On September 28,2013 the following organization: Bridges Organization, Trinity Christian College, US Department of education Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnership and the Arabic Spring and the Syrian Christian For Peace hosted a forum under the slogan “ Building Bridges Not Walls.” The Forum Was in Palos Heights, Illinoi
Mr. Bahnan Yamin, Secretary of Syrian Christian for Peace stand before the forum and addressed them with following speech:
" IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE SYRIAN CAUSE. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS FIGHT FOR FREEDOM INVOLVES ALL MUSLIMS, CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX, CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS. THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA ARE DETERMINED TO WIN THIS FIGHT FOR FREEDOM REGARDLESS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. MEN AND WOMEN OF SYRIA WILL REMAIN VIGOUROUS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE BRUTAL DICTATORIAL ASSAD.
I AM FULLY AWARE THAT SOME HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER THE UNITY IN THE STRUGGLE, BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS. MY BELIEF AGREES WITH BISHOP FATAL PERTAINING TO THE UNITY BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS WHEN HE EXPRESSED TO MAJOR SHAW HIS CONFIDENCE IN SYRIAN PEOPLE…IN ANSWERING THAT CONCERN I RECOUNT A STORY FROM THE DAWN, THE MID FOURTIES OF THE 20 CENTURAY, OF THE SYRIAN INDEPENDENCE FROM THE FRENCH WHEN ENGLAND TRIED TO REPLACE FRANCE IN OUR COUNTRY. IN A VISIT WITH THE BISHOP; MAJOR SHAW , THE HIGHEST RANKING MILITARY OFFICER IN SYRIA, ASKED HIM A QUESTION…
HE ASKED…“YOUR EXCELLENCY… DO YOU NOT SEE THE NECESSITY TO SEND FORCES TO DEFEND THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH AND CLOSE PORTS LEADING TO IT?
BISHOP FATAL STARED AT MAJOR SHAW AN ENGLISH MILITARY OFFICER AND ASKS HIM: "WHICH FORCE YOU MEAN MAJOR? IS IT BRITISH FORCES OR SYRIAN FORCES?
BISHOP FATAL PROCEEDED WITH HIS STATEMENT EVEN BEFORE MAJOR SHAW COULD GIVE HIM AN ANSWER TO HIS QUESTION… THE BISHOP STATED THAT IF THE CHURCHES REQUIRE PROTECTION, HIS SYRIAN BROTHERS BOTH MUSLIM AND CHRISTIANS, THE SYRIAN GENDARMES THAT IS IN EXISTENCE WILL BE THE FORCES TO PROTECT THE GREEK ARCHDIOCESE TOGETHER WITH THE WHOLE SYRIAN NATION. CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS WILL UNIT. WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS BONDED TOGETHER, ONE HAND AND ONE HEART AGAINST THE OCCUPIER. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO SUCH ASSAULT AT THE MOMENT AND IF THERE IS ONE, I WILL ASK THE MUSLIM YOUTH TO PROTECT MY CHURCH AND MY FAMILY. I ASSURE YOU THEY WILL RESPOND TO THAT DEMAND IMMEDIATELY.
THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHRISTIAN MIGRATION OUT OF SYRIA. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS IN FACT A GOOD RELATION BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIAN IN SYRIA. COEXISTENCE BETWEEN MUSLIM AND CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA REMAIN STRONG. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE ASSAD REGIME WAGING WAR AGAINST ITS PEOPLE THAT DRIVE CHRISTIANS TO MIGRATE OUT OF EMBATTLED TERRITORIES FOR SELF PRESERVATION AND NOT TO FLEE FROM MUSLIMS. IN THE LAST INTERVIEW OF BISHOP YOUHANA IBHRAHIM WITH BBC ARABIC, HE CONFIRMS THIS FACT. MANY SUSPECT HIS KIDNAPPING WAS DUE TO THE SAME INTERVIEW WHERE THE BISHOP EMPHASIZED THE FAILURE OF THE ASSAD REGIME TO INSTITUTE PEACE AND ORDER IN SYRIA INSTEAD CONTIUNE TO SLAUGHTER ITS CITIZENS OPPOSING THE DICTATORIAL REGIME. CLEARLY, THE ASSAD REGIME IS TRYING TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION BY WAY OF CREATING A DIVIDE BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS. THE DICTATOR CLAIMS THAT ONLY HIS GOVERNMENT CAN PROVIDE PROTECTION TO CHRISTIAN AGAINST MUSLIMS AND SUNNIS. ALTHOUGH THIS IS FARTHEST FROM THE TRUTH BECAUSE CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS HAVE SINCE COEXISTED IN OUR LONG HISTORY. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN OF THE ASSAD REGIME IS WORKING ON SOME CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED TO BELIEVE THAT THE MUSLIMS ARE THE ENEMIES OF CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA AND THEIR PROTECTOR IS ASSAD. DESPITE THIS MISINFORMATION I BELIEVE THAT BISHOP ISBRAHIM IS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID…”THEY WILL NOT SUCCEED IN BRAINWASHING MAJORITY OF THE SYRIAN CHRISTIAN AND THE WORLD.” LIKEWISE, I EMPHATIZE WITH THE PAIN OF THE BISHOP IN WITNESSING THE KILLING SPREE OF THE ASSAD REGIME.
WE IN THE SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FOR PEACE (SCP) EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST CONCERNS ABOUT THE MANIPULATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BY THE ASSAD REGIME; THIS IS, USING THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OTHER MINORITIES IN SYRIA IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ITS POWER.
FROM THE START OF THE SYRIAN REVOLUTION IN MARCH 2011, THE SYRIAN PEOPLE, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS, HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITTED BY THE ASSAD DICTATORIAL REGIME. MANY CHRISTIANS WERE ARRESTED, TORTURED AND KILLED IN THE PRISONS OF THE ASSAD REGIME.
CHRISTIANS, LIKE THEIR MUSLIMS BROTHERS IN SYRIA HAVE SUFFERED FROM THE ASSAD REGIME SINCE THE 1970S. THE SYRIAN LEGAL SYSTEM CONTAINS MANY FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHRISTIANS, SUCH AS IN THE COUNTRY’S PERSONAL STATUS LAWS. THE SYRIAN REGIME'S COMMITMENT TO ARABISM, AS IT IS EVIDENT THROUGH THE CONSTITUTION HAS AFFECTED THE CULTURAL RIGHTS OF NON-ARAB RELIGIOUS MINORITIES SUCH AS ASSYRIANS AND ARMENIANS. THESE ARE TWO SIGNIFICANT CHRISTIAN MINORITIES, BUT THEIR NUMBERS ARE QUICKLY DIMINISHING. THE PARTICIPATION OF NON-MUSLIMS IN THE POLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE HAS BECOME LESS SATISFACTORY UNDER THE ASSAD REGIME. THEY ARE LESS REPRESENTED IN POLITICAL LIFE AND THEIR ACCESS TO CERTAIN KEY POSITIONS IS LIMITED. BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THIS REGIME, THE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF CHRISTIANS WAS MORE THAN SATISFYING. IN THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES, MR. FARES AL-KHOURI A SYRIAN CHRISTIAN HAD SERVED SEVERAL TIMES AS PRIME MINISTER IN SYRIA.
CHRISTIANS HAVE EXISTED AND COEXISTED IN SYRIA FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF ASSAD. MANIPULATING MINORITY FEARS IS AN INSTRUMENT USED BY THE ASSAD REGIME. THE WHOLE POPULATION OF SYRIA IS HOSTAGE TO THIS REGIME. WE BELIEVE THAT IMPROVING THE STATUS OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN SYRIA COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF ASSAD FROM POWER AND BY CREATING A DEMOCRATIC STATE. IT IS CERTAIN THAT THE PROCESS OF LIBERATION AND DEMOCRATIC CHANGE IS SLOW, DIFFICULT AND EVEN RISKY. BUT THE DANGER POSED BY THE ARRIVAL TO POWER, A RADICAL ISLAMIST REGIME IN SYRIA OFFERS NO CHANCE. INDEED THIS COUNTRY IS THE MOST DIVERSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IT IS COMPOSED OF SEVERAL CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIM MINORITIES AS WELL AS NON-ARAB ETHNIC MINORITIES. THIS MULTI-FAITH AND MULTI-ETHNIC SITUATION MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH AN ISLAMIC STATE. CONSEQUENTLY, WE AS A GROUP OF SYRIAN CHRISTIANS ARE COMMITTED TO PUT AN END TO THE CURRENT CRIMINAL REGIME, WHICH IS IN OUR VIEW AN ESSENTIAL STEP FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF CHRISTIANS AS WELL AS OTHER CITIZENS IN THE COUNTRY.
SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FOR PEACE (SCP) URGES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE SYRIAN PEOPLE FROM ATTACKS AND OTHER FORM OF AGGRESSIONS COMMITTED BY THE ASSAD REGIME AND ITS ALLIES, AS WELL AS OTHER JIHADIST GROUPS IN THE COUNTRY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE GROUPS ARE ACTING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE ASSAD DICTATORSHIP. ASSAD ALREADY USED THOSE GROUPS IN IRAQ AND LEBANON, AND RECENTLY IN SYRIA. THE REGIME ALSO RELEASED CRIMINALS AND EXTREMISTS FROM PRISONS KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THEY WOULD CREATE CHAOS. IT HAS RECENTLY RELEASED ABU MUSSAAB AL SURI ASSOCIATED WITH THE LONDON 7/7 BOMBINGS AS A FORM OF RETALIATION TO THE WEST.
THE NUMBER OF CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA HAS CONTINUED TO DECLINE SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE BAATH REGIME IN THE SIXTIES. CURRENTLY, THEY ARE AT A HIGH RISK OF DISAPPEARING DUE TO THE CURRENT EVENTS IN SYRIA. THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND MORE PARTICULARLY IN SYRIA DOES NOT DEPEND ON SUPPORTING DICTATORSHIPS, BUT RATHER BY CREATING A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC SYRIA, WHICH WILL PROVIDE SECURITY AND PROSPERITY TO CHRISTIANS AS WELL AS ALL CITIZENS.
IN CONCLUSION THE PROBLEM OF SYRIA IS NOT INTEGRATION OF THE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES BUT REMOVAL OF ASSAD REGIME FROM THE POLITICAL CULTURE OF SYRIA.