Patriarch Yazigi Urges Terrorism Supporters to Let Peoples of the Region Live in Peace

NEW YORK, (ST)-Patriarch Youhanna X Yazigi has urged supporters of terrorism in Syria and the Middle East to let peoples of the region live in peace.

 “Let our people live…Let Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine live in peace..Our kids are being killed by bombs sent from abroad…Keep our children away from being brainwashed by extremist ideologies,” said the patriarch in an appeal he made after the thanksgiving prayers he presided over at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York.

“The East, the beacon of the world, is now suffering and instead of hearing peace calls we hear the drums of war. We hope our calls be heard by all human beings…Let our children witness efforts to attain peace. They don’t need warships or boats moving them to abroad… They want to know about the wonderful aspects of the East not about terrorism and takfirism,”” Yazigi added.

Patriarch Yazigi, condemned the silence of the international community towards the case of the two Syrian bishops, Yohanna Ibrahim, the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo and Boulos Yazigi, the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo, who were kidnapped last year by armed terrorist groups. He described this silence as a shame.

The patriarch urged the United States to be in harmony with its history as the first country to lunch the slogan of protecting “people’s right to self determination”.

He affirmed that the Christian culture in the East will continue despite catastrophes in Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon.

Hamda Mustafa