Syria: Muslim leaders call for release of kidnapped bishops

Bishop Yaziji & Bishop Ibrahim

In a strong message of solidarity on Friday, Muslim clerics across Damascus, denounced the kidnapping of Aleppo’s Greek Orthodox Bishop Boulos Yaziji, and the Syrian Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim. The two were abducted last Monday by armed men while they were travelling to Aleppo from a town on the Turkish border where they were carrying out “humanitarian work.”

Imams and preachers at mosques throughout the Syrian capital said in Friday sermons that the kidnappers were "violating the sanctity of Christian and Islamic clergymen, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation joined in on Saturday calling for the 'unconditional' release of the two bishops. Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu, the OIC secretary general, condemned the kidnapping. The OIC statement urged for their “immediate and unconditional release because such acts contradict the principles of true Islam and the [high] status held for Christian clergymen in Islam.” It added that Christian clergy always “lived in dignity and honour in the countries of Islam.”

Source: OIC/SANA