AANES delegation meets Patriarch Church of Montserrat in Cataloina

The Autonomous Administration delegation, according to what was published on the official website of the Department of Foreign Relations, included the co-chair of the External Relations Department in the Autonomous Administration, Badran Cia Kurd, the representative of the Autonomous Administration in Europe, Dr. Abdul Karim Omar, and the co-chair of the Syrian Syriac Union Party, Nazira Kouriya.

At the beginning of the meeting, Patriarch Manel Kasch presented a historical overview of the church located about fifty kilometers west of the Catalonia city of Barcelona. He said that it was built in the sixteenth century AD, and in addition to being a sacred religious place, it is also considered a cultural place, as the church contains tens of thousands of volumes and a school for teaching children music, which is the oldest of its kind in Europe.

Patriarch Kasch added that the Church of Montserrat was subjected to violent repression during the Spanish Civil War, during which twenty-two of its monks were killed, and that the church turned during the era of Francisco Franco into a refuge for politicians, artists, and students fleeing repression and persecution.

He also pointed out that their church has a long history of relationship with the Middle East, saying, “Father Palacios traveled to most of the countries in the Middle East, especially Syria, with the aim of recording the history and civilization of the Syriacs and the region.”

Regarding the situation of Christians in the region, Patriarch Kasch said, “We followed the situation of Christians during the attacks launched by extremist groups, and we saw the damage to churches and the displacement of Christians. We hope that these practices will end so that everyone can live safely and peacefully.”

He also referred to the Catalonia Parliament's recognition of self-administration and said that this is a good step because it paves the way for strengthening relations and increasing cooperation between the two parties, hoping that the recognition will constitute the appropriate ground for opening new horizons of joint action.

After that, the co-chair of the Foreign Relations Department, Badran Cia Kurd, spoke, expressing their happiness to be in this sacred religious place, and added, “The fact that this church carries out spiritual religious tasks and at the same time turns it into a haven for those fleeing injustice and persecution is evidence that it has played a great positive role throughout history.” “It is necessary for all centers and places of worship to emulate it, with the aim of establishing peace and harmony between all religions and peoples.”

Cia Kurd then touched on the Syrian conflict, saying, “The war in Syria has turned into a sectarian religious conflict in which hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed. As is known, the Christian component and other religious and ethnic minorities have suffered for years from various types of injustice and oppression at the hands of authoritarian regimes. Also, in the areas occupied by Turkey and those entered by extremist groups, Yazidi temples were destroyed, homes were destroyed, and their residents were expelled. In addition, they forced the Yazidis to convert to Islam in violation of all divine laws.”

He pointed out that the components of North and East Syria were not drawn into this conflict, adding, “To avoid sliding into this religious and sectarian fighting, the components of North and East Syria announced the Autonomous Administration project.” Thanks to this project, we were able to maintain social peace and the bonds of coexistence between people of all religions and nationalities. This is why we see that our project is a gain for all components of the region, and to continue it, we need the efforts of all those seeking the values of justice, equality, and eliminating injustice.”

In her turn, the co-chair of the Syrian Syriac Union Party, Nazira Kouriya, spoke, saying, “I am overwhelmed with mixed feelings as I am now with you in this historic, holy place.” In these moments when I reminded you of your suffering, I in turn recall the suffering of Christians and the injustices they have been exposed to in the Middle East region, especially during the past few years as a result of the wave of terrorism and extremism.”

She stressed that the Syriac people, despite all the ordeals and injustices they have been exposed to, are still struggling to preserve their religious beliefs and guarantee their legitimate rights, like the rest of the peoples of the world.

T/ Satt.

ANHA