Patriarch Raee: The West destroys what was built by Christians , Muslims by supporting war in Syria

BEIRUT,(ST)_  Maronite Patriarch Mar Besharaal-Raee  expressed appreciation for Russia’s position as a church and as a state with regard to halting the war in Syria and the Middle East , warning that the West destroys what was built by Christians and Muslims by supporting  the war in Syria.

Al-Raee commended  during his meeting yesterday with a delegation representing  the Assembly of the Russian Orthodox Empire , the Russian – American agreement which avoided Syria a military strike and Pope Francis for his initiative to send a message to the Russian president at the St. Petersburg meeting and his  invitation  to the world to pray for peace.

“Western nations  support for the war in Syria by sending weapons would demolish what we built together , Muslims and Christians of joint  culture and civilization over 1400 years ,” the patriarch  said, calling on the West to stop inviting the Syrians to leave their land , declaring his opposition to the decision issued in this regard.

” We want them to continue in their own land , Muslims and Christians to maintain their common culture . You destroy homes , but do not destroy  culture ,” he demanded.

Patriarch Raee stressed that Christians in the Middle East need stability , not  war, adding,  “There is a Christian- Muslim culture  we hold together since 1400 years ago , but the international endeavor wants to show the world that we  can not live together as Muslims and Christians and  the  impossibility of understanding and coexistence between religions and cultures , ” adding that” this policy has succeeded in raising war between Muslims themselves ,  better say between moderates and extremists in the Middle East. “

For his part, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Beirut Alexander Saspkin said  : ” avoiding the  military strike against Syria opened  up new avenues for  a political settlement,  and we do not want to lose this opportunity,”  adding that they are currently working with the Americans and others to prepare the Geneva 2  Conference to find a new solution to the crisis .

” Talking  about the  Syrian future , it  must be pointed to the text of Geneva  statement , issued in June of last year , which has become a  UN document  and we draw the attention that consultations with the Syrians asserted that the Syrian future and aspirations of the people  are manifested in   that Syria is a unified state where there is no distinction  between the components of the society , which  guarantees rights to all segments of the Syrian society and this is the position of Russia, ” the Russian ambassador underscored.

In turn, the director of external relations and cultural exchanges in the Assembly Oleg Fumn praised the  patriarch ‘s  wise positions  in rejecting  foreign interference in the affairs of the region and Syria.

Fumn added that Lebanon and Syria are an example of coexistence between different religions bound together by ties of brotherhood and good neighbors , adding ” but in Russia we feel the negative impact of this situation with the growing extremist Salafist groups and their impact on Russian Muslims too”.

T. Fateh