Alarming violence in Syria: Bishop calls for immediate measures!

Alarming violence in Syria: Bishop calls for immediate measures!

Bonn, Deutschland - The Syrian Archbishop Jacques Mourad has called for an urgently needed ban on all armed demonstrations in the middle of the recent outbreaks in Syria. At a meeting of the German Bishops' Conference in the Steinfeld monastery in the Eifel, Mourad said that such a ban could contribute to security and stability in the country characterized by conflicts. He also called for free presidential elections under UN supervision and a comprehensive constitutional reform in order to better represent and protect the diversity and rights of all citizens. Catholic news agency (KNA) also reported massive human rights violations, where, according to reports, more than 1,000 people were killed by the recent clashes between the government representatives and supporters of the fallen Paschhar al-Assad.

worldwide, the massacre on the Alawi -Minority and Christian Community causes horror. Bishop Georg Bätzing from the German Bishops' Conference determined the existential threat to the Christian minority in Syria and pointed out that the number of Christians has dropped from 1.5 million to only around 300,000 since the beginning of the civil war. Mourad, who was even kidnapped by jihadists in 2015, pointed out the need for a dialogue among all social groups in order to bring about peaceful solutions. He warned of the efforts of the new government to implement Sharia as the basis of new laws and instead pleaded for a respectful representation of all faiths.

international concern is growing

The Situation is still tense, which is reinforced by the current reports on massacres and the politics of the new rulers. According to KNA, there is growing discomfort about the political steps of the new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who often emphasizes dialogue in his speeches, but does little in practice to guarantee promised rights. Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz feared that the words of the new government will remain "empty talk", while brutal measures are progressing against the Alawites and other minorities. This gives the fear that the religious and cultural heritage of Syria will continue to be threatened, unless effective measures are taken to protect all citizens, Domradio.de reported.