In December the hated Assad regime was ousted from Syria, the place they’ve been ruling since 1971. Nevertheless, the coup was spearheaded by a radical Islamic group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Will the change of presidency be good or dangerous information for the nation’s roughly 300,000 Christians? Juliette* displays on how she and her fellow believers are feeling about life, the modifications, and the long run they face.
Immediately, Syria seems like a new child baby, tentatively discovering its means.
I imagine the top of the Assad-led authorities is a pivotal second for the nation, doubtlessly providing a brand new and extra hopeful chapter for the Syrian individuals.
Because it unfolded, the streets reverberated with surreal scenes of jubilation, marking the top of an period characterised by concern and oppression. There have been heartening tales of people reunited with their family members after enduring extended imprisonment. It’s extraordinary to see this stage of pleasure, hope and euphoria.
One of many first issues I observed after the modifications was this: for years, we struggled to seek out even the fundamentals, however now I see important items available in the market. Imported merchandise are as soon as once more seen on the streets and in native markets.
Once I exit for a stroll the panorama of Syrian streets has remodeled. We now not see pictures of the Assad household or the navy checkpoints that had been as soon as ubiquitous.
What’s much more inspiring are the initiatives bobbing up in every single place. Quite a lot of native associations and youth teams have launched initiatives for communal help. From cleanliness campaigns in universities and on streets and squares, to artwork initiatives modifying the artworks that categorical the earlier authorities. There have been bread distribution initiatives throughout the interval when bakeries had been closed and plans to type neighbourhood committees for defense and help throughout the transitional interval.
However let me be sincere: amid the celebrations, the concern lingers alongside the surreal happiness. Like so many others, I really feel insecure as we do not know what to anticipate.
For Christians like me, the uncertainty is very unsettling. Once I go to church, I see it in everybody’s eyes. We’re nervous about what this alteration may imply for us.
The incidents that occurred to Christians throughout Syria up to now weeks solely add to this. On December 17, 2024, gunmen attacked the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Hama in Western Syria, capturing on the church partitions and making an attempt to tear down the cross atop the constructing.
Earlier than Christmas Eve, attackers burned a Christmas tree close to the Syrian metropolis of Hama. Moreover, some teams moved round cities, particularly in neighbourhoods the place Christians stay equivalent to in Aleppo and Damascus, calling for everybody to put on the hijab or be a part of Islam.
Fortunately all these incidents appear to have been particular person acts. None of them had been carried out by the brand new authorities. Up to now, they’ve acknowledged the occasions and are working to rectify the scenario.
I imagine that in this transitional section, we as Christians must act rigorously. We have to be aware of the trail forward and discover methods to deal with the challenges with out scary battle or including to the tensions that include such a major change.
It is also essential for us to guard our religion and our core beliefs, particularly after I take into consideration the historical past of teams like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and the brand new authority now in energy. I am additionally deeply involved concerning the Islamic teams that problem the place of Christianity as a minority in society. A few of my buddies from church have even encountered people who declare that Christians now not belong right here.
However even within the face of those challenges, I discover energy in my religion and within the phrases of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch delivered in a sermon after the change of regime:
“We stand on the edge of a brand new section, perceiving the daybreak of a homeland all of us love and cherish. We’re getting ready to renewal, which we want to be radiant with hope and topped with mild. Right here in Damascus … we declare to the world: as Christians, we’re from the soil of Syria. We’re not friends on this land, nor did we come to this land at the moment or yesterday. We’re from the traditional roots of Syria and as previous because the jasmine of Damascus. We’re from Apostolic Antioch, from this land that has adorned the world with the identify of Jesus Christ.”
Christians not solely belong on this land but additionally have each proper to contribute to its progress and improvement—that is our aspiration.
I select to be cautiously optimistic, the brand new management is saying the proper issues, and that is a begin. However, the trail forward stays veiled in uncertainty.
We’re turning to prayer and asking for divine steerage, trusting that God’s will shall prevail. It’s important for all of us to remain steadfast in our religion, drawing energy and solace from our unwavering belief in God’s plan for our personal and our nation’s well-being.
*Pseudonym used for safety causes.
