ISIS will spread if not stopped now, warns Maronite prelate

September 02, 2014

A Maronite Catholic archbishop has warned that if the international community does not take prompt action to stop the growth of the Islamic State (ISIS), terrorism will quickly spread beyond the Middle East.

“I think everybody should wake up, otherwise, I think this fire will not limit itself to the region,” Archbishop Paul Sayah told Vatican Radio. He said that the successes of ISIS have encouraged militant Muslims while intimidating moderates. Although a few responsible Islamic leaders have condemned the violence, he said, their statements have been “too little, too late.”

Archbishop Sayah said that the international community—“starting with Europe”—must curb the ability of Islamic extremists to receive arms, funding, and recruits.

The Lebanese prelate told Vatican Radio that his own country, despite its recent sectarian clashes, still stands as testimony that Christians and Muslims can live together in peace.

 

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Further information:

• Maronite Abp: Islamic State atrocities are a wakeup call to action (Vatican Radio)