WCC calls for an end to foreign military interventions in Syria

The World Council of Churches (WCC) expresses grave concern over escalation of the conflict in Syria in an official statement issued on 12 October. 

The Council condemns all foreign military operations, citing raised hope for a political process in line with the proposals made by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, and approved by the UN Security Council last August.

“We call upon 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,” said Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC.

He added, “We also reiterate our urgent call to the UN Security Council and the international community to implement measures to end the flow of weapons and foreign fighters into Syria.”

“Only a political solution in Syria, leading to the establishment of a transitional national government, recognized 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,” reads the statement. “The Syrian people deserve another alternative to what they face today, and a just peace now.  We hope and pray that the suffering of the Syrian people will come to an end soon.”

Full text of the WCC statement here