22, 2013, during the Syrian civil war, Archbishop Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul (Boulos) Yazigi were abducted near Aleppo while on a mission to negotiate the release of two kidnapped priests. Their driver was killed on the same day, sometime following the incident. The identity of the kidnappers remains uncertain, with some reports suggesting Chechen militants or a terrorist organization is responsible.
Despite international appeals and ongoing prayers, the fate of both archbishops remains unknown. Their disappearance has had a profound impact on the Christian communities in Syria and the broader Middle East, symbolizing the perils faced by religious minorities in conflict zones.
