The “moderates” are behaving a great deal like the “extremists.” No one who doesn’t buy the establishment line should be surprised, as the distinction between the two in Syria was always arbitrary.
“Syrian Christians Face New Threat From Rebel Alliance,” by Alison Meuse and Deborah Amos, NPR, July 3, 2015:
Syrian Christians face new threats from a rebel coalition that is fighting both the self-declared Islamic State and the regime.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Christians living through Syria’s civil war face a new threat as an Islamist rebel alliance surges in the country’s north. Today, in the heaviest fighting for months, the Islamist alliance launched an attempt to seize the key city of Aleppo from government forces. With backing from U.S. allies, like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, this rebel coalition fights both the Syrian regime and the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS. But the coalition has extremists in its own ranks who have mistreated Christians and forced them out of their homes. NPR’s Deborah Amos went to Turkey, to the city Antakya, to meet a priest who was kidnapped by those militants last March.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELLS)
DEBORAH AMOS, BYLINE: This is a historic neighborhood where organized Christianity began here in southern Turkey – a place once known as Antioch, where Christians trace their roots back to the early church. And across the nearby border in Syria, Christian communities date back centuries. Now Christianity is dying in the Middle East, say church leaders in the region, under threat from militant Islam. Syrian priest Ibrahim Farah saw threat firsthand. Here, he is free to take part in the ancient rituals of worship. In Syria, his church is now shut.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHANTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken).
AMOS: In March, when the provincial capital of Idlib fell to a rebel coalition, Islamist militants kidnapped Father Ibrahim. Syria’s al-Qaida affiliate, al-Nusra Front, held him for 20 days. Some rebel groups objected, but here’s the problem – more moderate rebels had pledged to protect Syria’s minorities, even pledged to empower civilians to govern the liberated province. But the militants of al-Nusra made no such pledge and quickly imposed hard-line rules. By the time Father Ibrahim was released, all of the Christians of Idlib – about 150 families – had fled. Father Ibrahim crossed the border to Turkey.
IBRAHIM FARAH: (Foreign language spoken).
AMOS: He says this is the first time I’ve come to this church, a symbol of the long history of his faith.
(SOUNDBITE OF CHANTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken).
Are these Turkish Christians asking you about Syrian Christians?
FARAH: (Through interpreter) Of course, they’re interested. And they ask because they know about the situation in Syria, and we are all Christians in the Middle East. They’re afraid. They’re very afraid.
AMOS: Are they right to be afraid? Father Ibrahim raises his hand to stop the interview.
FARAH: (Through interpreter) We wish for peace in all of the world.
AMOS: He seems wary of criticizing the militants of al-Nusra and won’t talk about his kidnapping. He still hopes the hard-line Islamists can be convinced to allow civilians to run the province. There are growing protests by residents against al-Nusra, and their heavy hand has raised tensions within the rebel coalition….
AMOS: Activists are pressuring moderate rebel groups to protect civilians, but the Islamists are the strongest faction on the ground. Deborah Amos, NPR News, in southern Turkey.
somehistory says
Anyone surprised by this?
Where the beast is worshipped, and people bow to satan, death is the result to all who refuse.
There will soon be a Day of Judgment and those persecuting and killing Christians will be receiving their just due.
Saleem Smith says
In this discussion it doesn’t really matter whether or not there is a Satan or a God.
We are discussing the many obvious evils contained within Islamic theology and and law and Muhammad’s many evil behaviors (found in the Qur’an, hadith and sira) and how these various Islamic texts are today being used to virtually exterminate the last vestiges of ancient Christianity from Syria and the middle east.
We ex-Muslims living with Islam’s formal and informal death penalty for apostasy know that the prophet of Islam was most evil human being to have supposedly ever lived.
Here is a recent statement from a group of Bangladeshi apostates living in the UK explaining the reasons why they have abandoned Islam:
“One who claims to be a messenger of God is expected to live a saintly life. He must not be given to lust, he must not be a sexual pervert, and he must not be a rapist, a highway robber, a war criminal, a mass murderer or an assassin. One who claims to be a messenger of God must have a superior character. He must stand above the vices of the people of his time. Yet Muhammad’s life is that of a gangster godfather. He raided merchant caravans, looted innocent people, massacred entire male populations and enslaved the women and children. He raped the women captured in war after killing their husbands and told his followers that it is okay to have sex with their captives (Qur’an 33:50). He assassinated those who criticized him and executed them when he came to power and became de facto despot of Arabia. Muhammad was bereft of human compassion. He was an obsessed man with his dreams of grandiosity and could not forgive those who stood in his way…
The statement continues,
Muhammad was a narcissist, like Hitler, Saddam or Stalin. He was astute and knew how to manipulate people, but his emotional intelligence was less evolved than that of a 6-year-old child. He simply could not feel the pain of others. He brutally massacred thousands of innocent people and pillaged their wealth. His ambitions were big and as a narcissist he honestly believed he is entitled to do as he pleased and commit all sorts of crimes and his evil deeds are justified.”
somehistory says
Sorry. but I must disagree with you. Since it is about Christians, again being persecuted and killed by muslims…in this, the ones being helped by this country’s government, it does matter whether there is a satan or God.
If the Christians did not have the True God to worship, they might be inclined to do as they are commanded by muslims in order to keep living and to keep living where they have been for centuries. But, they do worship the True God, and wish to do His Sacred Will, whether or not they are allowed by the muslim murdering hordes to go on living there in their homes.
If the muslims didn’t worship satan, the devil, what reasons then could they have for forcing Christians out of their homes and slaughtering them all across this planet Earth? Everything they do is for satan, every move they make, every breath they take….stealing from. raping, torturing, and , murdering every one who does not also worship the devil in the same way they worship him.
So, it does matter whether there is a satan. And it matters very much whether there is a True God.
Tequila Not Taqiyya says
@Saleem Smith…..Thank You for that. That is EXACTLY the kind of truthful and logical counter-argument we need to combat this depraved cult. Muslims need to hear such facts loud and clear. The truth will set them free.
Much respect for your and all the other apostates’ courage!
Linde Barrera says
To Saleem Smith- I respectfully want to correct your post of 12:02 am July 7. Islam is based on worship of Allah, who they claim as god. Islam does not worship trees, rocks etc. So the discussion has to include a spiritual being called “god” or “satan” because it is foundational to Islam or any other religion that worships a spirit entity. By the way, did you know that in the Christian bible, in the book of Mark, chapter 1, verses 23 through 26: “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, “What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him.” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. END. I find this to be a remarkable and astonishing event. (We were given this information through a link by a commenter here at JW.) Peace.
Holy Prophet APF says
Islam does not worship trees, rocks etc.
The confusion here may be that Allah did a couple of centuries as a rock God in the Kaaba, a spiritual pagan tourist trapped owned by the Holy Prophet’s uncle. But, Allah evolved into a sky God to replace Yahweh. The story of Allah is a quintessentially American story that shows that you can start anywhere but anybody can make it with sufficient work ethic and know how.
Allah evolved. To help you understand what this means, Prez Barack Hussein evolved on the issue of homosexual marriage, where he was against it before the election and for it after.
Angemon says
I think a more accurate description would be “dying faster” – allah isn’t exactly reported as saying “muslims living in a muslim majority land must have tolerance and respect for other religions and let their believers practice them unimpeded in any way or fashion”.
mortimer says
Not ‘dying’…that isn’t strong enough. This is a textbook case of genocide.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
I think a more accurate description would be “dying faster”
Good point. Look at Lebanon, a country that only a generation ago was majority Christian. Also, centuries ago the Christian population of Asia Minor decided en masse that Islam was totally awesome and now that country is not only almost all Moslem, they’re a key ally.
It is natural in this context to wonder how long it will be before Israel evolves into a Moslem country.
WhatsUpDoc says
One Muslim looking out for others Muslims, nothing strange about that.
dlbrand says
As was so with our experiment in Iraq, in the wake of the actions of the followers of Muhammad—enthusiast, supporters, thus, advancers of his desires and goals—that we funded, support, and empowered, so it is now with Syria.
‘ shame, indeed.
However—speaking now as the fool—as was so in Iraq, so it is in Syria: in Iraq, we were there to remove one leader from power, institute, and empower another.
Both the said leaders were/are Islamic.
Therefore, irrespective of the plight of the Christians, having succeeded in our stated goal, we have full rights to claim success in our mission and victory in our cause.
Therefore, such claims we assert; therefore, such “successes” and “victories” we pursue more of the same.
Matthieu Baudin says
The U.S. and Russian countervailing strategies for regime change/stability and continuity, are in taters.
The path may now be clear for the taking of Damascus and the ethnic levelling of Syrian society.
Ed says
BHO must be envious.
Benedict says
The western govts and their Muslim allies thought the Assad govt is evil and they had to bring in their form of govt. See the mess that has been created. The Assad govt left the Christians to practice their faith, but the Islamist and their western allies feel Christians need to be killed. I have never seen such cowardice on the part of the west. That is why the state of Israel exist, a constant pin prick and no one can do anything about it. The Muslim nations in the middle east keep getting kicked, and will continue being kicked by Israel
mortimer says
Islamic supremacism has no ‘compromise’ written in its contract. The Pact of Omar is the normative Islamic default position requiring total subservience by minorities, including Islamic minorities from competing sects.
Islam always creates dictatorships and arbitrary justice to keep the theocratic tyrant in power.
Truth Seeker says
What is the Spremacitism, Islam could prove? Nothing. It is only a Boasting claim. Supremacitism is Massacring Innocent Human Beings. Is there any other Contribution by Islam to the World?
Jim Casteel says
Christianity is under attack right here at home by our government-why would we be surprised that an evil ideology that opposes Christianity-an historic fact- is busy trying to rub out all traces and the people who are Christian.
shams78 says
Correction: it should be Rebels being cheered on by Zionists
http://www.timesofisrael. com/yaalon-syrian-rebels-keeping-druze-safe-in-exchange-for-israeli-aid/
http://www.algemeiner. com/2015/06/29/israel-confirms-aiding-syrian-rebels-in-exchange-for-keeping-druze-community-safe/
The zionist were celebrating what they predicted to by the imminent downfall of Assad
http://www.jpost. com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Barak-Assad-will-be-toppled-within-weeks
http://www.haaretz. com/print-edition/news/ehud-barak-in-vienna-assad-s-downfall-will-be-blessing-for-the-middle-east-1.400880
http://www.washingtonpost. com/world/middle_east/israeli-officials-say-assad-is-doomed/2011/12/14/gIQAYBuEuO_story.html
Here are the Zionists whining about how the world isn’t attacking Assad
http://www.timesofisrael. com/barak-israel-learned-a-lesson-from-global-failure-to-stop-assad/
Netanyahu praising Saudi Arabia
https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=kvJMJcVb3ZA
zionist preisdent’s praise for Saudi King Abdullah.
http://www.jpost. com/Middle-East/Analysis-Secret-Israeli-Saudi-ties-likely-to-continue-despite-Abdullahs-death-388784
http://www.jpost. com/Middle-East/Past-and-present-Israeli-presidents-eulogize-Saudi-King-Abdullah-388727
While Jwatch constantly bashes Obama for alleged support of the Syrian rebels (actually Turkey and the Gulf countries were doing most of the support and Obama has consistently tried to throttle the supply), Zionists openly gloat over the rebels attacks on the Assad regime and express joy. israel does not give a damn about Syrian Christians. Obama has consistently rejected a no fly zone for the Syrian rebels and is alarmed by the current rebel coalition.
http://www.voanews. com/content/us-officials-alarmed-at-new-syrian-rebel-alliance/2765724.html
The israeli Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi claimed “God has sent isis against nations that want to destroy israel”
israel only cares about hurting Iran. israel would gladly watch Middle Eastern Christians being subjected to mass slaughter and rape as long as it is in israel’s benefit.
Uncle Vladdi says
PROOF of Obama and Hitlery’s treasonous support of ISILam is finally coming out:
http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/visual-evidence-of-hillarys-secret-war/
Aiding and abetting “al Quaeda” and all the other self-declared “islamic, muslim” enemies of the USA is TREASON and they will eventually be punished for it.