First came the news, few days ago, that Putin was abandoning Assad; then came a tweet, yesterday, from the U.S. Embassy in Syria accusing Assad of assisting ISIS in Aleppo.
Could the two be related? Could Putin’s FSB (Federal Security Service) have had enough of Assad promoting the terror of Islamists for his own benefit regardless whether it would harm Syria’s Christians in the long run? Secularism, after all, boasts no allegiance to any religious groups.
How dangerous Assad and Iran are to Syria’s Christians in light of these developments? Would you say their vocal support of the Levant’s Christians is just a way to neutralize its followers as Iran forges ahead with expanding its influence of terror across the region? We all know what awaits Syria’s Christians if ISIS wins, but what would happen to Syria’s Christians when eventually Iran accomplishes its goals of controlling Arab Sunnis.
Why would Assad help ISIS if his regime really took the safety of Syria’s Christians seriously? And what the hell Syria’s Christians, especially those fighting along his side, doing there? Who would sharpen the knife of their own butcher?
How dangerous Assad and Iran are to Syria’s Christians? The danger to the Greek Orthodox, Syriac, Armenian, and the Eastern Catholic followers in Syria cannot be underestimated as long as Assad and Iran remain in power. Is this why Putin is bolting? After all, he is not known to be a man who would quit on his allies so easily.
How dangerous Assad and Iran are to Syria’s Christians? Eventually the policies of both regimes of terror in fostering, supporting, and protecting ISIS would affect more the Christians of Syria than the turban-wearing Mullahs in Iran sipping tea comfortably in their secure homes.
How dangerous Assad and Iran are to Syria’s Christians? The collective churches of Syria’s Christians must issue a press release condemning Assad’s barrel bombs that are helping ISIS. Such a release would have double impact.
First, by disassociating the Christians from the indiscriminate terror policies of Assad in targeting civilians, and second, by sending a signal to the Assad regime and the nasty Alawites behind this reckless ISIS policy that Syria’s Christians would not allow Assad and Iran to drag their communities down with them.
The safety and prosperity of Syria’s Christian communities are essential to Syria’s long-term survival. Securing their safety by ignoring those who are compromising the safety and security of other Syrians is a sure formula for disaster no matter what argument one makes. This is how dangerous Assad and Iran are to Syria’s Christians when defending them is commensurate with defending ISIS.
For the Syrian moderate Muslim community (And we are many), protecting Syria’s Christians from the affliction of terror is tantamount to protecting Syria from any harm. Without the Christian faith, industriousness, natural peaceful tendencies, and an extraordinary ability to live and let others live, Syria is just another barren desert country struggling to find its economic and social happiness.
It is time to take a stand against the Assad ISIS-empowering regime and in support of Syria’s civilian population. We call on all of Syria’s Christian Ecumenical leadership to issue a statement in support of Syria’s civilian population Assad is massacring with abandon.
This would go a long way in opening a dialogue with countries like Saudi Arabia determined to bring the Assad regime down, and commit to a peaceful Syria the way the Saudis committed to a peaceful Lebanon with Hariri’s help.
How Dangerous Assad and Iran Are to Syria’s Christians?
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