ASIA/SYRIA - Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo: in dirty wars in the Middle East there are those who exploit the suffering of Christians

Friday, 8 May 2015

Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - "We are under bombs every day. I think many Christians will flee from Aleppo and seek shelter in the coastal area, but they will do it when schools and universities close, after the exams. In the disaster in which we live, even this year schools and universities remained open in the central districts of Aleppo. Many still believe that studying is important for the future although one lives in a city that seems to have no future". This is what Syrian Jesuit Antoine Audo, Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, told Fides, highlighting the feelings shared by Christian families who live in the martyred city.
In the last hours, according to news relaunched by international agencies in the region of Aleppo, jihadist militias have consolidated their positions. "Actually", says Bishop Audo "for more than three years we have not been using airports to get out of Aleppo. The impression is that a strong propaganda and psychological war against the government is being implemented, orchestrated even at an international level. They speak of an attack against Aleppo. Maybe they are planning something".
Even the news about Christians, according to the Chaldean bishop of Aleppo, is often used in an instrumental key: "three weeks ago", notes Bishop Audo "heavy attacks were carried out by armed anti-government groups against targeted districts where Christian Cathedrals are concentrated and then also against Suleimanya district, home to many Christians. Perhaps the intention was just to impress international public opinion and justify military responses. They have done everything to present this conflict as a religious clash between Christians and Muslims, or between Shiites and Sunnis. Of course, Christians are the most defenceless group, they have no weapons, they are afraid. But certain slogans and certain driven interpretations only serve to hide the real reasons and the real dynamics of the war. There are those who want to divide the whole area into small sectarian entities, as they tried to do in Iraq, in order to continue to dominate everything". (GV) (Agenzia Fides 08/05/2015)


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