Damascus, the Tombstone of Father Thomas of Sardinia,

Visit the tomb of Father Thomas and mourn
An apostolic missionary to Damascus, preaching and displaying his solicitude
Slaughtered by the Jews, only parts of his remains were found
Dated February 5th, here lie the remains of his bones
1840

The tombstone of the grave containing the alleged remains of Father Thomas of Sardinia, an Apostolic Capuchin Missionary. The relic is located in the Latin Chruch of Bab Sharki (the Eastern Gate). Damascus was still a fiefdom of Muhammad Ali -Egypt's formidable Pasha- in February 1840 when father Thomas and his servant mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In a matter of weeks, rumors spread throughout the city as the Christians of Damascus suspected the Jews of the city of abducting and murdering the victims for the purpose of using their blood to bake their matzo. The matter was brought to the attention of Governor Shariff Pasha, Muhammad Ali's lieutenant, who arrested the city's leading rabbis and put them to torture until some of them admitted to committing the crime and much more. Rabbi Abu al-Afia was subjected to "falaqa' (caning) in the presence of his spouse and child until the lacerated flesh of his feet uncovered the underlying bones. Traumatized and humiliated, abu al-Afia "converted" to Islam and adopted the name of Muhammad Afandi. Lest we blame this sorry episode on the barbarity of the benighted Orientals, the "investigation" was conducted by none other than the consul of "civilized" France, Ratti-Menton. Perhaps Mustaf Tlas' silly book "the Matzo of Zion" relied on such high quality "evidence" but there exists no shortage of "pundits" who persist in believing this nonsense even now.