“Syria is the victim of a conspiracy,” the
Catholic archbishop Hilarion Capucci said.
In an announcement made in
Arabic, the prelate stated that there is a conspiracy taking place in Syria to
weaken the country’s position in the region and on the international
front.
The conspirators, according to Archbishop Capucci, wish to alter
Syria’s status quo to implement their subversive plan and create what
they call a “New Middle East”, based on the creation of small nations
characterized by strong tensions and divisions, in order to make it
easier for the United States and Israel to acquire their national
resources, particularly oil.
Monsignor Capucci, a Middle-Eastern
Catholic bishop, not of Latin rite but of Greek-Melkite rite, lives in
exile in Syria following strong disagreements with the Israeli
authorities.
On April 7, 2002 he caused a tremendous outcry
with his defense of suicide bombers in a speech he gave in Rome from the
stage of a pro-Palestinian protest parade organized by the extreme
left.
“Greetings to the sons of the intifada and to the martyrs who go
and fight as if they were going to a party. We want our land, or we will
die with dignity. Intifada till victory,” said the archbishop.
“L’Osservatore Romano” did not report the words of Monsignor Capucci,
who was sentenced to twelve years in prison in 1974 by an Israeli Court,
for having smuggled weapons to Palestinians.
Three years later he was
freed thanks to the pressure of the Vatican and pardoned by intercession
of Pope Paul VI.
On February 2009, 87 years old, the
“keafiah-wearing bishop” was stopped by Israeli authorities, just off
the coast of Gaza, on board a ship carrying humanitarian aid.
Monsignor Capucci’s statement to the media was
divulged at the climax of the clashes triggered in Syria by those who,
according to official sources, describe as armed terrorist groups,
accused of attacking civilians in various cities, government buildings,
police stations, and laying waste to private properties.
On “AsiaNews”
Gregorio III Laham, Melkite patriarch of Damascus had already rang the
alarm bell: the riots and violence in Syria are a source of great
concern for the Christian Churches of the Country.
“There’s a great
danger that in the future all this will only produce mayhem, or Islamic
fundamentalist governments that will leave to Christians the only choice
of emigrating abroad,” says Gregorio III Laham, Melkite Patriarch of
Antioch and the Orient.
“All the movements and rebellions that are
shaking Syria are unnerving to the Church and Christians," he added.
Not so much in terms of the present, but in terms
of the future and what is to come. In the past, after every rebellion,
in the Middle East there’s always been a great emigration of Christians
to Europe, America or Australia.”
His Beatitude is also afraid that,
“the same thing will happen now, leaving an even greater void within the
Christian communities. Even some Islamic figures are worried about a
possible emigration of Christians from Syria and they ask that their
presence is protected.”
In addition, “The future is very uncertain and
nobody knows where it’s headed and who these rebels are. A lot of them,
of course, are frustrated youths, but many say that among them there
are also criminals and Islamic extremists calling for jihad. For this
reason, we are afraid that this will only leave room for violence and
chaos will ensue. I believe that the war tactic of obsolescence is being used against Syria.”
Thus,
“there are political problems and pressure to shake the balance of the
Middle East: Syria’s alliance with Iran, the uneasiness of Israel... In
everything that is happening in the Middle East there’s always a link
with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: crises, wars, emigration."
For 62 years now, Gregorio III Laham pointed out,
“We have been in this situation: this is why I sent the letter to the
European and American governments inviting them to pressure their
governments to treat the Israeli-Palestinian issue as a priority: this
is the only way to reduce emigration, terrorism, fundamentalism and
violence.” Peace is “important also for the future of the
Islamic-Christian dialogue in Syria and in the world. If the crisis
continues to force Christians to emigrate, the Arab world becomes only
Islamism and a potential cultural clash between the Arab-Islamic world
and Western-Christian world.”
The presence of Christians in the Middle-East
“saves the Arabian nature of the Middle East by preventing it from
becoming solely Islamic: if Syria is helped to overcome this chaotic
situation, moving towards a guaranteed dialogue with the population, the
future will be better for everyone.”
The critical issue is whether
Assad’s family is something positive for Syria or not.
“In these past 40
years, Syria made giant steps in agriculture, economy, education,
including higher education at the University level, producing many jobs.
There’s been less development on the socio-political aspects, but
people’s everyday life improved significantly,” the Melkite Patriarch of
Antioch and the Orient states, “ There has even been a great deal of progress
with regards to the freedom of religion issue. I was able to organize –
with the sponsorship of the Government – an international meeting on
the fruits of the Middle Eastern Synod attended by at least 3500
important figures, four patriarchs and 13 Churches.”
In as far as
political reforms are concerned, it must be kept in mind that “except for Lebanon there are no democratic states in
the Arab Middle East. There are parties and elections, but the
governments try to exercise full control over society. In many cases,
this is in fact necessary.”