Syrian Christians have attended common Sunday companies for the primary time because the dramatic overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad per week in the past, in an early take a look at of assurances by the brand new Islamist rulers that the rights of minorities can be protected.
Because the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept to energy final week, it sought to reassure Syria’s minority teams that their lifestyle wouldn’t be in danger.
Earlier than Assad fell, historic non secular minority teams together with Christians worshipped freely and a few stay jittery on the prospect of an Islamist authorities.
Streets within the closely Christian Damascus neighbourhood of Bab Touma crammed with worshippers coming back from church on Sunday morning however some struck a notice of warning.
“We’re scared, we’re nonetheless scared,” native resident Maha Barsa mentioned after attending Mass on the native Greek Melkite Catholic church.
Barsa mentioned she had barely left her house since HTS took over one week in the past though she mentioned that nothing had occurred to warrant her concern, including: “Issues are ambiguous.”
Within the coastal metropolis of Latakia, lengthy an Assad stronghold, Lina Akhras, a parish council secretary on the St George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, mentioned on Sunday that Christians had been “snug” underneath his rule by way of freedom of perception however that they simply wished to dwell in peace and concord.
“(Assad’s fall) occurred hastily, we did not know what to anticipate … Thank God, we acquired loads of assurances and we noticed that members of the (HTS) committee reached out to our priest,” she instructed Reuters.
“God keen, we are going to return to our earlier lives and dwell in our stunning Syria,” Akhras added.
Syria is house to a number of ethnic and non secular minorities together with Christians, Armenians, Kurds and Shi’ite Muslims.
The Assad household itself belongs to the minority Alawite religion, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, in Sunni Muslim-majority Syria.
Tens of hundreds of principally Shi’ite Muslims have fled Syria for Lebanon within the final week out of concern of persecution by the nation’s new rulers, a senior Lebanese safety official instructed Reuters final week.
The safety of Syria’s minorities was a key concern on Saturday when prime diplomats from Arab nations, Turkey, the US and the European Union met in Jordan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned they backed an inclusive and consultant authorities that will respect minority rights and never provide “a base for terrorist teams”.
Syrian college students additionally returned to school rooms on Sunday after the brand new rulers ordered faculties reopened in one other potent signal of some normality.
The nation’s new de facto chief, Ahmad al-Sharaa – higher identified by his insurgent nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, faces an enormous problem to rebuild Syria after a civil battle through which a whole lot of hundreds have been killed.
Cities have been bombed to ruins, the economic system was gutted by worldwide sanctions and hundreds of thousands of refugees nonetheless dwell in camps exterior Syria.
Officers mentioned most colleges have been opening across the nation on Sunday, the primary day of the working week.
Nevertheless, some mother and father weren’t sending their kids to class on account of uncertainty over the state of affairs.
As Syria begins making an attempt to rebuild, its neighbours and different overseas powers are nonetheless figuring out a brand new stance on the nation, per week after the collapse of Assad’s authorities.
Sharaa leads HTS, a gaggle previously allied with al-Qaeda that’s designated a terrorist organisation by the US, Russia, Turkey and Australia amongst different nations and can be underneath United Nations sanctions.
UN Syria envoy Geir Pedersen mentioned on Sunday he hoped for a swift finish to the sanctions to assist facilitate financial restoration.
“We are going to hopefully see a fast finish to sanctions in order that we are able to see actually rallying round build up Syria,” Pedersen mentioned as he arrived in Damascus to satisfy Syria’s caretaker authorities.
