Religious dimension to Russian intervention in Syria ‘could open the gates of hell’

Tunisia’s former Ambassador to Syria has warned that if Russia is seeking to reinforce a religious dimension to its current military intervention in Syria, it could provoke the Muslim world, expand the conflict and “open the gates of hell” across the region.

“The Russian Orthodox Church blessed the intervention, saying that this is a holy war,” Mohammad Ayta said in an interview with Anadolu news agency. “I believe that this is very dangerous because of the complexities of the Syrian case, which already has sectarian and ethnic dimensions.” If the religious dimension is added, he suggested, the war would look like a crusade between Christianity and Islam.

The media recently aired videos showing Orthodox Christian priests blessing the Russian soldiers before they headed to Syria. The Russian Interfax news agency quoted the Orthodox Church’s official spokesman, Vsevolod Chaplin, as saying, “The fight with terrorism is a holy battle and today our country is perhaps the most active force fighting it in the world.”

The Tunisian diplomat insisted that it is not in any party’s interest to play the religious card and stressed that if it happens, there will be reactions from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the general public, as well as the jihadist groups’ recruitment elements.

Ayta concluded by saying that the Syrian issue could be used as a bargaining chip by Moscow to gain leverage in other conflicts in which it is involved, such as Ukraine, which is still on the table for discussion.