Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Boutros Rai denounced the cruel attack carried out by the Islamic State terrorist group against the Assyrians in al-Hasakah and other neighboring Christian towns in Syria, calling on the concerned states, the United Nations Security Council and the International Community to help the displaced Assyrians return to their homes and protect them.
In his holy sermon delivered during Sunday’s mass in Bkerke, Rai said that IS has not only massacred people, but committed a crime against archaeological history of Assyrian civilization preserved at a museum in Iraq’s Mosul.
“Is ‘IS’ just an organization, or a capable state wearing a mask?” the patriarch asked, adding that this group has an unjustifiable power.
“How do the regional and international powers explain this phenomenon? Is this how we build democracy and reach political reform in the Arab States awaiting the ‘Arab Spring’?” Rai continued, praising the efforts of the Lebanese army that proved bravery and high technical skills in repelling the Islamic State’s attempts to infiltrate in Ras Baalbek’s mountainous regions.
On another note, he urged for electing a new president the soonest possible, pointing out that an alternative to the president must not even be discussed or considered, since such practice is considered a blatant constitutional violation.