Tweet
AL-Monitor
Aug 26 2013
Aleppo Christians Fear Iraq-Style Ethnic Cleansing
By: Edward Dark for Al-Monitor Posted on August 26.
ALEPPO, Syria - Aleppo is basically `Little Syria,' a melting pot,
representative of the diverse ethnic and religious groups that make up
the nation. Christians in Aleppo have tended to live together in
close-knit communities in neighborhoods usually clustered around
churches.
It would be very accurate to describe some areas of Aleppo as
`Christian,' although this by no means implies any sort of self- or
outside-imposed segregation or discrimination. Residents of other
faiths are found, and get along just fine in those areas. It is just
that they are predominantly Christian.
Unfortunately, by a stroke of peculiarly bad luck, all the Christian
neighborhoods are on or near the front lines in the parts of Aleppo
divided between regime and rebel control. They have seen more than
their fair share of fighting, `collateral damage' and a long line of
civilian casualties.
The area of Midan in particular, home to many of Aleppo's Armenian
Christian minority, was a front-line area that saw heavy fighting for
many months. It is still the scene of sporadic fighting and shelling
today, although a large proportion of its inhabitants have already
fled. Some went to Lebanon, others went back to Armenia where they
applied for Armenian citizenship and passports, then moved on to
settle in Europe or the Arab Gulf - where Syrian passport holders are
denied work or residence permits, hence their change of passports.
It is particularly sad and ironic to witness today the Armenians, who
fled persecution and sought sanctuary in Aleppo more than a century
ago, again being forced to do the same, this time from Aleppo. I doubt
very much whether they would have considered doing so under any other
circumstances. They have always enjoyed excellent communal relations
with the rest of Aleppan society, and were even allowed to set up
their own private schools which taught in Armenian - something not
allowed for other ethnic groups, most notably the Kurds. The Armenians
were guaranteed a place in the Syrian parliament via their own elected
representatives.
As for Arab Christians - in other front-line places such as
Sliemaniyeh, Siryan and Azizieh - the wealthy among them have fled,
mostly to Europe or Lebanon, as have most of Aleppo's wealthy elites.
Those who stayed behind have now irrevocably tied their fate with that
of the Syrian regime. Not out of love or loyalty or ideology, but out
of fear and necessity. As a Christian friend told me the other day
about the rebels, `If they don't take my life, then they will take my
way of life,' and it is easy to see what he means if you take a stroll
through his area. Christians in Aleppo, while being for the most part
conservative, are nonetheless a lot more open and liberal in their
social customs, dress code and general attitude than other inhabitants
in the city.
They have enjoyed a large degree of social and religious freedom under
the current regime, and it is a freedom they fear they will soon lose.
It is this unique identity and way of life that will most likely be
the first victim of a rebel victory. With some rebel groups being
largely made up of extremist Islamists and al-Qaeda affiliates, it is
not such a stretch to deduce that Christians in Syria may suffer the
same fate as they did in Iraq. That perception was reinforced recently
with the kidnapping of prominent activist Jesuit Priest Father Paolo
Dall'Oglio in al-Raqqa by al-Qaeda groups, as well as the
disappearance of two Orthodox Christian bishops from Aleppo - Yohanna
Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi - more than four months ago, presumed to be
held by foreign jihadists.
Those reasons are exactly why, out of all the areas in Aleppo, one is
most likely to find young Christian men taking up arms and manning
checkpoints to defend themselves. This is very evident to anyone
traveling through Sliemaniyeh's checkpoints. The young men there are
all locals, some even clad with long hair and tattoos. Sometimes, you
see them hanging out with their wives or friends in casual
conversation, it is clear that they are regarded heroes by their
community.
Walking there a couple of weeks ago, my eye caught a sun-weathered
khaki-clad young man, AK-47 rifle slung across his back. My mind
registered a faint flicker of recognition. `George,' I exclaimed, `is
that you? You've changed, you're a lot thinner and much more tanned!'
He recognized me almost immediately, `You haven't changed a bit!
Although you have a lot less hair on your head!' After exchanging
pleasantries, I learnt that George - someone I knew in college - had
volunteered for a three-month stint with the `political intelligence'
regime apparatus, whose massive building ominously overshadows the
whole area.
`We get a crash training course, and they provide us with weapons and
ammunition. And best of all, we're deployed in or near our
neighborhoods. The salary is not so great though,' he mused.
`Are you happy doing what you do? Will you extend your contract?' I
asked. `No,' he said quite firmly. `I have relatives in Venezuela, I'm
getting out of here as soon as I'm done.' His was a typical story,
amid all the uncertainty, pressure and fear that he and his community
feel, it maybe the wisest option to just cut and run - after all, many
tens of thousands have already done so.
But it is not just their home turf that they are protecting, many have
also volunteered in the Syrian army or the various pro-regime
militias, fighting on many front lines in the city. One such case is
the sad story of a young Christian boy named Salim Nahhas, whose
siblings I knew quite well. He was only 19 when he died fighting with
the regime against the rebels in the Rashdeen area of Aleppo in July
2013.
His family set up a tribute group on Facebook, where heartbreaking
messages and photos are posted. But the most remarkable aspect of
Nahhas' story is that most of his family was initially with the
uprising and against the regime, some even taking part in protests and
later aid work for the displaced. That was before Aleppo was invaded
by the rebels in the summer of 2012 and before rebel mortar shells hit
Nahhas' neighborhood, killing some of his friends and neighbors. Since
then, many things have changed in Aleppo.
Edward Dark (a pseudonym) is a Syrian resident in Aleppo.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/aleppo-christians-syria-rebels-regime.html
Aug 26 2013
Aleppo Christians Fear Iraq-Style Ethnic Cleansing
By: Edward Dark for Al-Monitor Posted on August 26.
ALEPPO, Syria - Aleppo is basically `Little Syria,' a melting pot,
representative of the diverse ethnic and religious groups that make up
the nation. Christians in Aleppo have tended to live together in
close-knit communities in neighborhoods usually clustered around
churches.
It would be very accurate to describe some areas of Aleppo as
`Christian,' although this by no means implies any sort of self- or
outside-imposed segregation or discrimination. Residents of other
faiths are found, and get along just fine in those areas. It is just
that they are predominantly Christian.
Unfortunately, by a stroke of peculiarly bad luck, all the Christian
neighborhoods are on or near the front lines in the parts of Aleppo
divided between regime and rebel control. They have seen more than
their fair share of fighting, `collateral damage' and a long line of
civilian casualties.
The area of Midan in particular, home to many of Aleppo's Armenian
Christian minority, was a front-line area that saw heavy fighting for
many months. It is still the scene of sporadic fighting and shelling
today, although a large proportion of its inhabitants have already
fled. Some went to Lebanon, others went back to Armenia where they
applied for Armenian citizenship and passports, then moved on to
settle in Europe or the Arab Gulf - where Syrian passport holders are
denied work or residence permits, hence their change of passports.
It is particularly sad and ironic to witness today the Armenians, who
fled persecution and sought sanctuary in Aleppo more than a century
ago, again being forced to do the same, this time from Aleppo. I doubt
very much whether they would have considered doing so under any other
circumstances. They have always enjoyed excellent communal relations
with the rest of Aleppan society, and were even allowed to set up
their own private schools which taught in Armenian - something not
allowed for other ethnic groups, most notably the Kurds. The Armenians
were guaranteed a place in the Syrian parliament via their own elected
representatives.
As for Arab Christians - in other front-line places such as
Sliemaniyeh, Siryan and Azizieh - the wealthy among them have fled,
mostly to Europe or Lebanon, as have most of Aleppo's wealthy elites.
Those who stayed behind have now irrevocably tied their fate with that
of the Syrian regime. Not out of love or loyalty or ideology, but out
of fear and necessity. As a Christian friend told me the other day
about the rebels, `If they don't take my life, then they will take my
way of life,' and it is easy to see what he means if you take a stroll
through his area. Christians in Aleppo, while being for the most part
conservative, are nonetheless a lot more open and liberal in their
social customs, dress code and general attitude than other inhabitants
in the city.
They have enjoyed a large degree of social and religious freedom under
the current regime, and it is a freedom they fear they will soon lose.
It is this unique identity and way of life that will most likely be
the first victim of a rebel victory. With some rebel groups being
largely made up of extremist Islamists and al-Qaeda affiliates, it is
not such a stretch to deduce that Christians in Syria may suffer the
same fate as they did in Iraq. That perception was reinforced recently
with the kidnapping of prominent activist Jesuit Priest Father Paolo
Dall'Oglio in al-Raqqa by al-Qaeda groups, as well as the
disappearance of two Orthodox Christian bishops from Aleppo - Yohanna
Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi - more than four months ago, presumed to be
held by foreign jihadists.
Those reasons are exactly why, out of all the areas in Aleppo, one is
most likely to find young Christian men taking up arms and manning
checkpoints to defend themselves. This is very evident to anyone
traveling through Sliemaniyeh's checkpoints. The young men there are
all locals, some even clad with long hair and tattoos. Sometimes, you
see them hanging out with their wives or friends in casual
conversation, it is clear that they are regarded heroes by their
community.
Walking there a couple of weeks ago, my eye caught a sun-weathered
khaki-clad young man, AK-47 rifle slung across his back. My mind
registered a faint flicker of recognition. `George,' I exclaimed, `is
that you? You've changed, you're a lot thinner and much more tanned!'
He recognized me almost immediately, `You haven't changed a bit!
Although you have a lot less hair on your head!' After exchanging
pleasantries, I learnt that George - someone I knew in college - had
volunteered for a three-month stint with the `political intelligence'
regime apparatus, whose massive building ominously overshadows the
whole area.
`We get a crash training course, and they provide us with weapons and
ammunition. And best of all, we're deployed in or near our
neighborhoods. The salary is not so great though,' he mused.
`Are you happy doing what you do? Will you extend your contract?' I
asked. `No,' he said quite firmly. `I have relatives in Venezuela, I'm
getting out of here as soon as I'm done.' His was a typical story,
amid all the uncertainty, pressure and fear that he and his community
feel, it maybe the wisest option to just cut and run - after all, many
tens of thousands have already done so.
But it is not just their home turf that they are protecting, many have
also volunteered in the Syrian army or the various pro-regime
militias, fighting on many front lines in the city. One such case is
the sad story of a young Christian boy named Salim Nahhas, whose
siblings I knew quite well. He was only 19 when he died fighting with
the regime against the rebels in the Rashdeen area of Aleppo in July
2013.
His family set up a tribute group on Facebook, where heartbreaking
messages and photos are posted. But the most remarkable aspect of
Nahhas' story is that most of his family was initially with the
uprising and against the regime, some even taking part in protests and
later aid work for the displaced. That was before Aleppo was invaded
by the rebels in the summer of 2012 and before rebel mortar shells hit
Nahhas' neighborhood, killing some of his friends and neighbors. Since
then, many things have changed in Aleppo.
Edward Dark (a pseudonym) is a Syrian resident in Aleppo.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/aleppo-christians-syria-rebels-regime.html