By Crux
Doreen Abi Raad
Amid deadly protests in Iraq, a people’s uprising in Lebanon and continued suffering in Syria, Catholic leaders of the Middle East called upon officials of their homelands to “ensure safety, peace and tranquility and stability for their citizens.”
Doreen Abi Raad
Amid deadly protests in Iraq, a people’s uprising in Lebanon and continued suffering in Syria, Catholic leaders of the Middle East called upon officials of their homelands to “ensure safety, peace and tranquility and stability for their citizens.”
Meeting in Cairo November 25-29, the Council of Catholic Patriarchs
of the East addressed political, economic and social difficulties that
many countries are suffering as a result of unrest, violence, extremism
and terrorism as well as the situation of displaced people and the
inevitability of returning to their villages and homes.
Massive demonstrations against the political ruling class have plagued Iraq since Oct. 1 and Lebanon since Oct. 17.
Despite some confrontations with security forces and supporters of
established parties, protesters in Lebanon have largely been spared the
violent crackdown seen in Iraq. There, about 400 people have died and
thousands have been wounded in protests.
In their final statement, the patriarchs called on the political
authority in Iraq “to take courageous action to get the country out of
this great crisis so that the bloodshed will stop and life will return
to normal by building a strong state on sound foundations, in which true
democracy, justice and human dignity prevails, combating corruption.”
They also called for “revealing who killed and kidnapped peaceful
demonstrators” and asked authorities to hand the killers “over to the
judiciary.”
The patriarchs appealed to all to work to “uproot the terrorist
ideology of the Islamic State.” While acknowledging the “adversity and
tribulation” in Iraq, the patriarchs encouraged Iraqi Christians “to
take root in their land and preserve the heritage” of their ancestors.
Turning to Lebanon, the patriarchs said they “support the demands of
the Lebanese people in general and the youth in particular, in their
movement,” expressing their hope that peace and patriotism be
maintained.
The Middle Eastern patriarchs urged Lebanon’s political authority to
expedite the formation of a new government “whose first task will be to
respond with the popular movement to find radical solutions to the
current situation, by transcending personal and factional interests and
working to achieve the common good, and freeing the national will from
all outside interference.” The patriarchs also stressed the need for the
return of refugees and displaced persons to their homelands. Lebanon is
host to some 1 million Syrian refugees.
While council members said they “are optimistic about the stability
achieved in Syria in most of the country,” they expressed their pain
regarding human suffering and damage caused by bombings.
The patriarchs called on “all components of the Syrian people to join
hands” to rebuild what is destroyed and to promote the economy.
They also called on “global decision-makers to stop interfering” in
Syrian affairs and to help “all the good Syrians to work hard to recover
Syria from its long-standing ordeal.”
The council expressed “full support for the Palestinian people tormented by the occupation.”
“We reiterate our call on the international community to recognize
the Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, within the
framework of the two states, and the return of Palestinian refugees to
their homes,” the patriarchs said.
As for Egypt, the Catholic leaders commended the Egyptian state’s
achievements “that have contributed effectively to improving the
situation of Egyptians” at all levels, including “practical steps” in
consolidating the foundations of citizenship and society.
During the meeting, the patriarchs met with Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah el-Sissi and urged him to work toward reconciliation and dialogue
in the countries of the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, Iraq and
Syria.
They also met with Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II.