Voice of America News reports: “Syria’s Christians dread the upsurge
of radical Islamic fundamentalism among rebels battling to oust
President Bashar al-Assad, concerned that the Syrian civil war could
spell the doom of Christianity in their country.
But some critics say Christian leaders made a fatal error in siding against the rebellion.
From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have lived and worshipped in Syria. But the two-and-a-half year civil war has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and Christians worry there will be an even greater exodus.
Their biggest concern is an eventual rebel victory. They point to what happened in neighboring Iraq where sectarian killings, persecution of Christians and an increasingly Islamist political culture, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, forced more than half of the Iraqi Christian population to flee.
Jihadists and hardline Islamists among the rebels have targeted Christians in rebel-held areas. Many of the Christian refugees arriving in Lebanon are traumatized, said Najla Chahda of the Catholic relief agency…
Stories have included forced conversion to Islam and churches being desecrated in this vicious sectarian conflict. Several clergy have been abducted, including two bishops, and in villages in Homs province Christians have been forced from their homes and farms.
The attacks and kidnappings have increased Christian dread of what would happen if the rebels win. This fear is helping the Assad regime, made up mostly of Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shia Islam, to retain the support of many Christians. Most of the rebels are Sunni Muslims.
Syrian Christians feel they have had no choice but to back President al-Assad, she said…”
Read, more.
But some critics say Christian leaders made a fatal error in siding against the rebellion.
From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians have lived and worshipped in Syria. But the two-and-a-half year civil war has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, and Christians worry there will be an even greater exodus.
Their biggest concern is an eventual rebel victory. They point to what happened in neighboring Iraq where sectarian killings, persecution of Christians and an increasingly Islamist political culture, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, forced more than half of the Iraqi Christian population to flee.
Jihadists and hardline Islamists among the rebels have targeted Christians in rebel-held areas. Many of the Christian refugees arriving in Lebanon are traumatized, said Najla Chahda of the Catholic relief agency…
Stories have included forced conversion to Islam and churches being desecrated in this vicious sectarian conflict. Several clergy have been abducted, including two bishops, and in villages in Homs province Christians have been forced from their homes and farms.
The attacks and kidnappings have increased Christian dread of what would happen if the rebels win. This fear is helping the Assad regime, made up mostly of Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shia Islam, to retain the support of many Christians. Most of the rebels are Sunni Muslims.
Syrian Christians feel they have had no choice but to back President al-Assad, she said…”
Read, more.
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