by P. Bahjat Karakach*.
The testimony to of the Aleppo parish priest: in some cases women are asked to wear veils or drivers to remove symbols such as the cross, but there are also examples of solidarity. And calls from Muslims to rebuild the nation “together.” The call for a “democratic and civilized State”, in which all “citizens” have the same “rights and duties.”
Aleppo () – Women being asked to wear the veil or drivers being ordered to remove symbols such as the cross, alternating with gestures of solidarity such as flowers or messages stating that Christians and Muslims “together” can “rebuild” the country. It is a Syria characterized by a deep phase of uncertainty, a mixture of fears and hopes, which emerges from the story confided to by Father Bahjat Karakach, parish priest of the church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Aleppo. A community that approaches Christmas with the desire to celebrate, and celebrate, in a perspective of peace after more than 13 years of bloody war. And that looks to the future, beyond March 1, when the mandate of the current executive expires, with a view to democratic elections and a new Constitution in which “all citizens have the same rights and duties.”
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 regime of Bashar al-Assad, which had achieved – with support of Russia and Iran – staying in power despite 14 years of civil war. Yesterday, the leader of HTS, Abu Mohammed al Yolani, relaunched “reassuring” messages to the international community about the country’s new direction, showing a conciliatory face towards neighboring countries, including Israel, which continues to occupy the Golan Heights. However, on the internal front there is talk of “limits” to the participation of women in public institutions and administrations, proposing “functions” more “in accordance with their nature.” Meanwhile, in the northeast, Kurds report artillery bombardments against Kobane, while more and more evidence emerges of a “death machine” set in motion by the Assad regime to suppress dissent and punish opponents. At least 100,000 people have been tortured and killed since 2013.
Below is the testimony of the Aleppo priest:
At this point, as you can imagine, events do not have the same speed that we observed fifteen days ago. In any case, it can be said that the feeling we have is of provisionality mixed with the anticipation of the next March First. A date on which the mandate of the current interim government dyed in a color, with a clear Islamist matrix, expires to form a transitional executive that will have the task of leading Syria to democratic elections after the formation of a new constitution.
Faced with this crucial event, Syrians have mobilized to make their contribution, according to the political vision that guides them. Christians have also been active with study meetings and proposals that will be presented to the three patriarchs present in Damascus (Melkite Greek, Greek Orthodox and Syrian Orthodox), who will then have the task of drafting a text to present to the constitutional commission.
The main point of the proposal is summarized in the demand for a democratic and civilized State, in which all citizens have the same rights and duties. We are aware that it will not be easy to find a formula that satisfies everyone, given that Syria is a very diverse country, and the fear of a one-party Islamist government, which ends up excluding everyone else, remains real. Such a possibility would pose a strong risk of a new dictatorship or a very unstable country. However, it is equally evident that we do not give up and that we count above all on the many enlightened Syrians who want a civilized and democratic nation, hoping that the international community will help these currents to have a voice.
As for daily life, it is not easy to draw a single picture of the country, because everything depends, for the moment, on the presence of law enforcement, which is not homogeneous. The current government relies mainly on forces in Idlib, which are not sufficient to govern a large area. Some services are suspended, while others are working quite well. Aleppo has been thirsty for more than eight days due to an attack on the water station, carried out by the forces of the Kurdish party Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are negotiating with Damascus the full inclusion of the Kurds in the political process that will lead to the birth of the new state.
Christians remain perplexed by everything that is happening: various signs of Islamization of the country are beginning to become evident, for example, a public prayer has been held with a large number of participants in the classrooms of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Damascus; At various checkpoints, Christian women are expressly asked to wear veils, and drivers to remove all Christian religious signs; Various voices are raised in favor of the separation of sexes in public spaces, etc. On the other hand, we find gestures of hope such as, for example, a group of young Muslims who stand in front of churches to distribute flowers to Christians who enter them; On the flower there is a note that says: “Together we can rebuild our country.”
It is a time of great change and upheaval. [que también nos acerca a las celebraciones navideñas]: let us pray that it leads us to better times!
* Parish priest of the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Aleppo
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