Athens, June 27, 2018
Photo: RIA-Novosti Deputy Speaker of the Russian State Duma Irina Yarovaya spoke of Russia’s military intervention in Syria recently, noting that terrorism is the main threat to peace and that Russia is fighting in Syria for the interests of all Orthodox people and all peaceful citizens.
Yarovaya’s statements came at the session of the General Assembly Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) currently underway in Athens, reports RIA-Novosti.
The IAO is an interparliamentary body set up by the initiative of the Greek Parliament, with delegations from Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, the Federation of Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine. The organization believes that “Orthodoxy as the unifying force par excellence in the East of Europe is in a position to act as a bridge between Europe and other cultures, particularly those of Asia, thus contributing to the consolidation of peace.”
“Today we all face a new challenge—terrorism. And in fact, the struggle that Russia is waging in Syria today is a struggle not for its own interests, but a struggle for the interests of all Orthodox people, all peaceful citizens under the real threat of destruction from the most brutal and deadly force in the world,” Yarovaya stated.
“Rights are being destroyed today, and Orthodoxy is being persecuted. This is because of divisions into ‘us’ and ‘them.’ This is a very dangerous game,” the state deputy added.
An example of this until recently unthinkable division is the Russian Federation’s loss of right to vote in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “Where dialogue ends, conflict begins. We don’t need conflict,” Yarovaya affirmed.
She also emphasized that Orthodox people are united by spirituality and morality. Furthermore, according to her, it is morality and tradition that allow states to become civilized. “Today, in my view, we are observing a reverse process, where laws are destroying tradition and morality. But do politicians have the right … to destroy that which is most valuable in the world, that which has been developed by many generations and passed onto us all as an inheritance?” Yarovaya asked the Assembly participants, calling on them to realize their responsibility to the past, present, and future.
While in Moscow in December, His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch urged the Orthodox Church to do everything possible to preserve Syrian unity, and thanked the Russian side for its fight against the spread of terrorism in the Middle East.
“We are eternally grateful for the labors and concerns of Russia for the destruction of terrorism, the establishment of peace, and the stability of Syria. We turn with particular gratitude to the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, to the army, to Russian political leaders, and to the people for Russia’s help in protecting our country from the spread of terrorism… in establishing peace and reaching a peaceful political solution to everything that is happening in our region,” Pat. John stated.
Follow us on Facebook!
