Dangerous to see Russian involvement in Syria as 'holy war,' archbishop says
October 14, 2015
A Syrian archbishop who has been heavily critical of US military involvement in Syria has now decried the notion that Russia is engaged in a “holy war” against the Islamic State.
Reflecting on statements by Russian Orthodox officials who supported their country’s military engagement, Archbishop Jacques Hindo of Hassake-Nisibis said that references to a “holy war” were “a foolish way to define what is going on in Syria.”
The archbishop told the Fides news agency that the notion of a “holy war” is a dangerous one, being put forward by clerics “who do not live in the Middle East.” He warned against ideological exploitation of the suffering endured by Christians in the region.
Pointing out that Islamic extremists regularly claim that they are engaged in a “holy war” of their own, Archbishop Hindo said: “With similar expressions, we confirm their bloody ideology: if indeed there is an ongoing Holy War, they can better justify every wickedness also against the Christians here.”
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Further information:
- Archbishop Hindo: who defines military operations against the jihadists as a "Holy War" is foolish (Fides)
- Syrian prelate says US involvement harms, Russian strikes help against Islamic State (CWN, 10/9)
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