Christians in Syria fear being attacked

Aid to the Church in Need
Monday, July 23, 2012
http://www.churchinneed.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7093&news_iv_ctrl=1001

Christians in Damascus and Aleppo are terrified of being targeted and driven away, according to a senior bishop.

Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo, SJ, of Aleppo said the Church was frightened of a repeat of the catastrophe in Homs in the spring when the Christian quarter came under fire, forcing a mass exodus of almost all of the faithful, more than 120,000.

The bishop reported that as conflict deepened in Aleppo and Damascus, people were turning to him, desperate for help after leaving their homes and all their belongings and fleeing for safer towns and villages.

Speaking from Aleppo Monday, July 23rd in an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Audo said, “What we are afraid of is that in this situation of anarchy, armed people will come into Christian areas as they did in Homs.”

“If they come in around our churches and round our bishopric, just as they did in Homs, it will be disastrous for us.”

He reported that at his Sunday Mass in Aleppo yesterday, the church was half empty because people were too afraid to come.

The bishop described the reasons for the threat against Christians as “very complicated,” adding, “I am not able to give clear reasons why the fighters would attack Christians.”

“But what we can say is that if they went into the Christian areas, it would be very bad.”

“The fear of Christians is particularly strong. We are a minority. Always we are threatened.”

Stressing safety fears, the bishop said, “What can we do to protect the people? We do not have any possibility to do that.”

“Not only are Christians in this very dangerous situation but there are some Muslims too, those who are seen as sympathizers with the government.”

The bishop thanked those, including ACN supporters, who are providing food, medical aid and shelter to more than 1,000 families who had fled Homs for smaller towns and villages outside the city.

“It is very difficult, especially for people from Homs, who have left everything behind. The poor people have nothing.”

“They lost everything, so they very much appreciate ACN’s help.”

But he went on to call for more help, “We have to be able to help more and more people, especially in two areas: food and medical care.”

“I have people coming to me asking for help with nothing more than the clothes they are standing up in.”

The bishop spoke of being put under pressure to declare support for the regime or the rebels.

“When I am asked which side do I support, I always answer, I am on the side of my country. I am doing whatever I can to save Syria, this lovely country of ours.”

The bishop added, “What we need is your prayers for all of us. This is a very dangerous time. People are very fearful.”

You would think Christians would be among the voices crying loudest for international intervention to restore peace and order, but to be truthful, I haven't heard a peep out of them.

Yes, indeed: our fellow Christians in Syria - and all others exposed to the irrational wrath of the Islamofascists - need our empathy and prayers.

As to the enemies of Christianity, be it Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant: may God strike them with the grace of conversion. Or allow them to become like wax before fire or smoke before the wind.

By the way: criticising my description of them as Islamofascists would be like criticising my characterisation of Elizabeth 2 as a queen.

Or even Elton John.

They don't cry out because they know it would be useless.

Looking at what foreign intervention did in Iraq, I think it probably terrifies them.

As long as American foreign policy does not include the protection of Christians I don't see why any area of the persecuted Church should trust American intervention. Muslims have shown themselves all too willing to enslave or kill Christians. In many cases they even call their actions "protection." Until the American foreign policy toward Christians and other persecuted peoples change I see no advantage to American intervention. Christians are not considered to be worthy of protection and are not considered to be part of "us".

I've supported many organizations in their efforts to change this foreign policy but the situation seems worse now than it ever has.

It is ironic that Bishop Audo should claim that:

“I am not able to give clear reasons why the fighters would attack Christians.”

When in June of last year he claimed that 80% of Syrians, and ALL CHRISTIANS were with the Government, and that the rebels only wanted to divide the country.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/s...c-bishop-warns/

The good bishop is being very circumspect in his comments. He knows that the only friend Christians have in Muslim countries is God Himself who is a rewarder of those who serve Him but rarely in physical ways. I do think he is right about the Christians in Syria if the rebels win. It is bad now, but will be horrible then.

Christians have no right to even exist in the Middle East, just ask America's close ally Wahhabist Saudi Arabia.

I think Dan is right on this point. I'd rather guess that Mar Antoine has given ear to the equally circumspect comments by the patriarchs and other hierarchs of the Melkite, Antiochian Orthodox, Maronite, Syriac Catholic and Orthodox, and those of the Assyrian and his own Chaldean Church. They were initially loath to criticize the government and now, with the future even cloudier, are trying to hedge their bets without appearing to do so. The outcome is yet too dicey to feel any sense of security or safety - they've moved from 'the devil you know ...' to 'just who is the devil ...?'

Many years,

Neil

Al Qaeda comprises much of the rebel teeth, I don't blame Christians for fearing an upset to the status quo, much less a rebel victory.

Christians flee radical rebels in Syria.

I can't imagine what American intervention would accomplish, unless somebody (besides Hillary Clinton) thinks another alliance with the Islamist radicals a la Kosovo is the way to go.

Quite the hornets nest. They truly do need our prayers.

Bishop Ibrahim of the Chaldean Church in Michigan alerted me to the problems faced by Christians in the Middle East and gave me some clarity concerning their present plight with no real allies. Julianna Taimoorazy has further clarified that. I recommend them both as solid sources of information.