On the 5th May 2001, President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad (who had only assumed office in July 2000, after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad) made a speech to welcome His Holiness John Paul II on his arrival in Damascus on that day. John Paul II was the first Pope to visit Syria. President Assad asked for the Pope’s support against Israel. He said:
On behalf of the Syrian Arab people, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, I warmly welcome Your Holiness ...As Heads of the Holy See in Rome, Your Holiness embody the summit of responsibility for maintaining those values, especially that there are those who invariably attempt to subject all people once and again to the journey of ailments and agony. Therefore, our brethren in Palestine are being murdered and tortured, justice is being violated, and as a result territories in Lebanon, the Golan and Palestine have been occupied by those who even killed the principle of equality when they claimed that God created a people distinguished above all other peoples. We notice them aggressing against Moslem and Christian Holy Sites in Palestine, violating the sanctity of the Holy Mosque (Al-Aqsa), of the church of Sepulchre in Jerusalem and of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. They try to kill all the principles of divine faiths with the same mentality of betraying Jesus Christ and torturing Him, and in the same way that they tried to commit treachery against Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon Him)…Your Holiness, we highly appreciate your efforts for the benefit of humanity, and for spreading love among people, as well as your efforts in defence of the victims of injustice. We feel that in your prayers when you recall the agony of Jesus Christ you will remember the peoples of Lebanon, the Golan and Palestine who are tormented and they suffer from suppression and persecution. We expect Your Holiness to be on their side in their endeavour to regain what was unjustly usurped from them.
This coming from a man of whom human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have detailed how his regime and secret police routinely torture, imprison, and kill political opponents, and those who speak out against the regime. Since 2006 it expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents, a practice that is illegal under international law. Syria is the worst offender among Arab states.
 |
A sign over a burned car says: "Caution! You are in Baniyas, not in Israel". Another says: "Down with the regime". |
There is of course the added problem of the treatment meted out by the Israeli Government against the Palestinian people. This does not help the situation and whilst events in the Arab countries are encouraging for the advancement of democratic freedoms, the plight of the Palestinians should not be set aside.
On a lighter note the 5th May is a birthday shared by two of Hollywood's greats, Tyrone Power and Alice Faye, who starred together in three pictures in 1937, 1938 and 1939. The first was In Old Chicago:
The second was Alexander's Ragtime Band, in which, you will note, Ethel Merman sang the song Heat Wave:
Ethel Merman later starred in a picture called There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) which had Marilyn Monroe's version of Heat Wave which is contained in this next sequence:
On a lighter note the 5th May is a birthday shared by two of Hollywood's greats, Tyrone Power and Alice Faye, who starred together in three pictures in 1937, 1938 and 1939. The first was In Old Chicago:
The second was Alexander's Ragtime Band, in which, you will note, Ethel Merman sang the song Heat Wave:
Ethel Merman later starred in a picture called There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) which had Marilyn Monroe's version of Heat Wave which is contained in this next sequence:
But let's not forget it's Alice Faye's birthday:
No comments:
Post a Comment