Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - The offensive in the region of Aleppo carried out by the Syrian government army with the support of Russian air raids, as well as mass emigration of the civilian population that still lived in those areas is causing repercussions in the urban central areas of the Syrian city, remained under the control of the military of Assad. "In the last days" refers to Agenzia Fides Armenian Catholic Archbishop Boutros Marayati "information is circulating on the power plant put out of use by anti-Assad militias. There has been no electricity and light for two days, and the launches of missiles and mortars have intensified".
The vague news about the ongoing military operations in the region, have also reflected on the psychological condition of the population: "on one hand" explains the Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo "they feel that something is about to happen, and many hope that the siege can really end. On the other hand, they all well understand that the decisive level is geopolitical.
The global powers, in line with regional ones, are fighting the war on Syrian territory: if they really want, they can end it in a few days, or continue it until who knows when".
In this respect, even Archbishop Marayati considers the misguided and misleading statements by some leaders of Christian churches that have called for a "holy war" against the self-proclaimed jihadist Islamic Caliphate: "Now" points out the Armenian Catholic Archbishop "there are those who label the Russian intervention in Syria as 'Holy War', but I remember that even when the United States intervened in Iraq, the US labelled the military operation 'Holy War'. In fact, who intervenes is always moved by other interests. And who uses these expressions knows neither history nor the psychology of the peoples of the Middle East. Finally, us Christians here pay the price of the 'Holy Wars' carried out by others" (GV) (Agenzia Fides 20/10/2015)
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