Why attack places of worship, and especially churches?

The Syrian crisis is severely affecting various sectors of civilian life and the number of victims of this “world” war is growing day by day. In this war against Syria the nature of the so-called opposition no longer resembles what it appeared to be on 16 March 2011 at the outset of the crisis.

Evidence of that can be found in the statements of envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Mr Kofi Anan published in several European newspapers in September 2013, that there are some two thousand foreign groups fighting in Syria. They are all Salafist fundamentalists and extremists, relentlessly killing in cruel fashion in the name of Islam, although Islam has nothing to do with them or they with it.

These groups have committed the most cruel crimes and bestial acts that have horrified the minds of those who saw them on television or on modern social communication media and hurt the feelings of every man, woman and child both at home and abroad. It represents a return to the darkest episodes of antiquity and has even outstripped them.…

Those hordes have destroyed and laid waste places of worship (mosques and churches), and looted statues, furnishings, icons of Our Lord, the Virgin Mary and the saints.

Never before in its history has Syria experienced any such monstrous, criminal acts. All Christian and Muslim citizens used to live in harmony, affection, solidarity, mutual help, national community … such that it was considered an Arab and world model.

We wonder at these deeds and address the doers, reminding them of their humanity and the fact that they are created in the image and likeness of God, they are precious in God’s eyes and we acknowledge their worth, which is common to us all… We wonder and ask them, why do you commit these actions? Why destroy mosques and churches? They know very well that our churches are schools of peace and our institutions fields of service and dedication and that we have no political party, no hatred in our hearts, no vengeance against anyone whatsoever. On the contrary, we are agents of peace calling for love, living together, solidarity, reconciliation and forgiveness…

In writing this appeal, it is not at all my intention to condemn or judge those who destroy our churches: God alone is Judge. Instead we forgive them and pray for them and their salvation, imploring God to open their eyes to the beauty of faith, love, friendship, and tenderness that fills the pages of the Qur’an in every verse – the compassion of God for all. We advise and request them to return to their own countries and there live a humane, worthy life in their families and among their own people.

We write these lines and report the facts about the destruction of mosques and especially churches, and the inhumane acts, so that the world can wake up and open its eyes to the realisation of the true brutal reality of these things reported, and work to stop them and halt all kinds of killing and violence, for the victim of all this is man, created in the image and likeness of God.

We call upon everyone to coordinate their efforts and those of Arab and other countries to prevent such cruelties against the dignity of man, because they are war crimes against humanity. It is not always the perpetrator who is responsible, but the one who does not work to prevent and condemn them, but rather encourages, incites and funds them with money and weapons and fills hearts with hatred and enmity…

We decided to give the information contained in this appeal to highlight the brutality of these acts. We hope for the world’s conscience to be aroused to the realisation of this state of affairs and for everyone to agree to walk along the path of peace to Geneva II to build a new world where love and the values of our holy faith reign, as this should be the road for all of us Christian and Muslim politicians and leaders, and Eastern and Western heads of state. That is how we can respond to Pope Francis’s appeal, “No more war.” That is why we are publishing these gloomy, black lists in the Appendix (attached).

We extend this appeal with an open evangelical Christian spirit of love to the conscience of those who have committed and continue to commit these actions and attacks, especially against Christian places of worship. We appeal to the conscience of those who stand behind them and even to the conscience of the whole world.

We hope and pray for the cessation of these actions that are destroying not just places of worship, but the image of God in man and are causing all kinds of suffering, disaster, grief and destruction.

I ask my dear faithful not to allow forgiveness to give way to hatred in your hearts. Resist feelings of fear, anxiety, frustration and discouragement despite the various reasons for them of which we are all aware. Face up to this with patience and faith. Do not leave; do not abandon your homeland Syria, which has been rightly called the cradle of Christianity! We have our origins and roots here, going back over two thousand years of history.

I hope that anyone reading this letter may accept it in a positive, civilised way.

We pray, Christ our God, confirm the holy Orthodox faith in our churches and monasteries unto ages of ages! Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance. Grant peace to Syria and to the world. And keep thy faithful!

Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary, let us invoke her intercession and protection, and let us entrust one another and all our lives unto Christ our God! Deliver us, O Virgin, from every temptation, barbarian invasion and peril that we deserve due to our sins.

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Appendix: A list of churches and monasteries and shrines damaged in the Syrian crisis 21-12-13

Number	Church or shrine	Denomination	Governorate / Region	Place
1	Patriarchate and Cathedral of the Dormition	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Bab Sharqi
2	Church and Monastery of the Franciscan Fathers	Roman Catholic (Latin)	Damascus and district	Bab Touma
3	St Paul’s Cathedral	Syriac Catholic	Damascus and district	Bab Sharqi
4	Cathedral of the Queen of the World	Armenian Catholic	Damascus and district	Bab Touma
5	St Cyril’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Qassa’a
6	Holy Cross Church	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Qassa’a
7	St Anthony of Padua’s Church	Roman Catholic (Latin)	Damascus and district	Telyani
8	St Sergius’ Cathedral	Armenian Orthodox	Damascus and district	Bab Sharqi
9	St Elias’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Zabadani
10	Church of the Dormition	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Zabadani
11	Church of Our Lady of Peace	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Harasta
12	St Elias’ Church	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Harasta
13	St George’s Church	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Herbin
14	St Paul’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Daraya
15	St Tekla’s Church	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Daraya
16	St Elias’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Hina
17	Sts Sergius and Bacchus’ Monastery	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
18	St George’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
19	St Leontius’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
20	St Elias’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
21	Sts Cosmas and Damian’s Shrine	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
22	St Thomas’ Shrine	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
23	St Saba’s Shrine	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
24	Holy Cherubim Shrine	Melkite Greek Catholic	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
25	St Barbara’s Shrine	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
26	Shrine of St Elias	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
27	St Tekla’s Church and Monastery	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Ma’alula
28	Church and Monastery of the Holy Cherubim	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Saydnaya
29	Church and Monastery of Our Lady	Greek Orthodox	Damascus and district	Saydnaya
30	Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation	Melkite Greek Catholic	Ar-Raqqah	Ar-Raqqah
31	Church of the Martyrs	Armenian Catholic	Ar-Raqqah	Ar-Raqqah
32	Christian Education Centre	Melkite Greek Catholic	Ar-Raqqah	Ar-Raqqah
33	Family Fraternity (care centre for the disabled )	Melkite Greek Catholic	Ar-Raqqah	Ar-Raqqah
34	Sts Sergius and Bacchus’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Ar-Raqqah	Al-Tabaqah
35	New-style Church	Greek Orthodox	Ar-Raqqah	Madinat al-Thawra
36	Holy Cross Church	Armenian Orthodox	Ar-Raqqah	Tell Abiad
37	Autonomous Church	Armenian Orthodox	Ar-Raqqah	Tell Abiad
38	St Thomas’ Church	Syriac orthodox	Al-Hasakah	Ras al-Ain
39	Gregory the Illuminator’s Church	Armenian Catholic	Deir al-Zur and district	Deir al-Zur
40	Church and Monastery of the Capuchin Fathers	Latin	Deir al-Zur and district	Deir al-Zur
41	Sisters’ Church	Latin	Deir al-Zur and district	Deir al-Zur
42	Church of Our Lady	Syriac orthodox	Deir al-Zur and district	Deir al-Zur
43	Church of the Martyrs	Armenian Orthodox	Deir al-Zur and district	Deir al-Zur
44	Archbishopric	Melkite Greek Catholic	Aleppo	Sahat farahat
45	Cathedral of the Dormition	Greek Melkite Catholic	Aleppo	Sahat farahat
46	Church of the Forty Martyrs	Armenian Orthodox	Aleppo	Al-jedayda
47	Monastery of St Francis of Assisi	Latin	Aleppo	Al-azizyah
48	St Elias’ Church	Greek Orthodox	Aleppo	Aal-fillat
49	St Michael’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Aleppo	Alazizyah
50	St Elias’ Church	Maronite	Aleppo	Al-jedayda
51	Arab Evangelical	Evangelical	Aleppo	Sabeh-bahrat
52	St Kevork’s Church	Armenian Orthodox	Aleppo	Al-Mydan
53	St Maroun’s Church	Maronite	Aleppo	Brad
54	Church and Monastery of St Joseph	Latin	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Al-Qnayyah
55	Our Lady’s Church	Latin	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Al-Yacubiyeh
56	Holy Cherubim Church	Armenian Orthodox	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Al-Yacubiyeh
57	Church and Monastery of St Anna	Armenian Orthodox	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Al-Yacubiyeh
58	Church and Monastery of St Anthony of Padua	Latin	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Al-qasaneyeh
59	Church of the Sacred Hearts	Latin	Jisr Al-Shugour and district	Jisr Al-Shugour
60	Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation	Melkite Greek Catholic	Dar’a	Chakra
61	Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation	Melkite Greek Catholic	Dar’a	Namir
62	Sts Peter and Paul’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Dar’a	Rakham
63	Church of St John Damascene	Melkite Greek Catholic	Dar’a	Dar’a
64	Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation	Melkite Greek Catholic	Dar’a	Al-Mismyah
65	Church of Sts Constantine and Helena	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Yabroud
66	Church of Our Lady	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Yabroud
67	St George’s Church	Syriac Orthodox	Homs and district	Sadad
68	St Michael’s Church and Cemetery	Syriac Orthodox	Homs and district	Sadad
69	St Elias’ Church	Syriac Orthodox	Homs and district	Sadad
70	St Theodore’s Church	Syriac Orthodox	Homs and district	Sadad
71	St Michael’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Qara
72	Monastery of St James the Mutilated	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Qara
73	St Elias’ Church and Monastery	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Rablah
74	Monastery of St Moses the Abyssinian	Syriac Catholic	Homs and district	An-Nabk
75	St Moses’ Church	Syriac Catholic	Homs and district	An-Nabk
76	St George’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	An-Nabk
77	Church and Monastery of the Dormition	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Al Husn
78	St Joseph’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Giwar-al-hafes
79	St John Chrysostom’s Church	Greek Orthodox	Homs and district	Hawash
80	Church of the Dormition	Greek Orthodox	Homs and district	Deir Atiyah
81	Our Lady’s Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Deir Atiyah
82	St Elias’ Church	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Al-Qusayr
83	Monastery of the Jesuit Fathers	Latin	Homs and district	Bostan Al Dewan
84	St Charbel’s Church	Maronite	Homs and district	Al-hamidieh
85	Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace	Melkite Greek Catholic	Homs and district	Bostan Al Dewan
86	Our Lady’s Church	Syriac orthodox	Homs and district	Al-hamidieh
87	St Elias’ Church	Greek Orthodox	Homs and district	Al-hamidieh
88	Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs	Greek Orthodox	Homs and district	Bostan Al Dewan