ISTANBUL — In a joint statement, top Christian leaders across the war-ravaged nation of Syria condemned recent attacks on their nation by Western powers, calling last month’s airstrikes “unjustified aggression” and questioning the narrative surrounding alleged chemical-weapons use. The church leaders, who represent various Christian denominations in Syria, also urged their brothers and sisters in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States to stand with them in condemning the attacks against Syria unleashed by their governments. While Christians are being slaughtered in the conflict, the Western media, too busy banging the war drums, have said virtually nothing about the statement or the situation.
Since the start of the war in Syria, Christians have suffered barbaric persecution by jihadist “rebels” backed by foreign powers. In fact, as The New American has been documenting for more than five years, the ancient Christian communities of Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and the broader region have been decimated partly as a result of what the U.S. government refers to as its “foreign policy.” In Iraq, there were millions of Christians whose ancestors had lived there for almost 2,000 years. But after the U.S. invasion, those numbers dwindled to a few hundred thousand at most. Many fled to Syria, where they are again being ruthlessly persecuted and slaughtered, thanks in part to globalist machinations and U.S. intervention.
In a joint statement released after the recent airstrikes, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X (third from left); Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Ignatius Aphrem II (second from left); and Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem Jospeh Absi spoke out firmly and clearly. For one, they said they “condemn and denounce the brutal aggression that took place this morning against our precious country Syria by the USA, France and the UK, under the allegations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons.” The condemnation was followed by a series of affirmations breaking down their concerns.
“This brutal aggression is a clear violation of the international laws … because it is an unjustified assault on a sovereign country,” declared the Christian leaders. “It causes us great pain that this assault comes from powerful countries to which Syria did not cause any harm in any way.… This brutal aggression destroys the chances for a peaceful political solution and leads to escalation and more complications.” The “unjust” attack also “encourages terrorist organizations” and “gives them momentum to continue in their terrorism,” the regional Christian chiefs explained, referring to the jihadist fighters backed by globalist powers seeking to overthrow the Syrian government.
The statement also suggested that Syrian Christians, like many in the West, are not buying the claims about the Bashar al-Assad regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the civil war. “The allegations of the USA and other countries that the Syrian army is using chemical weapons and that Syria is a country that owns and uses this kind of weapon, is a claim that is unjustified and unsupported by sufficient and clear evidence,” they added, echoing concerns expressed by analysts, journalists, and even UN weapons inspectors. “The timing of this unjustified aggression against Syria, when the independent International Commission for Inquiry was about to start its work in Syria, undermines the work of this commission.”
The Christian leaders, who represent the largest denominations in the region, are also urging their Christian brothers and sisters around the world, and particularly in the Western nations behind the latest attacks, to join them in speaking out. “We call upon all churches in the countries that participated in the aggression, to fulfill their Christian duties, according to the teachings of the Gospel, and condemn this aggression and to call their governments to commit to the protection of international peace,” the patriarchs wrote. Perhaps unaware of the nature of the United Nations and its crucial role in facilitating similar machinations in nations such as Libya, the leaders also called on the UN Security Council to help in “bringing peace rather than contribute to escalation of wars.”
Shattering the narrative peddled by establishment media outlets about a publicly supported uprising of “moderate rebels” against the Assad regime, the Christian leaders thanked Syrian military forces as well. “We salute the courage, heroism and sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army which courageously protects Syria and provide security for its people,” they wrote. “We pray for the souls of the martyrs and the recovery of the wounded. We are confident that the army will not bow before the external or internal terrorist aggressions; they will continue to fight courageously against terrorism until every inch of the Syrian land is cleansed from terrorism. We, likewise, commend the brave stand of countries which are friendly to Syria and its people.”
Concluding their joint statement, which was completely ignored by the “mainstream” media in the United States, the Syrian Christian leaders offered some prayers. Among other issues they said they were praying for the safety, victory, and deliverance of Syria from all types of war and terror. They also offered prayers for peace in Syria and throughout the world. And finally, they called for strengthening efforts at “national reconciliation” for “the sake of protecting the country and preserving the dignity of all Syrians.” Most of the rebels are Sunni Islamists, while Syria’s government includes Shia Muslims, Christians, Sunnis, and various other minorities. Putting the nation back together is expected to be a herculean task.
Refugees from the Syrian conflict across the border in Turkey told The New American that virtually everyone in Syria not involved in the war against Assad wishes the U.S. government would stay out of the conflict. Millions of Syrians have fled across the border. An Italian journalist in Turkey who had made several trips into Syria from Lebanon also told this reporter that, in his conversations with everyday Syrians within the war-torn nation, it was clear that people preferred the Assad regime to the jihadist rebels seeking to overthrow it. The establishment media in the West, though, has done its best to conceal those uncomfortable truths from their audiences. Multiple Turkish sources expressed concerns about U.S. government support for communist terrorists in Syria, too.
The U.S. government knows the truth about the situation as well. In 2012, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency noted in a document seen by top officials, including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda were “the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria.” The report, which highlighted the support to the terrorist insurgents by Western and Sunni governments, also stated that one goal was to create a “Salafist principality” in Eastern Syria. With the emergence of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, they obviously succeeded. The DIA report and other documentation led President Trump to call Obama and Clinton the “co-founders of ISIS.”
As The New American and other sources have reported, the globalist-fueled jihad has worked to exterminate Shia Muslims, Christians, and other minorities from Syria. For years, the jihadists have prioritized murdering, converting, enslaving, pillaging, and even crucifying Christians, alongside their efforts to overthrow the government. More than a few observers have described what is happening as a “genocide” targeting Christians. And despite the lack of attention from the pro-intervention media, the U.S. government and its allies have played a key role in facilitating that — even arming, funding, and training the perpetrators.
For years, Trump argued against U.S. intervention in Syria, even ridiculing Obama and neocon warmongers for their efforts to get America further embroiled in the conflict. But twice since taking office, and without congressional approval, the Trump administration has launched U.S. missiles at Syrian military targets engaged in a war against ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other armed jihadists. As America’s Founding Fathers explained repeatedly, America ought to steer clear of foreign quarrels and uphold its own interests. The fiasco in the Middle East serves to confirm their wisdom.
Photo of patriarchs of Antioch: Wiaam97 via Wikimedia
Alex Newman, a foreign correspondent for The New American, is normally based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU or on Facebook. He can be reached at [email protected].
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