Mor Jacques Mourad: The Syrian government is persecuting its people. “Syria as a country is at an end today”

HMOTH (HOMS), Syria – Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad is decided in his statements; “Syria as a country is at an end today,” he tells Agenzia Fides. He is extremely critical of the current Syrian Islamist government— Mor Jacques Mourad has some right to be suspicious as he himself was held hostage for months in 2015 by the terrorist organization ISIS. The suicide attack on the Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Mar Elias Church has only made him more critical. The archbishop doesn’t mince his words: “I think it’s fair to say that this government is persecuting the people. The entire people.” 

The Aleppo native’s disillusionment stems from Ahmad al-Sharaa’s government’s failure to protect the Syrian people. All blame falls on the President and his government, because every government is obligated to protect its citizens, even if they are not of your own denomination. The archbishop is referring to the March massacres of Alawites, the aggressive attitude toward Druze, the attacks on Christians, and the ongoing harassment of all population groups, including Sunnis. 

Based on sources and witnesses on the ground, Agenzia Fides suspects the attack on the Mar Elias church was “punishment”. Militant Islamists used to continually drive up to the church with car-mounted loudspeakers, “blaring Koranic verses at high volume to call for conversion to Islam.” Confronting these militant Islamists, reportedly, brought death and injury to Orthodox Christians of the Douileh neighborhood. Mor Jacques Mourad sees the same kind of provocations in his residence city of Hmoth (Homs). He fears the worst for the future.  

When comparing the former Ba’ath regime to the incumbent one, Mourad stresses that both have no respect for the Syrian people and their ancient civilization. Both disrespect and squander the country’s great heritage. Furthermore, they stifle the potential of its youth. The al-Sharaa government seems to want to erase this civilization, the civilization of its people. “This is a global crime; it’s not just about us,” he tells Agenzia Fides. 

To not repeat the entire Agenzia Fides article, we conclude with another decided statement from the Agenzia Fides interview with Mor Jacques Mourad: “People no longer believe in this government.”