New Jersey, SANA – Syria’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, asserted that Syria is the first line of defense against extremism and terrorism, and that Syrians shouldn’t count on the Security Council or the UN when it comes to combating terrorism; rather they should rely only on themselves.
In a seminar organized by the Syrian-American Forum in New Jersey on Monday, al-Jaafari said that the Security Council employs double standards, and that it failed to implement counterterrorism resolutions because some of its members actually support and sponsor terrorists in Syria.
He also said that some media outlets propagate baseless rumors about the situation in Syria, affirming that Syrians rejected the idea of division and remained steadfast in the face of vicious attempts to divide and weaken Syria for over four years.
Al-Jaafari said that Syria today is fighting terrorism on behalf of the world, and people around the world are becoming aware of that, but the American people must relay their viewpoints in this regards to their leaders and politicians.
Syria’s Representative also said that the meeting in Moscow made an unprecedented breakthrough, which didn’t suit some sides that sought to return to square zero, showing that certain capitals don’t want a political solution in Syria.
In turn, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, who also attended the seminar, underlined the need for Syrians abroad to spread awareness about what terrorists are doing in their homeland, calling on Syrians to adhere to national unity and standards to protect themselves from the various attempts to fragment and displace them and to blot out their identity.
For his part, representative of the Syrian-American Forum Ghiath Moussa said that this seminar is a gesture of solidarity with the homeland that seeks to emphasize the Syrians’ ability to coexist, stressing the need for dialogue and saying that the Forum can play a role in facilitating meetings between different sides.
Hazem Sabbagh
