Patriarchs of the Orient Deplore International, Arab 'Silence' over Christians' Persecution, Demand Fatwa against Takfiri Threat

W300

The patriarchs of the Orient on Wednesday strongly deplored the Arab countries and the international community's “silence” over attacks against Christians in the Middle East, calling for issuing fatwas against takfirism and for stopping any support for terrorist groups.

“It has become known that attacks against Christians are taking a dangerous turn that threatens them, especially in Egypt, Syria and Iraq where they are victims of crimes and are forced to leave (their towns),” Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's envoy Bishop Boulos Sayyah said after a meeting of Christian clerics of the Orient in Bkirki.

He elaborated: “The Christians of Iraq have been detained by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and are being driven out of their houses. The sanctity of their churches have been violated and their houses have been bombed. They amounted to 120,000 and now 60,000 are present in Erbil (the capital city of the autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq).”

But what is painful is the absence of a stance for Islamic authorities and the international community has not adopted a strict stance either, Sayyah stated.

“The international community is responsible for ISIL's growth and for terrorism and the Arabs must exert pressure on the financiers of these groups...We must stop extremist organizations and Arab countries cannot remain silent against ISIL.”

“We call for issuing a fatwa that forbids attacks against others,” the patriarchs declared.

They continued: “The international community must act and eradicate ISIL. This is required from the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council... This disaster requires also that the international community and the European Union cooperate with the Iraqi cabinet and authorities in Kurdistan to free the Nineveh province and assure the refugees' safe return to Mosul.”

They stressed that solutions to the alarming ISIL crisis must involve “dealing with the reasons that produced the miseries in the Middle East.”

“Harmony must be restored between the components of these countries and we must stop using terrorists, supporting them and arming them,” the patriarchs of the Orient stressed.

Sayyah considered that the “crises that have hit Syria and the Syrian bloodshed must be solved in dialogue and through a political solution.”

“Syrians have waited for a long time for international efforts (to end the crisis) but they have all failed,” he noted.

The conferees called for “supporting Christian presence (in the ME) for the sake of coexistence between cultures.”

They pointed out “Christians' promotion of the culture of pluralism, openness and respect.”

“Christians work on promoting religious freedoms and freedom of opinion and belief...Christians hold onto their lands and their freedoms. They also hold onto the Bible's values and according to them they deal with others (Muslims),” they said.

Islamic State militants in Iraq have been waging a campaign against minorities in Iraq. The extremist group gave Christians a choice between converting to Islam or persecution, sparking mass exodus in Iraq.

Pope Francis called earlier this month for collective action through the U.N. to "stop unjust aggression" in Iraq.

Many of Iraq's Christians have fled to the Kurdistan province.

The bishops thanked in their statement the province 's authorities and residents for welcoming the refugees and offering financial and moral support for them.

They also underscored the international community's “carelessness” towards the issue of kidnapped bishops Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yaziji, who were abducted at the end of April 2013 reportedly near the rebel-held town of Kafr Dael near Aleppo in northern Syria.

Regarding the threat of ISIL in Lebanon, the bishops noted that they are “aware of the importance of the Lebanese political system that separates between the religion and the state, and which acknowledges religious freedoms.”

“We call on officials to protect Lebanon as a civil state in order for the country to become a civilized example in the East,” their statement said.

“We reject religious extremism in Lebanon. Lebanon is a country for all and not a country where there are different religious emirates.”

The statement also demanded “all political blocs to isolate the presidential elections from regional and international conflicts and to reach an accord regarding the election of a president as soon as possible.”

Wednesday's meeting at Bkirki was held in the presence of several foreign diplomats, including the American, British and Russian ambassadors to Lebanon, and the French and Chinese charges d'affaires.

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly, who also took part in the meeting, said after the talks that he and his colleagues “were moved by what (they) heard” regarding the persecution of Christians in the ME.

“We emphasized in our different ways the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East,” Plumbly revealed.

“This is not just a humanitarian issue and I know that I and my colleagues will all be reporting very carefully what they (the patriarchs) had to say.”

He continued: “The Secretary-General of the U.N. has repeatedly condemned the persecution of Christians and other minorities by ISIL in Iraq. Security Council members have spoken very clearly on the subject on 5 and 7 August and last week they unanimously adopted resolution 2170 which targets ISIL and other groups responsible for such atrocities.”

Plumbly went on to say that Security Council members have also “called on the international community to do all it can to alleviate the suffering of the populations affected.”

“The United Nations is now undertaking a massive relief operation in Iraq in addition to the assistance it is providing elsewhere in the region,” he said.

He also praised “coexistence and unity Lebanon presently enjoys” amid the regional turmoil.

This meeting is part of the initiative made by patriarchs to preserve the role of Christians in Iraq.

An Nahar newspaper reported earlier in the day that the patriarchs will send letters to the major powers on the importance of preserving the Orient's multiculturalism by protecting Christians.

They will tell the ambassadors that excuses of non-intervention in Iraq are not convincing, said the daily.

The letter states that the assault on Christians in the Orient is facing a similar fate in Lebanon by paralyzing the presidential elections, it said.

The international community has a partial responsibility in the paralysis given its influence on the local parties, the letter says.

Last week, al-Rahi headed a delegation from the patriarchs of the Orient to the Iraqi Kurdish region of Erbil.

S.D.B. / G.K.

H.K.

Comments 15
Default-user-icon flamethrower-#@_*&%^^ (Guest) over 9 years

Gasoline prices dropped by LL400 while diesel prices dropped by LL200.

Thumb ex-fpm over 9 years

lol

Default-user-icon Jombazio Ballavwan (Guest) over 9 years

Shouldn't they ask these "major immoral criminals in the West" the fundamental question of who is behind the Sanni lunatics doing that to the Christians of the orient, and then slap their comatose selves awake and stop their meaningless tarsha2ations?

Thumb chrisrushlau over 9 years

May the Christian-dominated government of Lebanon, with its guaranteed half of Parliament despite its dwindling numbers, go forth and smite. Or find some good video to watch and order out for pizza. One or the other. It's come down to this.
Does the Saudi king's grant cover video rentals and delivery pizza? Those can be major defence initiatives in a time of uncertainty. The main thing is to not lose your faith.

Default-user-icon ali Rostam Heydar (Guest) over 9 years

why do you chose a name like chris if you are shia?

Missing Ghazanfar over 9 years

chrisrushlau go forth and multiply yourself.

Default-user-icon hypocrites (Guest) over 9 years

did not hear you utter a word when sunnis are massacred in iraq and syria or when moslems in Myanmar are being exterminated. Not one single statement of condemnation came out from your congression.

Thumb Elemental over 9 years

I see some who pretend to care about Christians disagree with the truth, busy fake accounts tonight.

Thumb Elemental over 9 years

Thumbs up if you care for Christians.

Thumb Elemental over 9 years

Oh I agree, and Iran already has, so that's fine too.

Thumb Elemental over 9 years

Hypocrisy my friend, and yes he and many others use Christians like pawns, only proving the point.

Thumb EagleDawn over 9 years

@anony on the other article, he unleashed at least 15 votes last time I checked. He has no shame

Default-user-icon Filipe de Brito e Nicote (Guest) over 9 years

southern please turn off the Portuguese spell check it's ridiculous

Thumb kanaandian over 9 years

these wahabi countries should be wiped off the face of the earth, the only thing the world would notice gone would be: oil, child marriage, and terrorism. they are like weeds, absolutely no good and feed off evil. the least progressive part of the world and hated by all non muslims and many muslims alike.

Default-user-icon PEACE (Guest) over 9 years

Global warNing,
To all nations and all cultures,
Act before it is too late,
The Islamic world condemn this saying (this is not the true Islam)
If so it should be the Islamic world's first duty to stop ISIS
NOT acting equate APPROVAL and SUPPORT
Waiting for the "Cancer" to grow and reach your door is not a solution,
Interfering in Iraq, Lybia Kosovo is not as JUST and URGENT as stopping this Cancer