Christians are builders of Syria's Civilization — Assad

Source: Fort Russ

President addresses young Syrian Catholics at the Saint Thomas Monastery

By Tom Winter | Jul 6, 2019

Assad with young Christians in the St Thomas monastery

By the editorial staff of the Italian portal Il Faro sul Mondo

The presence of Christians in the Middle East has always been a topic of debate and tension. In this regard, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said last Thursday that Christians in Syria have never been "strangers" in this land, but they have always been the builders of its civilization and bearers of its human message to the whole world alongside their Muslim brothers. The Syrian president made these remarks during a session of open dialogue for young Syrian Catholics at the San Tuma monastery in Sidnaya. The president was featured in their camp entitled My Hope Is In You that started on Tuesday at St. Tuma [St Thomas] Monastery in Sidnaya.

Assad: “Christian originality in Syria is necessary to increase moderation and enrich diversity … Christians throughout history have contributed, through their positions and patriotism, to foiling partition projects in the region and have sent a message to the enemies of Syria and supporters of terrorism that all their colonial projects are doomed to failure," said President al-Assad.

"The Arab identity is a civilized case, not an ethnic concept … Arab civilization accepts the fusion of all, but refuses the extinction of their historical identities and helps to maintain them … the targeting of Christianity aims to strike at the different religions, cultures and civilization," said President al-Assad.

Syrian Syriac Catholic youths, for their part, have said that their membership and adherence to their homeland, Syria, will not waver whatever the challenge or conditions, as they are children and original citizens in this homeland.

The young people raised a series of questions that covered different types of problems that emerged from the war, and many mechanisms have been proposed to activate their contributions in making Syria's future better.

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