DAOUD RAJIHA, the assassinated minister of defence, was one of several Christians drawn into the higher ranks of officialdom by the …

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Damascus, Syria, Jul 19, 2012 / 12:06 am (CNA).- Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus spoke out against the violent conflict between government and rebel forces in Syria, drawing particular attention to the plight of refugees “In this period of mindless violence, our voices are drowned by the long ordeal of the country and by a complexity that is blocking any diplomatic solution. The country is sinking in sorrow and gratuitous violence and there is still no end in sight, we have been in a protracted conflict for more than sixteen months,” he told Fides news agency.

The archbishop’s comments came before a July 18 bomb attack at a high-level crisis meeting that killed three government leaders, including President Bashar Assad’s brother-in-law and the defense minister. Defense Minister Dawoud Rajha was the most senior Christian government official in Syria. Syria’s Christians, who make up 10 percent of the population, tend to support the government. Rebels tend to draw support from the majority Sunni Muslim population.