Flood of Syrian refugees could endanger Christian position in Lebanon, archbishop fears

August 18, 2015

A Maronite Catholic prelate has voiced concerns that a flood of refugees from Syria will change a delicate cultural balance in Lebanon, making Christians an endangered minority.

"We have 2 million Syrians in the country as refugees. Many will return to their homeland when the war is over. But many refugees will remain and apply for Lebanese citizenship in ten years,” said Archbishop Simon Attallah, the retired head of the Baalbekc-Deir al Ahmar eparchy. “What will become of us Christians then?”

In a conversation with Aid to the Church in Need, Archbishop Attallah emphasized that he was not questioning the need to accept refugees. “We want to act in solidarity,” he said. “But we have obvious problems before our eyes.”

The archbishop recalled that in his the Bekaa Valley, where he served as bishop, near the Syrian border, an influx of 9,000 Syrians—mostly Muslims—created the sort of problem that he foresees for the country at large. In some cases, he said, militant Muslims defiled churches. He said that today, Sunni extremists have filtered into Lebanon along with the refugees.

 

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Further information:

• Influx of Muslim refugees worries Lebanese prelate, stirs bitter memories (ACN)