If you listen to conservative radio shows, you would hear from these voices, many of whom are quite ignorant about the region, on how Assad is the savior of Christians in the Middle East. How his regime protects Christians while his opponents are out to kill them.
Assad has turned his barrel bombs into acts of saving and defending Christians. He has made killing of civilians equal to killing the lions killing Christians. The ignorant ones are lapping Assad words like kittens in a whorehouse.
Let us make one thing clear first about the killing of Christians in the region.
There are two groups either killing or converting Christians. The first group killing the Christians of Syria is the one formed after Assad released from his jails intentionally hundreds of ideological maniacs he knew would kill Christians in order to unite all the minorities behind his regime of terror. This began to happen in late 2011, and into 2012. The group called itself ISIS. It was launched by Assad and forged by him (U.S. State Department confirms it in this Press Briefing).
Assad even handed over James Foley to ISIS (Read this factual news item) in the hope he could get the world to pay attention to ISIS as his alternative should he be deposed. How is that for the conservative voices claiming Assad to defend Christians?
The second group of Islamists, represented by Jabhat al-Nusra and al-Qaeda, are not killing Christians but forcing them to convert because of a non-tolerant Islamist ideology. This is not to excuse their ugly deeds. When there is any killing of Christians in this group, it happens often when the Islamists capture, as an example, a helicopter Christian pilot who just dropped barrel bombs on civilians (The story does not cite his faith, but he was a Christian). Do we blame the pilot? No, we don’t because he is acting after watching what ISIS did to his Christian brothers and sisters without knowing it was Assad who unleashed ISIS on his loved ones.
Should we be outraged at the Islamists killing or converting? Absolutely. But we should also never forget the essential role Assad played, and is still playing today, behind the killing of Christians. Assad is not out to defend Christians, he is out to defend his rule.
Have we not learned from the experience in Lebanon that the number one killer of Christians is none other than Baschar al-Assad. He killed two Lebanese Presidents in Bashir Gemayel and Rene Moawad and a score of prominent Christian Maronites (Catholics) who opposed his rule to include George Hawi, Gibran Tueini, Samir Kassir, and so many other outstanding Christians who saw in Assad the evil that he is. Do you label his acts as ones to defend Christians?
No one is more brutal than Assad. No one. And all those ignorant fools who have swallowed Assad’s propaganda hook, line, and sinker should not be airing falsehood on the air that Assad protects Christians. Assad protects no one but himself. Just ask the families of dead Lebanese Christians before you make claims that he is their protector.
Even al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, forcing Christians to convert against their will, are the result of the terror Assad perpetrated against his own people. Remember the peaceful marchers in 2011 we have thousands of videos to show for? Did you hear any of them chant “Death to Christians”, or did you see anyone burn a cross?
Stupidity among some conservative voices spreading the Assad gospel of lies and deceit better educate themselves about the true nature of the Assad regime. To believe, as they do, that Assad turned his barrel bombs somehow into acts to defend Christians smacks of asininity.
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