Christians among the victims of a massacre in al-Sharaa's 'new Syria'
Scores of Christians – priests, mothers, children – were caught up in the violence triggered by a revolt that broke out in Assad's former stronghold. In a message, Syrian patriarchs bemoan the “dangerous escalation of violence, torture and murder” against “innocent civilians, including women and children”. Syria’s Islamist president makes a belated appeal for unity. Fr Jihad calls for “fasting and prayers” for peace.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – A Greek Orthodox priest killed in cold blood; an entire family – grandparents, parents, children – slaughtered in their home; dozens of men, seniors, women and even children killed, execution-style only because they were Christians.
These are but some of the heartbreaking news that has come out of Syria recently, relayed by advocacy groups, following clashes that began last week between factions loyal to Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad and the new regime in Damascus. More than 800 deaths were reported from Tartus and Latakia, two coastal cities in the country’s predominantly Alawite region, once the stronghold of the Assad regime.
This follows attempts by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the militia of provisional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, to put down a revolt by Assad loyalists, resulting in summary killings of innocent civilians, including Christians.
The first hint of a possible spiral of death and terror against Christians came last December after Assad fled, with crosses torn off and a horrendous murder, which left local Church leaders extremely worried.
In a joint statement, Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignace Afrem II and Greek Melkite Patriarch Youssef Al-Absi spoke out against a “dangerous escalation of violence, torture and murder” against “innocent civilians, including women and children.”
The prelates firmly condemned the killings, calling for "adequate conditions" to get back on the path of "national reconciliation”, a view shared by many, including Hind Kabawar, the only Christian representative in the Committee of Seven who spoke recently to AsiaNews.
Rejecting all forms of “revenge and exclusion,” the patriarchs end their message by calling on Syrians to defend “the unity of the Syrian territory” and “seek peaceful solutions that preserve human dignity.”
According to the Christian website Assyro-chaldéens, l'histoire continue, which cites local sources, the Christian victims include Fr Yohann Youssef Boutros, a Greek Orthodox priest at the Church of St Elias in Tartus, who was apparently killed by gunmen affiliated with the new Syrian government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa (nom de guerre Abou Mohammed al-Julani).
Another "Christian martyr,” Fares Bassam Kawi, was killed in Latakia’s al-Datour neighbourhood, shot in the head, after he was “forced to walk on all fours like a dog.”
An entire family was massacred in the town of Banias, while a Christian man, Tony Khoury, was killed in the Syrian Maronite village of Dahr Safra, shot in the face.
Groups close to the HTS killed the mayor of Al-Mazraah, a Christian village in Wādī an-Naṣārá (Valley of Christians), as well as two Christians – father and son – of Armenian origin, in Latakia.
The father of Fr Gregorius Bechara, a priest with the parish of Notre-Dame of the Annunciation, was shot in Banias. He is one of dozens of Christian victims caught up in the fighting between HTS and former senior officers loyal to Assad.
Three months after the Islamist group seized power bringing to an end the Assad regime, Syria seems to be plunging again into a hot civil war. This is a dangerous escalation in a country still deeply divided, facing very serious economic problems whose territorial integrity is challenged by pro-independence Kurds in the north-east, and the interests of regional powers like Turkey in the north-west and Israel, which is further entrenching its occupation of the Golan Heights, in the south.
All this makes the work of the Constituent Assembly increasingly delicate and difficult. On paper at least, the latter should guarantee maximum representation to all of the country’s ethnic and religious groups, including the Alawites, to which the Assads belong.
Al-Sharaa spoke this morning, during Ramadan prayers, in Damascus, stressing national unity in the face of violence and summary executions perpetrated by groups affiliated with his movement.
“What is happening in Syria now is one of the expected challenges,” he said. In his view, Assad loyalists and (unspecified) foreign powers are inciting “new strife and drag our country into a civil war, aiming to divide it and destroy its unity and stability.”
Fr Jihad Youssef, of the monastery of Mar Musa, is among the many voices appealing against the violence. In addition to extending his condolences to the families of the victims, the "defenseless civilians" victims of "martyrdom", he urged the parties “not to return to the same battles and revenge” of the past. For him, “revenge does not bring justice.”
“I am speaking here as a Syrian citizen,” he said, “as a Christian man, as one of you, as an Alawite, as a Sunni, as a Druze, as a Kurd, as an Arab, Sunni, Assyrian, Armenian, Eastern, Turkmen, all those who live on Syrian land, all those who feel, all those who feel and are in pain with each other, all those who feel and are in pain with each other.”
Calling on Syrians to put aside the injustices of the past, the clergyman believes that his countrymen and women must “make peace and forgive,” and look to the future while remembering the past to “learn from it and not repeat mistakes.”
To this end, he calls on Christians and Muslims to take part in a vigil of fasting and prayer "for peace and reconciliation on the coast and throughout the country.”
(Recent Christian victims pictured)
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