Assad meets newly elected Syriac Orthodox patriach

Ignatius Aphrem II Karim, the newly elected patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox church, leaves little doubt which side he supports in the ongoing civil war in Syria:

Syria's Al-Assad receives Syriac Orthodox Church's new patriarch 
by Sherry El-Gergawi, Al-Ahram

Karim expressed his hope that security and peace would soon prevail in Syria, whose people he said were a shining example of national unity. He further asserted that the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate supports the Syrian people’s struggle against terrorism and their right to self-determination away from the interference of any foreign side.