Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
24 Aug 2012
Syria's civil war is now in danger of becoming an Islamic Jihad with Christians increasingly the target for out-of-control foreign militias," says the spiritual director to Sydney's 400-strong Syrian Catholic community. Afraid to give his name which could put his family in Syria at risk, he says communication with loved ones is now virtually impossible and the community has grave fears for their safety.
"Until two weeks ago I was able to reach my family via mobile phone. But the connection is now broken. It's the same with the internet. We no longer know the fate of those we love," he says.
In Homs, Qusair and other cities, Christians have been massacred, their churches burned and family members kidnapped for ransom by rebel militia jihadists.
A number of church leaders around the globe are on record saying Syria's revolution is being hi-jacked by extremist groups such as Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islam's even more hardline fundamentalists, the Salafists.
Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly called for peace in Syria but what began as a non-violent rebellion in March 2011 has descended into a bloodbath of horror with reports of appalling atrocities not only by President Assad's army but by rebel militias as well.
"My father's cousin has been shot and killed by jihadist rebels and my brother was recently captured and held for ransom," says Sydney's Syrian Catholic community's spiritual director.
The rebellion led by Syria's Sunni Muslim majority against President Assad's Muslim Alawite minority has become increasingly radicalised as foreign Islamic extremists infiltrate the freedom fighter armies or simply enter Syria as rag tag but well armed militias.
Although Christianity in Syria dates back 2000 years, 90% of Syria's population of 23 million today is made up of Muslims with Christians accounting for just 9% of which 500,000 are Catholics.
While Syria's initial protests were non-violent and sectarian with demands of freedom and democracy for all, the nation descended into chaos and violence as a result of Assad's brutal and merciless crackdown. Using his army against his own citizens, Assad's actions horrified the world.
But over the past year mercenaries from the Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Libya and Iraq have entered the country and changed demands for democracy to demands for Islamic rule and Sharia law. These militias are financed and armed in a large part by the Sunni regime of Saudia Arabia and are taking advantage of Syria's turmoil to create a jihadist Holy War against Assad's Alawite minority and the nation's Christians.
In the Hamidieh area of the country, all 138,000 Christians have been forced to flee to Damascus or Lebanon, or take refuge by hiding in the hills in the surrounding countryside, he says. In Homs, the Church of mar Elian is half destroyed and Our Lady of Peace Cathedral is occupied by rebels.
French priest, Father Philip Tournyol Clos, a Greek Catholic Melkite recently visited Syria calls Homs "the martyred city" and says fanatical Sunni extremists have turned the rebellion into a Holy War with Christians increasingly in danger.
In Aleppo and Damascus are now under relentless attack from both sides, Christians yet again being forced to flee.
"What we saw in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya is now happening in Syria with Muslim extremists determined taking over," says the spiritual director. "Two or three years ago Christians were forced to flee Iraq for the safety of Syria because their homes, businesses and churches were being bombed. Now the same thing is happening all over again and they are being forced to flee Syria as well."
He has no doubt that what is happening to Christians in Syria from the foreign jihadists is "ethnic cleansing" and militant Muslims want Christians purged from the Middle East.
For Sydney's Syrian community it is agonising to watching TV footage of Syrian violence and the escalating civil war which has claimed thousands of lives and left thousands more homeless.
"Two years ago everyone lived in peace and harmony whether they were Sunnis, Alawites or Christians. There were good schools and universities and compared to most other countries in the Middle East, Syria was doing well. We even had fibre optic cable and broadband. But now that has all gone. Schools have been bombed or have closed. Poverty has become common and for the first time in living memory in Syria, people are dying of hunger."
For those who manage to escape, life is difficult as Syrian Christians scramble to survive in the sprawling refugee camps of Jordan or try to find somewhere safe to live in Lebanon.
"In Jordan, Christians are being attacked in the refugee camps by the Sunnis who accuse Christians of being 'unbelievers.' While there is less danger of persecution, in Lebanon, life there is expensive and many who have been forced to flee, just don't have the money," he says.
Each week, Sydney's Syrian Catholic Community gather at St Mary's Catholic Church, Concord to pray for their families and for Syria's agony. Each week they also contribute funds to help those caught up in the civil war or in refugee camps.
"We send the money direct to the Church in Syria and in Lebanon to make sure it gets to the people who need the most help," he says.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
24 Aug 2012
Rebel fighters in Syria now include militias backed by Al Qaeda and Islam jihadists
"Until two weeks ago I was able to reach my family via mobile phone. But the connection is now broken. It's the same with the internet. We no longer know the fate of those we love," he says.
In Homs, Qusair and other cities, Christians have been massacred, their churches burned and family members kidnapped for ransom by rebel militia jihadists.
A number of church leaders around the globe are on record saying Syria's revolution is being hi-jacked by extremist groups such as Al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islam's even more hardline fundamentalists, the Salafists.
Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly called for peace in Syria but what began as a non-violent rebellion in March 2011 has descended into a bloodbath of horror with reports of appalling atrocities not only by President Assad's army but by rebel militias as well.
Sydney's Syrian community shocked at the devastation of their homeland
The rebellion led by Syria's Sunni Muslim majority against President Assad's Muslim Alawite minority has become increasingly radicalised as foreign Islamic extremists infiltrate the freedom fighter armies or simply enter Syria as rag tag but well armed militias.
Although Christianity in Syria dates back 2000 years, 90% of Syria's population of 23 million today is made up of Muslims with Christians accounting for just 9% of which 500,000 are Catholics.
While Syria's initial protests were non-violent and sectarian with demands of freedom and democracy for all, the nation descended into chaos and violence as a result of Assad's brutal and merciless crackdown. Using his army against his own citizens, Assad's actions horrified the world.
But over the past year mercenaries from the Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Libya and Iraq have entered the country and changed demands for democracy to demands for Islamic rule and Sharia law. These militias are financed and armed in a large part by the Sunni regime of Saudia Arabia and are taking advantage of Syria's turmoil to create a jihadist Holy War against Assad's Alawite minority and the nation's Christians.
Christian church bombed as violence in Syria escalates
French priest, Father Philip Tournyol Clos, a Greek Catholic Melkite recently visited Syria calls Homs "the martyred city" and says fanatical Sunni extremists have turned the rebellion into a Holy War with Christians increasingly in danger.
In Aleppo and Damascus are now under relentless attack from both sides, Christians yet again being forced to flee.
"What we saw in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya is now happening in Syria with Muslim extremists determined taking over," says the spiritual director. "Two or three years ago Christians were forced to flee Iraq for the safety of Syria because their homes, businesses and churches were being bombed. Now the same thing is happening all over again and they are being forced to flee Syria as well."
He has no doubt that what is happening to Christians in Syria from the foreign jihadists is "ethnic cleansing" and militant Muslims want Christians purged from the Middle East.
For Sydney's Syrian community it is agonising to watching TV footage of Syrian violence and the escalating civil war which has claimed thousands of lives and left thousands more homeless.
Civil War in Syria has led to persecution and slaughter of Christians
For those who manage to escape, life is difficult as Syrian Christians scramble to survive in the sprawling refugee camps of Jordan or try to find somewhere safe to live in Lebanon.
"In Jordan, Christians are being attacked in the refugee camps by the Sunnis who accuse Christians of being 'unbelievers.' While there is less danger of persecution, in Lebanon, life there is expensive and many who have been forced to flee, just don't have the money," he says.
Each week, Sydney's Syrian Catholic Community gather at St Mary's Catholic Church, Concord to pray for their families and for Syria's agony. Each week they also contribute funds to help those caught up in the civil war or in refugee camps.
"We send the money direct to the Church in Syria and in Lebanon to make sure it gets to the people who need the most help," he says.
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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