Patriarch Iwas: Terrorism in Syria targets Muslims and Christians alike
24/12/13
Damascus, (SANA) – Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, asserted that Syria had always been the home of Syriacs, and that the terrorism taking place in it target Muslims and Christians alike.
In a letter on occasion of Christmas, Patriarch Iwas stressed that Syria’s Muslims and Christians share a single destiny, rejecting claims that what is happening in Syria merely seeks to expel Christians from it.
He called on all the countries participating in the Geneva 2 conference to cease supporting terrorists because they themselves will not be safe from terrorism if they persist in what they are doing.
Patriarch Iwas affirmed that the Syrians are the only ones who will decide their destiny, and that this decision will be taken in Damascus, not in a European country.
He reiterated calls for releasing the abducted Bishops John Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi and the nuns of St. Thecla Convent.
Patriarch Iwas said that there can be no Middle East without Christianity and no Christianity without the Middle East, asserting that “the See of Antioch will never in any day be located in Stockholm, Frankfurt or Los Angeles.”
He urged all polticial leaders in the world to put an end to the chaos and instability in the Middle East and seek solutions that satisfy all sides, end violence, restore peace and tranquility, and return the displaced and refugees to their homes.
H. Sabbagh
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