Unless Christians are protected, Christianity will soon die in Syria, Iraq and even Lebanon.
The warning came from Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan of the Syriac Catholic Church of Antioch.
Addressing the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Toronto, Canada on Tuesday, Patriarch Younan said in Syria, his home country, Christians "feel abandoned, even betrayed, by the so-called powerful nations, most particularly in the West," the Catholic News Agency reports.
"My friends, the very existence of Eastern Churches, those churches that are from the apostolic time, is at stake. They are in danger," he warned.
Patriarch Younan blamed the "Machiavellian" nature of Western foreign policy for what is happening in the region.
"We have to stand up to apply the principle of religious freedom. You can't be the best ally with regimes that discriminate and do not grant religious freedom to non-Muslims," he said.
"We have to say it with a clear voice: It is not honest and sincere to be the ally of such regimes and just say 'we have an annual report about religious freedom'," he added, apparently referring to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Patriarch Younan called for the enforcement of the U.N. Universal Declaration on Human Rights and action from Western countries, the Russian Federation, China, Brazil and the United Nations.
"What we need most is to stand up and defend our religious freedom and our civil rights," he said.
The patriarch warned of the dangers of exporting Western-style democracy into countries like Syria and Iraq where they never been exercised and where the separation of religion from state has not taken place.
Since Islam is the predominant religion in those countries, he said bringing Western-style democracy means "you're going to discriminate against non-Muslims."
Patriarch Younan also talked about the kidnappings and killings of civilians and the atrocities committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) and the warring parties in Syria. He recalled the destruction of churches and monasteries in Iraq and Syria and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian Christians.
He said children in the region are being taught Islamic teachings that inspire violence.
"In the Quran we have verses that inspire tolerance, this is true, but also we have verses that inspire violence," the patriarch said. "And if you tell those kids that all those verses are coming from God, literally the words of God...you will be able to change that young man into a beast."
