CHRISTIAN MILITIAS KILLING MUSLIMS IN SYRIA

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Stewart Rice
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CHRISTIAN MILITIAS KILLING MUSLIMS IN SYRIA By Hadrian Mâr Élijah Bar Israël Originally published by the Zeitoun News Agency (ZNA) Violating the Commandment not to Kill, and refusing to flee, As more

1 CHRISTIAN MILITIAS KILLING MUSLIMS IN SYRIA By Hadrian Mâr Élijah Bar Israël Originally published by the Zeitoun News Agency (ZNA) Violating the Commandment not to Kill, and refusing to flee, As more Syriac Christians die fighting for Assad s regime, the community is being drawn into the battle more and more. A damaged church in Maaloula v illage, northeast of Damascus in Syria. The recapturing of Maaloula and Yabroud both areas with large Christian populations close to the Lebanese border was crucial in prev enting opposition forces from mov ing weapons and supplies between Syria and Lebanon. Photograph: AP Photo/SANA A recent article by Stephen Starr at the Irish Times says, Christian militias have been fighting on the side of the Syrian government since 2012, fearing an onslaught from the jihadi groups that emerged from the instability that accompanied the 2011 revolution. The Times continues, Christian neighbourhoods, particularly in governmentcontrolled Damascus and Aleppo, are subjected to months-long shelling campaigns from rebel forces occupying territory on the cities outskirts. Many say the regime intentionally attacks rebels from positions inside Christian

2 districts to provoke rebel counterattacks and draw Christians further into the conflict. The Patriarch of Antioch, His Holiness Aphrem II and the Syriac Orthodox Church synod of bishops posing with President Assad in 2015 at the Presidental Palace in Damascus. Sari a young resident of Saidnaya in northern Syria admits that he and his Christian militia, armed by the Assad regime stopped them and we killed them, he says, we made Saiydna safe. There is only one bishop who knows many of these young people well, and has been counselling them not to participate in the conflict, His Excllency, Hadrian Mâr Élijah Bar Israël, whose official title is the Nazarani Metropolitan. Sadly he is not affiliated with the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, has spent a great deal of time in the past year documenting the activities of the Syriac militias and the young Christians who have been drawn into the fighting. Mâr Élijah says, I have done this in order to both discourage them dying, and to preserve the church in the long term, since it is unlikely that the situation 2

3 on the ground in Syria is actually sustainable in the long term, as long as foreign regimes continue to fund ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the region. Recent advances by ISIS in Iraq and in southern Syria do seem to point to the fact that his assessment may turn out to be true in the long term. Earlier to-day he wrote me with the following message, peppered with biblical citations intended to prove his point that violence is not a Christian value: The Biblical Teaching Against Killing, and Participation in War can be summed up by a Few Short Verses from the Old and New Testaments and an even shorter commentary from the early church fathers. The 8th Commandment is Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Romans 13:9). Jesus Himself says that this Commandment, and the nine others which Moses brought down from Mount Sinai are still binding and effective on all of His followers; that " not one yod, not one stroke of the Law shall pass". (Matthew 5:17-18*) They are spending money arming their youth, when instead they should be spending it on resettlement in safe havens that will accept them. Instead of killing, instead of taking up arms, an instead of participating in wars, Jesus tells us to flee those who persecute us "When they persecute you, flee from this city and go to another, for truly I say to you that you will not see all of the cities of the House of Israel before the Son of Man returns." (Matthew 10:23 *) This is the best advice that can be given to the Christian children and young people of Syria now. The advice of Christ Himself, and this is the message which the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch should be giving, but clearly isn t. Communicating with them over Skype, and reading their writings on Facebook and in private chats, I have come to learn that the people involved in these Syrian militias are for the most part angry, scared, confused young people, being misled by others who do not have their best interests at heart, and are leading them down an irreparable path of destruction. The almost ninehundred pages of such conversations which I have managed to gather together containing their writings and ranting demonstrate this fact clearly. Their desire for revenge and their fear and anger however, run contrary to Saint Paul s saying, Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in 3

4 the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all. (Romans 12:14 KJ21) "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." (Romans 12:19-20 NIV) In the conversation I had with one of these young men told me to fuck off, and said that I didn t understand what was actually going on, because I do not live there, so I couldn t possibly understand him or his families strife. I found out the next day that he actually lives in a quaint Alpine village in Switzerland and is a European convert; meaning that the hate is spreading even among Europeans. He has since left to go to Syria to join the fight against Jihadists. One seventeen year old boy texted to my phone I kill Jihadists!!!!! BEFORE THEY KILL ME!!!! In fact, what they are doing in Syria is not pleasing unto God at all, for YAH (YHVH) Himself says that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his ways and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! (Ezekiel 33:11). So why are they doing it? Because they have allowed the Muslims to control them, to control their destinies, to destroy their church and their homelands, by stubbornly refusing to give up the things of this world and instead to follow the commands of God. And for this they will loose everything. Jesus gave a stern warning to "Return the sword to its place for all of them who take up the sword, will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:51-52*, and see also: John 18:10) The very fact that Syriac Christians composed only a small ten per cent (10%) of the total population of Syria before the fighting began, means that the numbers are against them. Like it or not, they cannot win out in the long run by any means other than those commanded of them by Christ, which is to flee the region, get support and regroup once it is safe to return. Of course they justify their actions, by the blessings of their priesthood and the moral and spiritual inaction of their bishops and even their Patriarch who encourage them to continue to fight rather than deny their blessing and demand instead that they follow the Bible, the teachings of Jesus and a life of the men of peace. The idea that breaking the Commandment not to kill can be justified was opposed by Aristeides, Arnobis (300 A.D.), Clement of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage (250 A.D.), Irenæus (180 A.D.), Justin Martyr (150 A.D.), 4

5 Justinus (150 A.D.), Lactantius (300 A.D.), Lucifer bishop of Calaris (291 A.D.), Origen (240 A.D.), and Tertullian, (to name only a few) all agree that participating in war is not a Christian value and should always be opposed. In fact, there is not even one voice from the fathers of the early church opposing the idea that killing is wrong, until the reign of the Emperor Constantine. It is not a legitimate tradition of the Syriac Orthodox Church, to kill. Even during the time of the Crusades Syriac Christians did not take up arms against the invaders (Christian or Mulsim)! SOURCES: Stephen Starr, Christian Militias Lend Muscle to Syrian Regime in Ongoing Battle Againt Rebels, Irish Times, published Wed, Jul 9, 2014, 01:00, retrieved from east/christianmilitias- lend- muscle- to- syrian- regime- in- ongoing- battle- against- rebels

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Omnibus Poll April 29-30, 2013

Omnibus Poll April 29-30, 2013 1. How much have you heard about the ongoing violence in Syria? Heard a lot 34% 43% 27% 22% 25% 38% 55% 27% 38% 37% 37% 17% Heard a little 48% 46% 49% 56% 48% 47% 38% 50% 45% 48% 47% 51% all 18% 11% 25%