In Syria, Christians express hope and emotion as they attend services, while the UN envoy pushes for an end to sanctions to aid recovery efforts
Aleppo: Recently, churches across Syria were filled with Christians attending their first Sunday services since the unexpected fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. Emotions ran high, with many shedding tears and others deep in prayer. One worshipper, Jihad Raffoul, shared his hope for a better future, saying, “They are promising us that government will be formed soon.”
Suzan Barakat, another worshipper, expressed her prayers for a new beginning in Syria. Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Syria is calling for an immediate lifting of Western sanctions to support the rebel alliance that helped oust Assad, who has since fled to Russia.
For years, sanctions from the US and EU have crippled Syria’s economy, stemming from Assad’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protests back in 2011. This led to a civil war that left the country in ruins. Rebuilding is going to be tough, though, as the new leaders haven’t laid out a solid plan yet. Plus, the main group behind the offensive is still labeled a terrorist organization by the US, even though they’ve started talking to them.
Geir Pedersen, the UN envoy, stressed the need for quick international action in light of the rebels’ swift progress. He hopes for a rapid end to sanctions to help rebuild Syria.
At the Nahla Zaidan school in the Mezzah neighborhood, teachers proudly raised the revolutionary flag. Maysoun Al-Ali, the school director, shared her optimism for more development and security in their beloved country.
Despite the destruction in major cities, sanctions have made it even harder to rebuild in areas controlled by the government. The UN envoy is now in talks with officials from the new interim government, which includes former opposition forces and the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
There are signs that the Biden administration might rethink HTS’s terror label. This interim government is expected to last until March, with Arab foreign ministers pushing for UN-supervised elections under a new constitution.
Pedersen emphasized the need for an inclusive political process for all Syrians and called for justice for the crimes committed during the war. Many families are still searching for loved ones imprisoned by Assad’s regime.
This weekend, an emergency meeting took place with foreign ministers from the US, Arab League, Turkey, and top officials from the EU and UN. They agreed on the need for a new Syrian government that prevents terror groups from gaining power and respects the rights of minorities and women. Before the civil war, Syrian Christians made up about 10% of the population, but many either fled or supported Assad out of fear of Islamist groups.
Last Sunday, church services were canceled due to fears of violence. Ibrahim Shahin, a Catholic church supervisor, admitted they were scared. But this Sunday, churches reopened, and bells rang once again. Agop Bardakijian, a Christian from Aleppo, noted that minorities are now being treated with more respect.
Children were seen taking pictures in front of Christmas trees, and despite warnings of violence as rebels advanced, nothing major happened. Raed, another Aleppo resident, remarked, “The revolution should have happened long ago.”
However, there were some signs of unrest. A rebel group was sent to a village in southeastern Damascus to stop looters from targeting a complex where former military personnel lived, even setting some flats on fire. The rebels had to fire shots to disperse the crowd and arrested about a dozen people, but looting in the capital has been relatively low.