Syria bishop: Christian community not in danger

1/6/2012

BEIRUT: The Syria-based deputy patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Bishop Luka Khoury, said Thursday that there was no danger of a partition of Syria, or threats to Syria’s Christian community, despite the ongoing unrest in the country.

“There are many rumors; there is no civil war in Syria until now. No one has attacked us so far and there is no danger to Christians,” the bishop said, speaking after a meeting with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in Rabieh. “Unfortunately, the Lebanese media talks a lot about Christians in Syria, but why doesn’t it talk about Christians in Lebanon?

Let Christians in Syria decide their own future,” Khoury added. “It’s true that Christians have been treated harshly in some regions, but they have not emigrated, as they say – they have taken refuge in other Syrian villages,” Khoury continued. The bishop praised the FPM leader, commenting that “Aoun’s thoughts are important to us … he is a patriot and is intelligent.”

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