It is true that the Christians of the Middle East are a persecuted minority—like all regional minorities, from the Shiites to the Druze and from the Kurds to the Jews. And the Christians are already suffering at the hands of Sunni extremists in Iraq and Egypt. But still, it is impossible to feel much sympathy for the recent statements of Lebanon’s newly appointed Maronite patriarch, Beshara al-Rahi. “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be given a chance because he is implementing reforms in Syria,” said Rahi.

In an interview with Al Arabiya on Thursday, Rahi explained his reasoning: “If the regime changes in Syria, and the Sunnis take over, they will form an alliance with the Sunnis in Lebanon, which will worsen the situation between the Shiites and the Sunnis.” The patriarch warned that Christians in Syria and Lebanon would pay the price if Assad’s rule were followed by the Muslim Brotherhood’s.