Christians fleeing from Syria
Mission East supports all refugees irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation, but during my last visit I mainly concentrated on circa 8,000 Christian refugees from Syria who have been driven out of their home towns. Among those refugees are Armenians from the historic town of Kessab that in March was stormed by radical rebel groups. In Syria, the Christian Armenians make up an ethnic and religious minority that for many years have lived peacefully in their towns and villages in Syria. At this time, however, they are being driven away from their homes.
In Syria, the Christians are subject to persecution and atrocities because of their faith. “We help them as well as we can, but we need outside support,” says the Armenian bishop of Lebanon.
Please spend a few minutes and read the story about the people helping the refugees from Syria, as well as eyewitness accounts from the refugees themselves.
Kim Hartzner, MD, Managing Director
President Paul Haidostian of Haigazian University in Beirut: ’Lately, the Christians, being a minority, have felt increasingly under pressure from radical groups. The international community was mesmerized by the movements in the Arab world and the hope for democracy. Things looked good on television, but the reality is different to the Christian minorities in the Middle East who increasingly come under pressure. The most dangerous thing is not that we lose hope and that many Christians are being driven out of their home towns. The worst thing is that these changes are irreversible. The Christians are being driven away forever. We have seen this happening in Iraq and now in Syria, and some Christians think it is their destiny, that they need to suffer. But the tragic thing is that the Christians forever are driven away from the areas where they have lived for centuries. In order for us to survive we need to stand together, Christian churches, schools, aid organisations, clinics, so that we can maintain our networks and ensure our survival. If we are driven away, we will be spread all over the world, and this will mean the end of the Christian identity in the countries that formed the cradle of Christianity. We do not wish for the Christians to be driven out of their historic lands.’
