[Zajko]

Of course I was tracked by state security. At times they were even obvious. And don’t try to put words into my mouth: no-one but a lunatic would claim that Syria was a ‘liberal’ state in any political way: quite the opposite. I’m talking about the nature of the people, from a religious perspective, in response to your comment about ‘suicide bombers for Allah’, as was quite clear.

My point, to repeat, is that Syria isn’t an Islamic religious state: the people are in general quite liberal, from a religious perspective, when compared to other countries where I’ve lived, traveled or worked in the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait etc. To class everyone in Syria as a ‘suicide bomber for Allah’ simply displays ignorance and lack of knowledge about the country and its people.

And there is no evidence that Christians in Syria are ‘packing up and leaving’ in any greater numbers than their Muslim counterparts right now.

[Netz]

I am not saying they are all wackos, far from it. I did not mean to imply that they are a liberal regime compared to other Arab states. You have obviously had significant experiences in Arab countries and tasted from their cultural wells. The Arabs are at once cordial, warm, extremely hospitable and honor their guests but...they also have a 7th century side to their decimated psyches that, when let loose is like a rabid dog. So, while they showed you their good side their intolerance to other societies is deafening. The Syrian Christians are in the same state as Christianity in the Middle East, from Alexandria to Oman - they are in peril and they know it.