His Beatitude, Ignace Joseph III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Catholics,
was in Rome this past week to share his concerns about the ongoing conflict which
erupted in Syria almost a year ago. Over 7.000 people are thought to have been killed
in fighting between Syrian army forces and armed opposition groups, with hundreds
killed this month alone in the central city of Homs. During his visit to the Vatican,
the Beirut-based Patriarch came to our studios and spoke with Sean Patrick Lovett
about his most recent visit to Syria and his fears for the future of the Christian
community there…
Sean Patrick Lovett (SPL): Your Beatitude,
for those of us who are following the situation in Syria, whether we are journalists
or the public in general, we tend to be conditioned by what we see in the media and
what we read in the media. You yourself have been through Homs. What have you seen?
What have you experienced in your visits to Syria? His Beatitude, Ignatius
Ephrem Joseph III Yonan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac Catholics (HB): As
you said, Sean, I’ve been, last time in Syria, the 1st of February to February 3rd,
and I took a ride from the northeast back to Beirut via north Lebanon. What I witnessed:
That it was very, very tense situation, but in some parts, like Homs, it was the situation
of conflict and of killing and fear among the citizens. Now regarding the media,
I can tell you that we Christians– I don’t know if I express the feelings and the
thoughts of all Christians – but since I have been following this situation, we feel
that we have been deceived by the western nations. Deceived, not only disappointed.
Deceived because we think that the West has forgotten the bulk of the situation in
the Middle East. It’s not political, it’s not economical, it’s profoundly confessional,
even religious. Because we were thinking that the West will uphold the civil rights
for all. Civil rights, that means freedom of religion, of conscience, respecting others,
or granting the same rights to all citizens, either from the minority or majority.
But this was forgotten because they are thinking, and the media conglomerates are
helping in that direction, that if the majority takes the power in those powers in
the Middle East, that means that democracy will be reached or will be exercised. We
think that democracy is not only because the majority of a population acts according
to its convictions, or make decisions freely, but democracy has to respect first of
all the basic rights of all. SPL: Going back specifically, and
looking specifically at Syria, the international community keeps using words like
the need to negotiate, the need to dialogue amongst the different factions and parties
concerned. After so much bloodshed, after so much suffering, is dialogue still possible? HB:
The dialogue is what we call a decision of the people of strong mind and state mind,
and good intention for a better life in that nation. Otherwise, if we don’t have that
dialogue contributing to the reforms, we are heading to a real chaos, and the chaos
in Syria will be disastrous because in this situation there will be no government
to handle that situation. It will be a real civil war. And civil war, especially in
the name of God. Look what happened in Iraq. Since I have been Patriarch for the
past three years, I already visited Iraq six times. And I witness how the Christian
community numbers are dwindling because of that very insecure situation. Now in Iraq
we have at least a government trying to keep, or to implement measures for security
of the citizens. However, we have lot of bombing and killings. So if that situation
in Syria were to develop into civil war, it would be still worse. And this is what
we really fear. And we try to tell, especially the western powers: Look, democracy
is not a kind of just one day to another. It needs some time. And the best way to
build that democracy will be helping all parties to sit together and find a way with
the help of international partners, or the Arabic league nations. But at least it’s
saying that with regard to help all parties to find a solution together. It’s not
going to be an easy one, but it will be the only way to help that country overcome
that, the fears of civil war. Listen to the complete interview of His Beatitude,
Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan, with Sean Patrick Lovett: