Christians working with Syrians: U.S. withdrawal puts minorities at risk

[TomSea]

Excerpt:

Christians working with Syrians: U.S. withdrawal puts minorities at risk
Dale Gavlak - Catholic News Service December 20, 2018

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"This U.S. decision to withdraw with no guarantees opens up the gates of hell" for the people of northern Syria, said Father Emanuel Youkhana, a priest, or archimandrite, of the Assyrian Church of the East. He spoke to Catholic News Service by phone, pointing to the controversial military threats already made by Turkey to attack the area.

"I expect this decision will force the Christian community to flee, to migrate once again. They still have fresh in their collective memory the genocide that took place against them by the Ottoman Turks in 1915," the priest said. "It will lead to more fears, concerns and a bleeding of the Christian population to leave Syria."

Father Youkhana, who runs Christian Aid Program Northern Iraq, a Christian program for displaced Iraqis around the north Iraqi city of Dohuk, is in constant contact with his fellow clerics across the border in northern Syria.

Read more at: https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/12/20/christians-working-syrians-us-withdrawal-puts-minorities-risk