Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA – President Bashar al-Assad met on Thursday with members of the Holy Synod of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, headed by Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.
The President said the terrorist aggression against the region and the Takfiri extremist mentality underlying it target the diverse social and cultural fabric of the region as a whole and Syria in particular.
The Syrian people, he affirmed, have, with all their components, succeeded in confronting this “subversive mentality” through them adhering to their history, culture and roots that are interlocked since ever.
The major factor in standing up to this extremist terrorist thinking, which knows neither nationalities nor borders, is through sticking to the moral values upheld by all the holy religions, President al-Assad said.
Those values, he added, have openness, tolerance and freedom of belief at their very core, reiterating that the Syrian’s adherence to their homeland and principles has been a fundamental factor in their steadfastness.
For their part, members of the Holy Synod stressed that Syria has been and always will be a homeland for all of the Syrians with their various affiliations and “a sanctuary” for all those who believe in the generous values of humanity in spite of the ferocious terrorist war waged against the country.
They voiced their confidence that the Syrian people will be able to achieve victory and defeat terrorism, thanks to their resilience, the sacrifices of their army and the wisdom and bravery of their leadership.
Patriarch Mor Ignatius II of Antioch and All The East, who is the Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, said having this year’s session of the Synod held in the Syrian town of Saidnaya at this time carries a message of support for the Syrian people.
Another message of holding the session in Syria, he said, is a call upon all the participants from the world to work for restoring peace and security back to Syria.
The Synod delegation includes members of the Syriac Orthodox Church from Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Brazil and India.
Haifa Said
