SYRIA: Arab League monitors attend a Christain mass for Syrians killed in ten months of unrest

Record ID: 280127

  • Title: SYRIA: Arab League monitors attend a Christain mass for Syrians killed in ten months of unrest
  • Date: 10th January 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF SYRIAN MUFTI AHMAD BADR AL-DIN HASSOUN MASS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN MUFTI AHMAD BADR AL-DIN HASSOUN, SAYING: "I say to those who carried weapons from outside this country and entered it - drop the weapons because Syria will have a new birth this year. It is going to have a new birth. If you wanted authority, let us see your methods and do not raise your w
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8GP96Y1CPXELAB2J00L5YEOTC
  • Story Text: Three members of the Arab league observers attended a mass in Damascus on Monday (January 9, 2012) for Syrians killed in the ten months of an uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
    Syrian religious leaders, and Muslim and Christian worshippers took part in the mass and prayed for peace in Syria.
    During the mass there was a special mention for the death of Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun's son Saria and a Christian boy killed in Homs, Sari Saoud.
    "I say to those who carried weapons from outside this country and entered it - drop the weapons because Syria will have a new birth this year... If we were convinced by your methods we would adopt them," said Mufti Hassoun.
    Attendees at the mass raised pictures of Assad and cheered, a small pro-regime rally then gathered outside the church.
    The Arab League monitors spoke to members of the congregation, but left the church without making an official statement.
    Opposition figures said on Monday that Arab League monitors are only giving Syrian authorities more time to crack down on opponents after the League opted to keep the mission in place despite Syria's failure to comply fully with an Arab peace plan.
    The observers, whose mission began two weeks ago, have so far failed to stop a violent crackdown on protests against Assad in which the United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed in the past 10 months.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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