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| Fr. Paolo Dall'Oglio, S,J, |
Christians, who make up around 10% of the Syrian population, have been split by the uprising. Some have sided with the regime and some with the opposition, while the fearful majority have remained on the fence. This has caused splits in some mixed communities. Just before leaving, Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, S.J. an Italian who brokered the release of a Christian held in Qusayr, a town close to the mixed city of Homs where the violence has been most fierce. “Those who had taken them—and they were not mainstream members of the opposition—saw the church in full alliance with the regime. The church is endangering Christians,” he says. “But I was comforted by the fact they said they were not against Christians but against those who had collaborated with the regime.” Father Paolo hopes that the violence can be stemmed so the civil war doesn't eclipse an uprising that is calling for a plural, democratic country. "I see an Islamic bent in the armed opposition," he says. "We need not be afraid of Islamists but the less democratic ones will come to the fore as the war continues.".
Link (here) to read the full story at the Economist. 
1 comment:
Well if ever a blog about Jesuits was aptly named it’s this one. The irony of seeing Fr. Paolo Dell’Oglio mentioned on these pages is acute. All I will say is it is interesting to note in this article that the people he worked with said they “were not against Christians but against those who had collaborated with the regime” just think there are a group called the “Free Syrian Army” supposedly fighting for the cause of a free democracy who captured these people because of their religious affiliation and on those grounds made an assumption as to their political affiliation and held them captive until this hero priest came and sorted it out. And just think this ever so “Free” army refuses to allow you to take sides unless it is their side, very democratic indeed.
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