Help us with medicine, food or political intervention: Syrian ambassador to India

The Syrian ambassador to India, Dr Riad Abbas, on Saturday called upon India to help Syrian refugees with medicine, food and most importantly, political intervention to help with the crisis in the war-torn country.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that he is thankful to India for it's non-interference. "We highly appreciate India's position on the Syrian crisis in adherence to the UN charter of non-interference for a political dialogue and looking at the aspiration of Syrian people. If everyone had taken India's position, there would not have been any problem in Syria," he said.

He said that the IS was not a Muslim entity. "It is problematic when any form of Muslim extremism identifies itself as Muslim," he said. To the allegations of the Arab world's withdrawal of help in the crisis, Abbas said that the Arab World had never extended its help to Syria. He said that many indoctrinated youth from Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries entered Syria to hold siege to the country.

"Guerrilla groups like the IS may have taken over parts of Syria, but the most populated parts are under the government's control. We can still go to any part of Syria that we want to," he said.

On asked about Israel's role in the crisis, Abbas said that Israel had a strong role to play. "In all the problems in the Middle East, there is an Israeli hand. It's violation of human rights in Palestine has divided the Middle East, and Syria strongly condemns it," he said. He also alleged America of playing the sectarian card in the region, despite providing no help. "America may call itself a democracy, but it's stance is neither American, nor democratic," he said.