14th October, 2015
The World Council of Churches has this week expressed "grave concern" over what it says is the "dramatic escalation" of the conflict in Syria and called for an end to foreign military intervention in the country.
In a statement issued on Monday, the WCC’s General Secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit condemned the escalation of military operations "when expectations and new hopes had been raised of a political process moving forward" which he said were in-line with proposals approved by the UN Security Council in August.
"We are particularly concerned that this escalation will make the situation even worse for the people of Syria and particularly for vulnerable communities."
The statement comes as both the US and Russia have escalated their involvement in the conflict with Russia recently launching its first airstrikes into Syria – labelled by the Pentagon as "reckless and indiscriminate" amid an ongoing dispute over whether they are targeting Islamic State fighters or rebels fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – and the US this week carrying out airdrops of tonnes of ammunition and weapons such as hand grenades to support rebel fighters.
Rev Dr Tveit said in his statement that the WCC had expressed on several occasions "its deep conviction" that there will be no military solution to the crisis.
"Sadly, this urgent call remains truer and more needed now than ever," he said. "The dramatic daily increase of the number of victims, the haemorrhaging of Syria’s population as refugees, and the inability of the international community to find common political solutions have become ethically unbearable. The cycle of extreme violence and its tragic implications on the whole Syrian population have become unacceptable."
The WCC have called on "all governments to put an immediate end to all military actions and to support and engage with a political process for peace in Syria through which a narrative for all Syrians can be generated" and reiterated a call to the UN Security Council and international community to "implement measures to end the flow of weapons and foreign fighters into Syria".
"History has shown tragically and repeatedly that foreign military interventions cannot bring peace and eliminate extremism," said Rev Dr Tveit. "On the contrary, they will rather fuel religious tensions and lead to more radicalisation. Only a political solution in Syria, leading to the establishment of a transitional national government, recognised by the people of Syria and the international community, can adequately address the existential threat posed by ISIS and other extremist groups and offer hope for the preservation of the diverse social fabric of Syria and the region."
– DAVID ADAMS
