Mar Musa: a Church that is unafraid and ‘loves Islam' for a shared future in Syria
Fr Jihad Youssef, superior of the community founded by Fr Dall'Oglio, reflects about the situation created by the fall of the Assad regime. For him, it is impossible for Christians to remain in the Middle East if they confront and compete with Muslims. It takes "courage" to be a "small flock". The concept of dhimmah should be turned into a form of “dynamic interaction”. Meanwhile, HST rebel leader wants those responsible for crimes and torture to be returned to Syria. Israel carries out hundreds airstrikes, its tanks are 20 km from Damascus.
Damasco (AsiaNews) - No Christian can remain in the East "if their logic is to confront and compete with Islam and Muslims" or even worse, to "stand against them", because in this case "the fate" is "to leave sooner or later, and it is [...] suicide,” said Fr Jihad Youssef, a Syrian Maronite, who has lived with the al Khalil monastic community since 1999 at Mar Musa in Nebek (Syria), a monastery founded by Fr Paolo Dall'Oglio.
For the clergyman, “The church that can survive is a church that loves Islam, a church that is for Islam and not against it, a Church that is not afraid to be a small flock, that is not afraid to be a loser in the sense of sacrifice, which is essentially the attitude of the cross”.
What is more, “we need to desensitise the concept of Ahl al-Dhimmah in a way that makes it a dynamic interaction and not just ‘you are under our wings’.”
On the ground, Israel has intensified its attacks, carrying out hundreds of air strikes, this according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, targeting military bases, weapons depots, and areas of interest such as the airport, among others. The Syrian navy is also in Israel’s crosshairs, while some sources report that Israeli tanks are about 20 km from Damascus, after occupying some sites in the demilitarised part of the Golan Heights.
For his part, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a country close to the rebels since the early stages of the civil war, says that "Syria should be ruled by Syrians" and Turkey will continue its fight to be "cleared of terrorism".
Finally, in Syria, the leader of Hayat Tahrir ash Sham (HTS) Abu Mohammed al Jolani wants the extradition and repatriation of officers who have committed war crimes or torture in the regime's prisons.
Below is Fr Jihad’s reflection on the Church and Islam in the future of Syria:
To contribute to the radical change that is coming, we must have a unified vision as an interdenominational Church, and a strong unified position based on a bold and realistic project that we can propose to the [country’s] leaders. We must not wait for things to change without offering something; otherwise, we will have to make do with what is offered to us. We have nothing to lose, we are barely 250,000 Christians in all of Syria, all denominations combined. We have little time left, so we must pray and listen to the Holy Spirit, that he may inspire and guide us.
The most important thing is that we need to radically change our mindset regarding the relationship with the authorities and transcend the mullahs' logic, which we inherited from the Ottomans and which has been perpetuated by the [former] regime until today. We need to get rid of this image and offer what we think is appropriate to live in peace and joy with our Muslim partners, in accordance with our size and nothing more.
We are a minority, yes, and we should be proud of that. Doesn't the Bible describe us as the leaven in dough and as salt? Does it not call us a little flock? From this point of view, we should take the initiative towards Muslims, asking them whether they want us in this country or not. The answer is known to all: Yes. But this traditional "yes" is not enough. If you want to live with us, or rather for us to stay in this country with you, you have to listen to what we have to say and take us for what we are, who we are, and what we can do together; otherwise, you are just hastening our departure.
The relationship between the Church and the authorities in Syria is unhealthy and unevangelical. We must renew it and transform it into a form of constructive interaction, not mere submission aimed at obtaining gains and privileges, often only in appearance, and sometimes, and not rarely, gains for one community at the expense of another. Transformation can take place by changing our attitude towards the Muslim other, our perception of them and especially our expectations about them. We must have a vision that is neither exclusive nor condescending, a vision that makes room for the other in our lives.
No Christian can stay in the East if their logic is to confront and compete with Islam and Muslims, or to stand against them, or if the feelings are hatred towards them, or to stay in spite of them (with some support from within or outside), or even simply to stay near them. The fate of such a Christian is to leave sooner or later, it is truly suicide. The Church that can survive is a Church that loves Islam, a Church that is for Islam and not against it, a Church that is not afraid to be a small flock, that is not afraid to be a loser in the sense of sacrifice, which is essentially the attitude of the cross of which we are all proud.
This is on the one hand; on the other, we need to desensitise the concept of Ahl al-Dhimmah (protection of non-Muslims) in a way that makes it a dynamic interaction and not just “you are under our wings”. History teaches us something important: The traditional attitude of Muslims towards Eastern Christians has oscillated between cruel and humiliating closure and persecution and moderate or even welcoming openness, sometimes for a short time, but always within the framework of the concept of Ahl al-Dhimmah. According to Syrian laws currently in force (before freedom), Christians are second class citizens in crucial areas. This is the reality.
However, as Christians, we do not have to fight a losing battle against Muslims or against "racist" laws that are unfair to us. Rather, we must ask God: What does He want from me personally and from us as a body called the Church, even if it is a scattered and dispersed body? We must realise that Christians have a mission, and that they are a mission. What is our mission today in Syria? What is the meaning of our presence in this land today? This is the vision of those who receive life in this Levant as a gift and a mission from God, that is, to live as a "small remnant" with the Gospel call to live like leaven in the dough. This does not mean submission, but action – there is something that leaven does and that salt does and that nothing can do in their place.
What I think we have to offer as a courageous and humble project to live side by side with Muslims is to transform the concept of Ahl al-Dhimmah into a special feature rather than inferiority. In other words, we become, in a sense, the ones who are cared for because of their role, their smallness, and even their fragility. A concept based on the notion that we are equal, not second class, that we are equal, but that we know our size and limitations.
After all, we are few in number and unable to preserve ourselves, and we will disappear if you Muslims do not support us. We must recognise that without partnership with Muslims, we will dissolve and die. So we have to tell them: “If you really want us, do something. We are not a threat to you and we cannot take anything from your path; on the contrary, we can only enrich you and weave for you, so that our prosperity comes from your prosperity.”
Our project is a partnership based on the equality of citizens, on outreach and sharing. No one should remain outside the circle of participation. No one is the enemy of the other and no one is afraid of the other or of being robbed by the other. Faith in one God, morality, conscience, and humanity help us participate and build a decent and healthy country for all. No one should feel oppressed or hated, scared or threatened. To do this, it is necessary to build a "civic" concept of citizenship that is not against religion and religiosity, but is based on faith, respects religion and guarantees religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities, etc. It is with humility and courage that we offer you this type of partnership.
* Superior of the Community of Deir Mar Musa, Syria
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