Islamic Extremists Attack Syria Churches, Remove Crosses, Hoist Up Black Islamist Flags in Reka

By MidEast Christian News, Wednesday, October 02, 2013

The head of Aleppo's Evangelical Church has said that the burning of churches and the raising of black Islamist flags on them in the Syrian city of Reka is not acceptable.

Pastor Ibrahim Noseir called on the U.N. General Assembly to adopt a clear position to suspend attacks against Christian sites.

"What is the position of the international community on such actions," Noseir asked.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stressed that Al-Qaeda-linked fighters burned the contents of a church, while they raised their flags on another after destroying the church's cross in the Syrian city of Reka.

The head of the observatory said that the fighters burned the statues and crosses of Our Lady of Annunciation Greek Catholic Church.

Pastor Noseir said that those people who commit such actions are not from the Syrian community, indicating they are foreign elements taking advantage of events in Syria.

Pastor Noseir called for liberating kidnapping victims, especially Aleppo's Metropolitans Paulis Yazigy and Youhana Ibrahim, who were kidnapped in April. He called on different parties to exert their efforts to reveal their fates and to liberate them.

"All kidnapped people, including metropolitans, fathers, sheikhs, and ordinary citizens, should be liberated, as they have not committed any mistakes," he added.

Pastor Noseir described the metropolitans as messengers of love and peace and said their releases would achieve the interests of Syria and put an end to violence.

He also said that communications have been cut in Aleppo for over several weeks, adding that the city is besieged by the opposition with state resources exerting extreme effort to combat the end the blackout.