of p. Bahjat Karakach*
Leader al-Jawlani spoke from the historic Umayyad Mosque. Today the UN Security Council meets. The apostolic nuncio asks for the lifting of the sanctions, a “burden” that “weighs on the poor people.” Testimony of Father Karakach to : “We hope that what happened will unblock the political situation.” Christians “citizens who have the same rights and duties.”
Aleppo () – «Christians are, like all Syrians, exhausted by the situation they have experienced for many years under the regime. Now there is no development, the economy is stagnant and they survive with great difficulties. Father Bahjat Karakach, parish priest of the church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Aleppo, tells , underlining the deep difficulties that the country is going through and that led to the fall – and flight to Moscow with his family – of President Bashar al -Assad. A dramatic reality, which also leads Christians and minorities to hope that this sudden and in many ways unexpected change will “unlock the political situation” and that “the entire international community will do its part.”
In less than two weeks, the militias of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Hts), once affiliated with the al-Nusra Front (formerly Al Qaeda), have overthrown the Assad regime, which had managed – thanks to the support of Russia and Iran – staying in power despite 14 years of civil war. Yesterday, the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al Jawlani, addressed his supporters at the historic Umayyad mosque in Damascus, while the streets of the capital remain deserted for many hours – the curfew is in force – and many do not hide their fears for the future after such a rapid and unexpected fall.
Today the UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session on Syria, at the request of Moscow. The international community, and the West, are also awaiting the apostolic nuncio in Damascus, Card. Mario Zenari, who calls for the lifting of sanctions “because they are a burden that weighs above all on the poor.” Interviewed by the Vatican media, the cardinal then hoped that “those who have taken power keep their promise to respect and create a new Syria on democratic bases.” Finally, in a letter to their confreres, the Jesuits in Syria (they are present in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo) affirm that “they are going well” and call for prayer “for this new stage that begins with its unknowns, its concerns.” and also their hopes. With the hope, they conclude, of archiving “14 years of fierce and indiscriminate war, of massive destruction, of hundreds of thousands of deaths, of millions of displaced people, refugees and expatriates, of an economy on the brink of the abyss.”
Below is the testimony of the parish priest of Aleppo, the first to fall in the hands of the opposition:
[Ayer] We woke up to the news that Bashar al-Assad’s regime had fallen. Since morning, an atmosphere of celebration has been felt in all Syrian cities, no cars stop in the streets, songs of joy and all possible expressions of joy.
Opposition forces have entered Syrian cities and freed political prisoners. So there is a great climate of hope in the country.
Many ask me what will happen to Christians, since the Assad regime was known for protecting minorities. To tell the truth, the Christian community, like that of many Syrians in all these years of war and bloody regime, has decreased drastically. That is why Christians today have really great hopes of returning to their country to be an integral part in building the future of Syria.
Obviously, the opposition forces and the government that is formed will have to give concrete confirmation of all the guarantees given that Christians, like all other minorities in Syria, will receive the same treatment as all citizens.
So the next few days will serve to evaluate the veracity of these guarantees. It is clear that Christians, for our part, do not want to be treated as a minority, but as citizens who have rights and duties equal to everyone else.
Christians, Assad and the new Syria
Many people ask me why Christians rejoice at this overthrow of the regime and the rise of extremist armed forces. In reality, there would be a lot to say about this, but I will limit myself to a simple observation: first of all, Christians are, like all Syrians, at this point exhausted and very tired of the situation they have lived in for many years under the regime. . At this point there is no development, the economy is stagnant and they survive with great difficulties.
On the other hand, these groups in the last two or three years in Idlib province have shown tolerance towards Christians and have begun to return previously confiscated property to the community. So we can say that there has been a change, even in his approach to Christians. Furthermore, since they entered Aleppo and began advancing south, they have been sending very strong messages of tolerance towards all minorities, including Christians.
So this whole approach has been partly reassuring. And also the fact that the military leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Hts) did not want to run the country himself, but rather let the previous prime minister and the previous government continue their work, means that there is a serious will to Don’t upset the country. And not to direct it towards an extremist mentality. He himself, this leader, has declared that his movement is only a part of a larger project, so they are not an end in themselves, but an instrument of change.
In this sense, we hope that what happened will unblock the political situation in Syria, and now the entire international community will do its part to stabilize the country, help the Syrians in dialogue and find and create a new constitution that respects all Syrians. . This is our hope, which will obviously have to be evaluated when the facts are verified.
* Parish priest of the church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Aleppo
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