Christians In Middle East Oppose Syria Strike, Military Intervention

[SherriMunnerlyn]

Christians In Middle East Oppose Syria Strike, Military Intervention

NEW YORK (RNS) As the Obama administration considers a strike in response to recent chemical attacks, the head of a global evangelical group said Wednesday (Sept. 4) that Christians in the Middle East oppose military intervention in Syria.“There is major consensus amongst the Christian leaders in this region that any military intervention would have a detrimental effect … on Christians in Syria,” wrote Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general/CEO of World Evangelical Alliance, in a letter to the State Department, the White House and the United Nation’s Security Council. Christians In Middle East Oppose Syria Strike, Military Intervention. Here is evidence of how the Christians of the Middle East view proposed US Military strikes in Syria and how they see such strikes as detrimental on Christians in Syria.

 

[waltky]

Danger Will Robinson, Danger! - The jihadis are coming! The jihadis are coming!...

Syrian rebels try to overrun Christian village
Sep 5,`13 -- The sound of artillery reverberated Thursday through a predominantly Christian village north of Damascus as government troops and al-Qaida-linked rebels battled for control of the mountainside sanctuary.

The hit-and-run attacks on the ancient village of Maaloula, one of the few places in the world where residents still speak Aramaic, highlighted fears among Syria's religious minorities about the growing role of extremists among those fighting in the civil war to topple President Bashar Assad's regime. The fighting came as President Barack Obama's administration pressed the U.S. Congress for its authorization of a military strike against the Assad regime, while the president arrived at a G-20 summit in Russia expected to be overshadowed by Syria.

The fighting in Maaloula, a scenic village of about 3,300 perched high in the mountains, began early Wednesday when militants from Jabhat al-Nusra stormed in after a suicide bomber struck an army checkpoint guarding the entrance. The group - listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department - is one of the most effective fighting forces among Syrian rebels. The suicide attack triggered battles that terrorized residents in the village, famous for two of the oldest surviving monasteries in Syria - Mar Sarkis and Mar Takla.

A Free Syrian army fighter during clashes with government forces, unseen, in Maaloula, western Syria. Syrian government troops battled al-Qaida-linked rebels over a regime-held Christian village in western Syria for the second day Thursday, as world leaders gathered in Russia for an economic summit expected to be overshadowed by the prospect of U.S.-led strikes against the Damascus regime. Residents of Maaloula said the militants entered the village

Online video showed rebels in the streets, some firing truck-mounted heavy machine guns in the direction of the surrounding mountains. The video appeared authentic and matched Associated Press reporting on the fighting. Residents said Wednesday the rebels took over the mountaintop Safir hotel and were firing in the direction of the community below. Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that despite a heavy army presence in the village, the rebels staged hit-and-run attacks, at one point patrolling the streets on foot and in vehicles, and briefly surrounding a church and a mosque before leaving early Thursday.

Heavy fighting around the village, which is on a UNESCO list of tentative world heritage sites - continued throughout the day, and heavy artillery echoed in the village. "The stones are shaking," said a nun at the Mar Takla monastery. "We don't know if the rebels have left or not, nobody dares go out." Frightened residents expected the militants to return to the Safir hotel, she said, adding: "It's their home now." She spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

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[tinydancer]

If I was a Christian in Syria I'd be backing Assad over AQ.

It's a no brainer.

 

[Katzndogz]

Christians afraid of being murdered is not likely to move obama. It's what he wants.

 

[Wehrwolfen]

7/7/2011

In late May, International Christian Concern, an evangelical ministry to the persecuted church, released to Christianity Today an anonymous open letter from a "trusted Syrian source" that explains why many Syrian Christians support Assad's regime. The two-page letter calls for help from the larger Christian community. It says in part:

• "Christian service has flourished remarkably in Syria. We regard Syria as a model Arab country when it comes to freedom of worship."

• Radical Muslim groups are "responsible for the disturbance" in the country. "Christians are the first to be persecuted when we talk about governmental change."

• "We are seeking [Christians'] help to prevent what happened in Iraq and Egypt from happening in Syria. Christian service in Syria is in danger now."

[Excerpt]

Read more:
Syria's Christians Back Assad | Christianity Today

As with the persecution of Christians in Egypt many Christians are now being persecuted and killed in Syria. At least under Assad they lived in peace. The group(s) Obama wants to support have alliances with known terrorist groups.