Syrian Christians fear a military strike in Syria will leave them vulnerable to terrorists who will have a bigger grip on the country, says a bishop who has been speaking to those fleeing the crisis.
The Episcopal Bishop of Egypt, N.Africa and Horn of Africa has met with Syrians living in Egypt, and also talked with Syrians on a trip to Jordan.
Rt Revd Dr Mouneer Anis said that believers would rather see political discussion than military intervention. He also feels if America does commit to action then the future of Christianity in Syria will be in doubt as many will flee in the same way they left Iraq when it was invaded. Bishop Mouneer told Premier's Victoria Laurence during the News Hour that it was 'painful' seeing Syrian refugees and why he doesn't think military intervention is the best way forward:
The UK has committed £400 million to help those affected by the conflict.
This is the UK's largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis and will provide support including food, medical care and relief items for over a million people including those affected by the fighting in Syria and to refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency there are two million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq. More than four million are displaced in Syria,and 6.8 million are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country.
Prime Minister David Cameron announced last week that the UK will provide £52 million in new humanitarian funding, bringing the UK total to £400m.
David Cameron said:
"This is the refugee crisis of our time. A Syrian becomes a refugee every 15 seconds."
Canon Edgar Ruddock from the Christian charity US tells Premier's Des Busteed they've been providing assistance to Syrian refugees who've fled to Egypt:
Meanwhile, a first group of 107 Syrian refugees arrived by plane in the northern German city of Hanover today from Lebanon under a special humanitarian programme announced by the German government earlier this year.
The refugees will be offered cultural orientation courses – basic language training and basic information on Germany, including the school and health systems, as well as help in interacting with the local authorities. At the end of the two week period, the refugees will leave for locations across Germany. They will live in small centres or apartments and will have full access to medical, educational and other social services. During their stay, the refugees will have the right to work. And the Pope is urging members of religious orders to use empty convents and other structures to house refugees fleeing war and hardship. Pope Francis spoke during a visit to refugees at a Jesuit-run center in Rome.
He said:
"The Church does not need the empty convents to be turned into hotels to earn money.
"The empty houses are not ours. They are for the flesh of Christ, which are the refugees."
President Obama's put the brakes on strikes against Syria for now. In a special address from the White House, he confirmed a vote to get Congress to back military action had been postponed.
He wants time to explore a Russian proposal which would put President's Assad's chemical weapons beyond use:
"This initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force, particularly because Russia is one of Assad's strongest allies.
"I have therefore asked the leaders of Congress to postpone a vote to authorise the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path."
Although President Obama does remains cautious about a Russian plan for Syria to give up its chemical weapons.
He said:
"I'd ask every member of Congress to view those videos of the attack. And then ask: 'what kind of world we will live in if the United States of America sees a dictator brazenly violate international law with poison gas and we chose to look the other way."
The Prime Minister said the world wouldn't be pursuing the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria if there wasn't the threat of military action. He wants to fully explore a Russian proposal to put President Assad's chemical weapons beyond use.
But David Cameron's told the House of Commons that definitely wouldn't be happening if the international community hadn't responded:
"We would not be in this situation of pursuing new avenues of getting Syrian chemical weapons out of Syria and destroyed unless a strong stance had been taken.
"That is the right answer, not crawling up to dictators telling them how wonderful they are."
Both sides in Syria are being accused of war crimes. A report by United Nations human rights investigators is claiming President Assad's forces massacred civilians and bombed hospitals earlier this year. It also accuses opposition fighters of carrying out executions and shelling civilian neighbourhoods.