The situation in Syria continues to become more dire by the day, especially for the Christian communities, who are under assault from all sides.
Russia Today has an article on the deteriorating situation here.
Category Archives: Massacres
Syrian Rebels Threaten Christian Towns
Thanks to Bill Samsonoff, who posts excellent articles regarding Orthodox Christianity with great regularity. I thank him for his efforts:
Rebels have threatened to storm two predominantly Christian towns in
central Syria, saying regime forces are using them to attack nearby
areas, an activist group said Saturday.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that one
rebel group has issued an ultimatum to the towns of Mahrada and
Sqailbiyeh in the province of Hama.Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Observatory, said some Christians and
Alawis have also left Hama province in the past several days to escape
violence. He said some of them found shelter in the coastal city of Tartus.A video released by rebels showed Rashid Abul-Fidaa, who identified
himself as the Hama commander of the Ansar Brigade, calls on residents
to “evict” regime forces or be attacked.“Assad’s gangs in the cities are shelling our villages with mortars and
rockets destroying our homes, killing our children and displacing our
people,” said Abdul-Fidaa, who wore an Islamic headband and was
surrounded by gunmen. “You should perform your duty by evicting Assad’s
gangs,” he said. “Otherwise our warriors will storm the hideouts of the
Assad gangs.”He accused regime forces of taking positions in the two towns in order
to “incite sectarian strife” between Christians and the predominantly
Sunni opposition. Assad belongs to the Alawi minority sect, an off-shoot
of Shiite Islam.Mahrada was the hometown of Ignatius Hazim, the former Patriarch of the
Damascus-based Eastern Orthodox Church who passed away on December 5 at
the age of 92.Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Syria’s population, say they
are particularly vulnerable to the violence sweeping the country of 22
million people. They are fearful that Syria will become another Iraq,
with Christians caught in the crossfire between rival Islamic groups.The conflict started 21 months ago as an uprising against Assad, whose
family has ruled the country for four decades. It quickly morphed into a
civil war, with rebels taking up arms to fight back against a bloody
crackdown by the government. According to activists, more than 40,000
people have been killed since March 2011.Clashes between troops and rebels in the central city of Homs, Syria’s
third largest, have already displaced tens of thousands of Christians,
most of whom either fled to the relatively safe coastal areas or to
neighboring Lebanon.The new Eastern Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna Yaziji, who replaced Hazim,
told reporters in the capital Damascus Saturday that the church is
“deeply-rooted in Syria.” He added that Christians in Syria are not part
of the conflict and will continue to coexist with people of the region
urging rival Syrian factions to negotiate a settlement through dialogue.“We are staying here and this is our land,” he said.
Russia’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said that Damascus has
consolidated its chemical weapons into one or two locations to protect
them from a rebel onslaught.US intelligence officials have said the regime may be readying chemical
weapons and could be desperate enough to use them, while also expressing
concerns they could fall into militant hands if the regime crumbles.http://presstv.com/detail/2012/12/24/279823/threats-against-syrian-christians-rapped/
OIC censures anti-Syria rebels’ threats against Christians
The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned
threats made by foreign-sponsored militants against two Syrian Christian
towns, warning of a fresh wave of violence in the country.“Such threats are contrary to the precepts of Islam which calls for
tolerance, brotherhood and peace,” the 57-member body said in a
statement on Sunday, AFP reported.In a video message released on Saturday, Syrian armed groups threatened
to attack Mharda and Sqilbiya towns in the central province of Hama if
the residents do not expel government forces.The OIC warned against the risks of “a slide into confessional conflict.”
Rashid Abul Fida, the head of the al-Ansar Brigade in Hama, made the threat.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people,
including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the
violence.A recent UN report has revealed that militants from 29 countries have so
far infiltrated into Syria to fight against the Damascus government,
most of whom are extremist Salafists.The Syrian government says certain Western states, especially the United
States, and their regional allies are fueling the unrest.
Egypt’s New Constitution Gives Coptic Christians a Bleak and Unstable Future
Egypt’s Coptic community have suffered terribly under the current regime, though life wasn’t exactly pleasant under Hosni Mubarak or Anwar Sadat.
Aina has more on the Copt’s plight here.
(ROCOR) Statement by the Synod of Bishops
NEW YORK: December 14, 2012 Statement by the Synod of Bishops Recently the Russian media has reported that the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, spoke out on the matter of the mausoleum containing the mummified body of Lenin.
The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia completely rejects the form in which his thoughts are being reported now, and the conclusions expressed in loud headlines. Brief news items which ignore details can completely distort the truth.
According to the transcript posted on the website of Russian President, Vladimir Putin responded to a statement made by a “trusted individual” in which Russian television was harshly criticized. Mr. Putin admitted that there is a problem, and noted the “loss of certain guideposts.” Expecting attacks from “colleagues on the left,” and referring to the “code of the builder of communism,” he further pointed out that communists had borrowed liberally from “traditional world religions” : concepts were “borrowed from them,” “tradition was usurped,” and in fact, this was done “competently, in accordance with the standards of that time.”
Those times were terrible, of course, times when blood flowed freely.
Essentially, the president emphasized the thievery and deceit which accompanied the communist approach to human life, and we believe that this should be interpreted as their policy of confiscation. Still, a proper assessment of the matter in open discussion was absent, and the possibility presented itself to ignore the intended meaning of certain concepts, and so to improperly introduce absolutely opposite meanings. And so arose the pretext to state that Mr. Putin ostensibly “compared” the uncorrupt relics of the Saints (and consequently of their way of life) with the mummified body of the main “builder of communism” whose criminal acts cost the peoples of the former Russian Empire millions of lives.
A confused discussion thereby commenced on the matter of “returning to our roots” (which roots?), to “address education,” “including the teaching of patriotism on our traditional foundations.” What concrete “traditions,” what kind of “patriotism”is this intended to mean? These are questions that disturb many of our compatriots not only in Russia, but also Russians living abroad, not least of whom are our faithful believers.
The difference is clear. Believers, of course, do not go to “view” the relics of Saints (especially since they are usually under cover), no, they go to pray to God, and Mr Putin is quite aware of the living presence of the Saints in the mind of the Church and of society, which is different than that of the communist world view. We deem it impossible to ascribe to the Russian President a “comparison” between the Saints of the Kievan Caves and Lenin.
One cannot but be disappointed at the misinterpretation of the very moral “guideposts” being discussed. The reaction of a segment of society, though vague, still evidences sensitivity, and should be instructive for us. To wit: the extended, tedious confusion in the discussion of genuine Russian spiritual traditions, as we can see, is no accident. In evidence is the lack of clear moral judgment of the regime which suppressed human individuality for decades . This has had a lethal effect on the life of the people f or over two decades , and it continues to spiritually destroy Rus? We cannot achieve the genuine renewal and rebirth of the people and the country without an honest appraisal of the past.
Equating of the Cross of our Lord with the militantly-atheistic red star cannot be justified. Attempts to hold on to the latter will not lead our people onto the bright path of vibrant fruitfulness. Therefore, as one of many small steps, we recently supported an initiative (a request by the Investigative Commission of the Russian Federation) to make a conclusive analysis of the actions of Lenin. A profound comprehension of the meaning of Russian history is needed for the sake of absolving her future path of the consequences of deceit and false substitutions.
+ Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad.
+Mark, Archbishop of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain Diocese. First Deputy of the President of the Synod of Bishops.
+Gabriel, Archbishop of Montreal and Canada.
+Peter Bishop of Cleveland, Administrator of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America.
Temporary members: +George, Bishop George of Mayfield, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York
+Jerome Bishop of Manhattan, Vicar Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern America and New York, Deputy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops
+Kyrill Archbishop of San Francisco and Western American Diocese. Second Deputy of the President of the Synod of Bishops. Secretary of the Synod of Bishops.
December 11, 2012
Special thanks to: Presbyter John Whiteford St. Jonah Orthodox Church
Parish Home Page: http://www.saintjonah.org/
ROCOR Discussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodox-rocor/
Parish News: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saintjonah/
Blog: http://fatherjohn.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frjohnwhiteford
“This is the cause of all evils: the ignorance of the Scriptures. We go into battle without arms, and how ought we to come off safe?” -St. John Chrysostom, Homily IX on Colossians.
Row after Putin compares Lenin body to holy relics
Unbelievable. Russian President Vladimir Putin has a way of sticking his foot in his mouth now and again, but this gaffe is both atrocious and blasphemous. Comparing a butcher of Orthodox Christians to the Saints has to be one of the most wicked blunders in recent memory, and considering this is Russian politics we’re talking about, that’s saying quite a lot.
Communiqué on the resurgence of Violence spreading throughout the World
Thanks to Fr. David-Constantine Wright, who originally posted this:
The Ecumenical Patriarchate expresses profound concern about the resurgence of violence currently spreading throughout the world. From America to Africa and throughout Europe and Asia, continents are confronted with the phenomenon of intolerance that not only undermines world stability and peace, but also constitutes a denial of human dignity. Racial murders, genocide, ethnic cleansing, anti-semitism, destruction of places of worship etc, constitute barbaric acts that must be denounced publicly, particularly when they are masked with the veil of religion in an effort to justify them.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate is particularly concerned about the situations in the Middle East, as well as in Nigeria and Sudan. Clashes between Christians and Muslims in these parts of the world must be overcome by promoting love for one’s neighbor as the peaceful expression of the bond uniting every human being. Furthermore, the Ecumenical Patriarchate is deeply concerned about the future of the people of Syria, as well as for the future of Christianity in that country. Therefore, we are calling on all parties involved in this conflict to lay down their weapons, especially given the urgency of the humanitarian situation.
The solution to such conflicts requires dialogue above all else. Dialogue constitutes more than merely a better understanding or toleration of our differences, indeed, dialogue is the essence of reconciliation and transformation. Therefore, religious leaders should be working together, through dialogue, to affirm God’s peace in the world. We, as religious leaders, have a moral obligation to resist war and promote peace as a vital and fundamental necessity for all humanity. Religion cannot and should never be a basis for war and conflict, nor should it be used as an instrument of fundamentalism and fanaticism for purely political motives and ends. With great resolve, we have repeatedly emphasized that any crime in the name of religion is a crime against religion. In this respect, dialogue is the only hope for attaining peace.
Finally, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Ecumenical Patriarchate express their solidarity with and compassion to all communities affected by violence, addressing a fervent appeal to all autocephalous Orthodox Churches, all Christian Churches and religious communities, as well as to international organizations and states, as well as every person of good will, to contribute to the triumph of peace over war and hatred.
At the Ecumenical Patriarchate, August 14, 2012
The Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod
In one of Turkey’s most religiously diverse provinces, close ties with Syria fuel support for Assad regime
I have great sympathy for my Christian brothers in the Middle East. They have suffered under the hands of evil tyrants and radical mobs for centuries. Still, they have bet on a losing horse in a situation they cannot win. Bashar al-Assad, son of one of the most ruthless leaders the Arabian peninsula has ever known, has begun making a name for himself by going on a slaughtering spree that will only agitate his enemies until he meets his demise in the same manner os Muammar Ghaddafi in Libya. Assad was the only ‘guarantor’ of protection for Syrian Christians in the same way as Saddam Hussein was in Iraq and Hosni Mubarak was in Egypt. In other words, they were pawns to be threatened with extermination if they didn’t toe the party line. What evil our brothers must endure.
HT: PRI.org.