Document
In the space of a few days, Syria has undergone a profound, dramatic and unforeseen change, provoking both deep uncertainty and a renewed sense of hope for Syria’s future. In this time of mixed uncertainty and hope, the WCC calls all its member churches and ecumenical partners to join in prayer and Christian solidarity with the churches and people of Syria as they navigate their course though this transition.
The Syrian people have endured more than a decade of war, displacement, and loss through the devastating armed conflict that followed the brutal suppression of peaceful protests in 2011. In the intervening years, over 580,000 lives have been lost, 13 million Syrians have been displaced, and 154,000 individuals have faced arbitrary detention or enforced disappearance - including the two Archbishops of Aleppo, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos Yazigi, who were kidnapped by gunmen in April 2013. This tragic history underscores the immense humanitarian cost of the conflict in Syria, and the critical need for pathways to restorative justice and reconciliation.
In this context, the WCC reiterates its commitment to promoting inclusive dialogue and peacebuilding engaging Syrians from their many different communities and walks of life. We pray for this current transition to open a path to peace, justice and harmony among all Syria’s communities, and equal citizenship and human rights for all Syrians.
However, we are deeply alarmed by reports of the escalating attacks by Israeli armed forces against Syrian defence and industrial infrastructure, which threaten further destabilization and disruption of Syria’s path forward, and which constitute a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement. We call for the immediate cessation of such opportunistic and destructive attacks which imperil the renewed but fragile hopes of the Syrian people for a better future.
Through the challenges of this transitional moment, we appeal to all members of the international community, and all WCC member churches and ecumenical and interfaith partners, to provide the support and assistance needed by Syrians displaced or in need. We urge an immediate end to the sanctions that have caused such harm to the Syrian population. We appeal to all parties in Syria to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, to protect civilians, to honour the God-given dignity of others, and to seek justice, reconciliation and unity. And we appeal for external actors to refrain from intervening by armed force or other means that deprive the Syrian people from realizing their aspirations for a just, sustainable and democratically inclusive peace in their own nation.
Especially in this season of Advent, may the God of peace inspire and guide us as we work towards a future rooted in love, justice and peace.
Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay
General Secretary
World Council of Churches
