Christians love Assad
The Armenians are a well-integrated Christian minority in the Netherlands. Originally they came from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Southern Turkey. Dutch newspaper ‘De Telegraaf’ interviewed several of them and talked about the civil war in Syria.
Christian refugee Johnny Shabo says that the same group responsible for the civil war in the eighties is now responsible for more chaos. The Muslim brotherhood that attacked the regime of Assad’s father earlier, are now attacking Assad junior’s regime.
Shabo says that the leaders of ISIS and Al Qaeda who are fighting in Syria are part of the Muslim brotherhood. For Christian Arameans the Muslim rebels pose a bigger threat than Assad’s troops, Shabo says.
“It’s a fact that Christians in Syria were left alone by Assad as long as they didn’t interfere in politics”, he adds. “Every Christian from Syria will tell you that before the civil war, our country was a far better place for us than Turkey.”
In Nederland: Arameeërs vrezen de radicale islam: ’Zullen wij nogmaals moeten vluchten?’ https://t.co/5zuUDMOoqa via @telegraaf
— Wierd Duk ܦܝܪܬ ܕܘܟ (@wierdduk) April 12, 2018
A while ago the Aramean priest Zuhri Khazaal travelled from Syria to visit the Dutch community in the city of Enschede.
Zuhri blames the West, Turkey and Arabic countries for arming the jihadist rebels. “And now the Turks are lighting up the fire with their invasion. Everybody in Syria wants to be left alone and wants that Assad stays leader. Why? Because compared to other Arab dictators, Assad is a gift from heaven for Christians”.
Johnny Shabo and his friends understand what priest Zuhri means. Every Aramean fears radical Islam. “We are very worried looking at the developments in Syria where American interventions can have a big impact.” Shabo continues, “they could unintentionally be of great advantage for the jihadist rebels”.