Syria has rejected an Arab League statement calling for an end to deadly violence that has shaken the country, as the government cracks down on a five-month-old pro-democracy uprising. In a statement issued on Sunday after an emergency meeting in Cairo, the Arab bloc called for a stop to bloodshed in Syria before it is too late. It also said Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby is ready to visit Syria to try to resolve the crisis, but did not say when the trip would happen. Syria responded with a protest note accusing the Arab League of violating diplomatic protocol and saying Damascus regards the statement as non-existent.The United Nations has said more than 2,200 people have been killed since March, when protesters began calling for reforms and an end to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year autocratic rule. Syrian rights activists say security forces killed at least four people on Saturday and Sunday in the latest crackdown on opposition activity. They say two people were killed in the northern province of Idlib, one in the southern province of Dara'a and one in the Damascus suburb of Harasta.