Christians fleeing sectarian violence in Syria - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

Christians fleeing sectarian violence in Syria

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WASHINGTON (AP) - A Mideast analyst at a U.S. think tank says the plight of Christians in Syria is being overlooked in the ongoing coverage of civil war bloodshed.

Activists say tens of thousands of Syrians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the battle between opposition forces and the regime of Bashar Assad.

Hoover Institute religious freedom analyst Nina Shea believes Syrian Christians face more persecution than other minorities in Syria. Shea says many Christians who are professionals and business owners are fleeing to Lebanon, which is being overwhelmed. Shea says some of those fearing for their lives are paying so-called "coyotes" to smuggle them out of the country.

She believes the U.S. and the international community should help with relief and establish corridors for refugees. Shea says the Syrian church dates to the biblical era and that some minority Syrians still speak the language of Jesus of Nazareth.

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