Metropolitan PHILIP 
interviewed by the Tishreen Syrian Newspaper:
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President Assad is a Great Leader and a Skilled Planner |
To read the interview in Arabic, click here
During his recent visit to Damascus, Metropolitan PHILIP (Saliba), Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, was interviewed by the Tishreen Newspaper. The following is a summary of the Interview.
First, His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP spoke about his Archdiocese saying, "My Archdiocese extends over two countries, Canada and the United States. I have 250 parishes, 350 priests and 200 deacons. We are organized in such an exemplary way, and we have excellent relations with the rest of the Arab communities."
Then, Metropolitan PHILIP spoke about his memories in Syria. "I was born in Lebanon, educated in Syria, of Arabic Heritage, and having an American citizenship." His Eminence related his memories during the troubled era of Hussni El-Za'im, until the era of the Leader, President Hafez El-Assad, who came and put an end to the unstable situation in Syria. "I believe Lebanon and Syria are one people in two countries, (a division) that we did not make... We inherited this division from the time of Sykes Picko. I do not believe in borders among the Arab nations and I look forward to the time when the borders will disappear among them."
After speaking about the Arab wars with the enemy, Metropolitan PHILIP extolled President Hafez El-Assad saying, " I have never met in my life a President that reads the Political and Local Map as President Assad does. He is faithful to his nation, faithful to his people, having an all-inclusive vision, faithful to his Arabism. He is a skilled planner, who knows how to implement his plans. The great achievements that he accomplished in Syria testifies to this..."
His Eminence spoke about the role of the immigrants in supporting the cause of the Arab nations. He declared that in 1976, he established a center of Arab religious leaders from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds. He emphasized that "We are all short in (supporting) the case of Al-Quddos (Jerusalem). What did we do to Al Quddos?"
Finally His Eminence spoke of the need to having a clear foreign policy because the immigrants can play a very important role in supporting their mother countries. But first the immigrants have to be prideful of their countries of origin.
