Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
October 26, 2020
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) expresses its outright rejection of inflammatory rhetoric as a driver of violence and terrorism. It is unacceptable to pass this speech in the name of “freedom of expression.”
Insulting a people’s sacred symbols is anything but normal. Official authorities’ support and encouragement of these insults and as well as using it for electoral purposes represents a dangerous and unwise step, let alone it fuels extremism and right-wing ideology.
The promotion of such inflammatory rhetoric that insults a people’s religious beliefs risks fueling crises and opening the door to competition to gratify the most extreme segments. This will put the world, France and European societies in front of a serious challenge and constitutes a serious threat to the values of friendship and coexistence.
The statements and positions of all parties must be wise and responsible in order to block the road to extremism, especially since extremist ideas naturally trigger terrorist counter ideas. They are two sides of the same coin as they emanate from the same mentality and patterns of thought.
The SOC calls on all political, social and partisan forces in France to pay attention to the dangers of the escalating inflammatory rhetoric in French circles. It stresses the need to uphold the values of coexistence and respect for religious minorities, and develop a wise intellectual and cultural framework vis-à-vis such crises.
The SOC also affirms the need to track down the root causes of extremism and seek to solve the major crises facing the world today in accordance with international law and UN resolutions.
