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A day after the Syrian Grand Mufti claimed that the two kidnapped bishops were in Turkey, Lebanese Maronite Bishop Boulos Nabil al-Sayah said that there isn’t any clear information regarding the whereabouts of two bishops abducted in Syria earlier this year. On Monday, he told al-Mada radio, “There’s no clear information about the two abducted bishops in Syria, Boulos al-Yazigi and Youhanna Ibrahim, since they were kidnapped. Even Qatar doesn’t have a clear picture of the abductors and what they’re asking for in exchange for the bishops’ release”. In April, armed men abducted the bishops whilst they were en route to Aleppo from the Turkish border. Reports placed the bishops in the hands of a small group of rebels in the town of Bshaqtin, 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) northwest of Aleppo, but on Sunday, Syrian Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun said that they were in Turkey. Recently, Qatar promised to help resolve the case of the abducted bishops and try to secure their release. Bishop Boulos regretfully said, “The bishops were kidnapped and the countries supporting the gunmen are unable to determine their fate. The kidnappers have outside backing, so, it’s the duty of their backers to find out the fate of the bishops”.
28 October 2013
The Daily Star (Lebanon)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Oct-28/236032-no-clear-information-on-bishops-abducted-in-syria-sayyah.ashx#axzz2kIuQJMbR
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The Grand Mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun, the spiritual leader of Sunni Muslims in the country, claimed that he has information that the two Orthodox bishops of Aleppo, kidnapped in April, are alive and outside the country. Interfax-Religion reported on the story. Yelena Agapova, Vice President of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, a Russian NGO that plays an active role in the Middle East and delivered aid to Syria stated, “According to information from the Mufti, they’re in Turkey”. Agapova stated that on 28 October Mufti Hassoun met in Moscow with representatives of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society. The Grand Mufti is of the opinion, “I see the hand of Chechen militants and Turkish special services behind the kidnappings”. The Mufti believed that the kidnapping might have a link to Ankara‘s request to transfer the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East from Syria to Turkey. During his visit to the Islamic University of Moscow {its web address still has the old “.su” suffix… fancy that: editor}, Mufti Hassoun complained that at least 2,000 Russians, mostly from the North Caucasus, are in the ranks of the armed Syrian opposition.
In April, a group of militants, who killed their driver, seized Metropolitan Boulos al-Yazigi (Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch) and Metropolitan Mar Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim (Syriac Orthodox Church). The two Orthodox leaders were doing humanitarian work in the village of Kafr Da’el, near the Turkish-Syrian border. The MP expressed “deep concern” about their fate. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev of Volokolamsk, chairman of the MP DECR, told AsiaNews in late August, “In all this time we haven’t any news of where they are and how they are. There are many rumours, but none of them have official confirmation”.
29 October 2013
AsiaNews
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Grand-Mufti-of-Syria:-The-kidnapped-Orthodox-bishops-are-alive-and-in-Turkey-29398.html
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According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied reports that two bishops kidnapped in Syria were in Turkey. Referring to earlier reports circulated on 12 August alleging that the bishops were in Turkey, the statement blamed the Syrian government for spreading false information, noting, “We’ve observed that similar allegations are now being repeated by Syrian officials in the context of their contacts with the Russian Federation. These accusations are completely baseless and untrue”.
In April, armed men abducted Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos al-Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim whilst they were en route to Aleppo from the Turkish border. Reportedly, they were on their way to negotiate the release of three missing priests. Reacting to reports that we now know who the kidnappers are, and that there’s evidence that at least one of the two bishops was alive, Lebanese Maronite Bishop Boulos Nabil al-Sayah reiterated that there was no indication pointing to their imminent release, saying, “There are no negotiations. If there were negotiations, there would’ve been the beginning of a resolution. This is what’s worrying, that there’s nothing”. He added that, so far, we don’t know whether the bishops are alive or who kidnapped them. Bishop Boulos went on to say, “The Emir of Qatar promised us explicitly to do his utmost to try and find who kidnapped them, where they are, and what their situation is, and if they have demands”, adding that the Qataris hadn’t yet followed up on their pledge. Boulos also observed that the Greek and Syriac Orthodox Churches of Antioch are following up on the issue, “What we find difficult to understand is that they [the bishops] were kidnapped by one or more factions fighting the [Syrian] government. Someone must be feeding these people money, arms, and support of all sorts. We don’t understand how the states that are arming these people can’t step in and [pressure] them [to release the bishops]”.
31 October 2013
The Daily Star (Lebanon)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2013/Oct-31/236367-ankara-denies-abducted-bishops-are-held-in-turkey.ashx#axzz2kIuQJMbR
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Kathimerini understands that alleged comments made by Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun last week over the fate of two Orthodox bishops abducted in the troubled Middle East country earlier this year raised hopes that the two clerics are still alive. According to the Russian media, during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday, Hassoun said that he had information that Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos al-Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim are alive and that they’re in Turkey. Subsequently, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the allegations. Bishop Luka al-Khoury, a representative of Patriarch Youhanna al-Yazigi of Antioch and all the East {he’s the brother of the abducted Greek Orthodox bishop: editor}, told Kathimerini that the Patriarchate was aware of the comments, but it didn’t have any firsthand information about their whereabouts, noting, “We hear all sorts of things, but all we can do right now is pray for them”. In April, gunmen seized the two clerics near the northern commercial and industrial hub of Aleppo, contested by rebels and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian government suggested that anti-Assad rebels carried out the abduction. Comments made by Lebanese intelligence chief Abbas Ibrahim on Tuesday reinforced optimism about their fate, as he said that he knew the whereabouts of the two bishops, adding that he was negotiating for their release.
Kathimerni
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_02/11/2013_525975
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There one has it. The only thing known is that the bishops are now in their eighth month of captivity, with no news whatsoever of where they are and who’s holding them. There’s nothing more one can say on the matter, kids… they’re in limbo. Light a candle and pray… that’s all that’s left to us.
BMD
A Statement Issued by the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Greek-Melkite Catholic Patriarchates of Antioch on the Recent American Aggression in Syria
Tags: American aggression, American terrorism, Christian, Christianity, Christianity in the Middle East, Christians in Middle East, Eastern Orthodox Church, Melkite Catholic, Middle East, Middle Eastern, Oriental Orthodox, Oriental Orthodoxy, peace in the middle east, political commentary, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, Syria, Syriac Christianity, syriac orthodox church, Syrian Civil War, terror, terrorism, terrorist, terrorists, Uniate, Uniates, United States, war and conflict
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God is with us; Understand all ye nations and submit yourselves!
We condemn and denounce the brutal aggression that took place this morning against our precious country Syria by the USA, France, and the UK, under allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. We raise our voices to affirm the following:
We offer our prayers for the safety, victory, and deliverance of Syria from all kinds of wars and terrorism. We also pray for peace in Syria and throughout the world, and call for strengthening the efforts of the national reconciliation for the sake of protecting the country and preserving the dignity of all Syrians.
+ Greek Orthodox Patriarch Youhanna al-Yazigi of Antioch and all the East
+ Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem of Antioch and all the East
+ Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch Joseph Absi of Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem
Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic
14 April 2018