Geneva, June 13, 2013
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The representative of Patriarch of Antioch and all the East John X, Bishop Isaac of Apameia, the UN high commissioner on human rights Navanethem Pillay, the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church at the World Council of Churches and international organizations in Geneva, Archpriest Michael Gundiaev, and other public and religious figures and diplomats took part in the meeting. One of the conference's organizers was the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society that was represented in the forum by the IOPS deputy chairman E.A. Agapova. The President of the Historical Perspective Foundation and a member of the IOPS council N.A. Narochnitskaya took part in the event.
The message of the grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, who for safety reasons could not be present at the event, was read aloud at the conference. The message relayed information about cruel violence perpetrated by militants against the peaceful population, about the destruction of churches and mosques by them. The Mufti called upon the UN Human Rights Council to be unbiased and impartial towards events happening in Syria.
Bishop Isaac of Apameia devoted his speech to the situation of Christians in Syria. He expressed the deep concern about their exodus from their native land, named cases of kidnapping of clergy, acts of vandalism, and destruction of Christian Shrines. He especially noted the positive role of Russia in overcoming of the crisis. The hierarch stressed that Christians feel that they are an integral part of the Syrian society.
In his speech, Archpriest Michael Gundiaev stated that Syria is gradually losing its unique model of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Moslems based on mutual respect. He also expressed a special concern about the destiny of the two missing hierarchs: Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Metropolitan Mar Gregory Johanna Ibrahim, who were kidnapped by militants near Aleppo on April 22, 2013.
The following decision was made at the conference: to send an appeal to the UN Human Rights Council that would express deep concern over the kidnapping of clergy, and contain a call to the UN to make every effort to ensure the prompt and successful release of the Syrian Metropolitans from captivity. All the delegates agreed that a peaceful settlement must be carried out on the basis of the Geneva communique through the Syrian national dialogue, which will result in the resolution of the problem by Syrians themselves, and create an atmosphere wherein all residents of Syria can feel safe, regardless of their ethnic and religious background or political views.