Apotheoun Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Christians in Syria Fleeing Country as Crisis Reaches 'Unprecedented Levels of Horror' As the civil war in Syria has reached "unprecedented levels of horror," according to the U.N., Christians are being forced to flee their homes as avoiding the violent conflict has become less of an option. "It's a fight to the death which by definition involves killing. No one will win but those who fought from the start will create a desert and then call it victory," Sky News said of the war raging between army forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and rebels bent on taking down what they say is a tyrannical regime. The war has swept the entire nation, closing down infrastructure and businesses, and forcing many to choose a side or risk being caught in the crossfire. One of the worst attacks in the country occurred less than two weeks ago, when over 100 people were found slaughtered near the Christian-populated city of Homs. Witnesses blamed forces loyal to President Assad, who allegedly killed civilians they believed were harboring or aiding rebel soldiers. Christians make up around 10 percent of the country's predominantly Muslim population, and although they have tried to stay out of the conflict, they are being forced out of their homes by rebels and loyalists; they are facing starvation and lack of medical care, and fleeing to neighboring countries like Lebanon. Those who stay, meanwhile, see churches burnt down and priests murdered, and they have little means of protecting themselves. While many other sectarian groups have formed militias and physically fought back against the violence, Sky noted that followers of Christ in Syria are predominantly from the merchant class and do not have strongholds where they can hide out. Click the link to read the rest of the article: Christians in Syria Fleeing Country as Crisis Reaches 'Unprecedented Levels of Horror' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4588686 Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 (edited) Christians in Syria Fleeing Country as Crisis Reaches 'Unprecedented Levels of Horror' As the civil war in Syria has reached "unprecedented levels of horror," according to the U.N., Christians are being forced to flee their homes as avoiding the violent conflict has become less of an option. "It's a fight to the death which by definition involves killing. No one will win but those who fought from the start will create a desert and then call it victory," Sky News said of the war raging between army forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and rebels bent on taking down what they say is a tyrannical regime. The war has swept the entire nation, closing down infrastructure and businesses, and forcing many to choose a side or risk being caught in the crossfire. One of the worst attacks in the country occurred less than two weeks ago, when over 100 people were found slaughtered near the Christian-populated city of Homs. Witnesses blamed forces loyal to President Assad, who allegedly killed civilians they believed were harboring or aiding rebel soldiers. Christians make up around 10 percent of the country's predominantly Muslim population, and although they have tried to stay out of the conflict, they are being forced out of their homes by rebels and loyalists; they are facing starvation and lack of medical care, and fleeing to neighboring countries like Lebanon. Those who stay, meanwhile, see churches burnt down and priests murdered, and they have little means of protecting themselves. While many other sectarian groups have formed militias and physically fought back against the violence, Sky noted that followers of Christ in Syria are predominantly from the merchant class and do not have strongholds where they can hide out. Click the link to read the rest of the article: Christians in Syria Fleeing Country as Crisis Reaches 'Unprecedented Levels of Horror' Hey. What's the name of that country that's protecting the Assad regime? It begins with an 'R' and the authoritarian leader bolsters his pretense to legitimacy by wrapping himself in the iconography of the Orthodox Church and maintaining close ties with the hierarchy? It's right on the tip of my tongue. Oh. Right. Russia. Anyway, what's going on in Syria is horrible. My friend's cousin was recently murdered by the Assad regime. Edited February 7, 2013 by Hasan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apotheoun Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Hey. What's the name of that country that's protecting the Assad regime? It begins with an 'R' and the authoritarian leader bolsters his pretense to legitimacy by wrapping himself in the iconography of the Orthodox Church and maintaining close ties with the hierarchy? It's right on the tip of my tongue. Oh. Right. Russia. Anyway, what's going on in Syria is horrible. My friend's cousin was recently murdered by the Assad regime. The stated policy of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations involves the protection of minority Christian populations in the Middle East and North Africa, and so they are not necessarily for or against regime change in Syria or anywhere else in the region for that matter. That said, the Patriarchate has called for a dialogue by both sides in the conflict and an attempt to find a peaceful resolution to the situation. It should also be remembered that the Moscow Patriarchate and the Antiochian Patriarchate have good relations and both support peace through dialogue in Syria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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