Patriarch Aphrem II: Everyone knew since the beginning that the war on Syria will not benefit anyone

Antwerp, SANA – Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All East and Supreme Leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, said that everyone knew since the beginning that the war on Syria will not benefit anyone, wondering how murder, destruction, abduction, and beheading can be justified in the name of reform.

This came in a speech delivered during the opening of a conference held in Belgium on Sunday under the title “Peace is the Future… Religions and Cultures in Dialogue… 100 Years After World War I” which was organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.

In his speech, Patriarch Aphrem II called on the international community to send humanitarian aid to affected Syria, addressing the abduction of Bishops Paul Yazigi and John Ibrahim and wondering how the international community isn’t ashamed of remaining silent over this issue and the lack of any tangible information regarding it, demanding that serious efforts be exerted to release the two Bishops.

He also called for ensuring the return of displaced Christians to their homes in Iraq and ensuring peace and security in the region, in addition to voicing concern over the situation in Lebanon.

Hazem Sabbagh