Paul KeenanGroup ‘does not represent Islam’
The leader of the Syriac Orthdox Church has called on Muslim leaders to “take a clear stance” against the actions of Islamic militants in Iraq.
Amid continuing abuse of human rights in and around Mosul, Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, who is based in Lebanon, decried both the activities of ISIS and the silence of leading Muslims on the issue, even as fellow Muslims suffered under the ISIS regime.
“We insist that what has been inflicted on our people in Mosul is a war crime. Forced displacements on the basis of religious belief, be it Islam or Christianity, is a crime against humanity and requires punishment,” the patriarch said as he condemned “barbarian and unprecedented acts [which] do not represent the Islam we have lived with for more than 13 centuries”.
“At the same time,” he added, “we are astonished by the silence of most Muslim religious leaders and civil dignitaries regarding what has been happening in Mosul.“We call upon our Muslim fellows and their leadership to take a clear stance against these actions and this phenomenon that contradicts the Koranic text.”