President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) Nasr al-Hariri, visited the Mar Touma Syriac-Orthodox Church in the town of Ras al-Ayn in al-Hasaka province.
Al-Hariri was accompanied by Vice-president Ruba Habboush, Secretary General Abdelbaset Abdullatif, Secretary of the political committee Riyad al-Hassan, and SOC’s members Bahjat Atassi, Yasser al-Farhan, Adnan Rahmoun, Muhammad Qaddah and Ahmed Tomeh.
The visit came as part of a tour in the liberated areas of al-Raqqa and al-Hasakah provinces where the SOC’s delegation met with the population and those in charge of the church who talked about their life and living conditions.
Al-Hariri stressed the common values ​​binding all religions together, including Islam and Christianity, such as love, peace and coexistence. He pointed out that for well over 14 centuries, this land has been home for followers of various religions who co-existed in an atmosphere of fraternity and tolerance. He stressed that the reality on the ground has long refuted the Assad regime’s claims about protecting religious minorities, citing for example the numbers of Christians in Syria before and after the Assad regime’s takeover of power.
Al-Hariri gave an overview on the SOC’s activities and work, especially its political activities as well as its work in basic services and civil administration across the liberated areas. He also talked about the SOC’s executive institutions and their efforts in managing the liberated areas and providing services to the people.
Al-Hariri stressed the importance of preserving Syria’s social fabric, pointing out that Syria’s richness and beauty lies in its diversity and the harmony among its people as well as the lack of religious discrimination. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
