by Sandra Awad

Sandra Awad, former Caritas director and now a UNICEF collaborator, has reported on the devastation of the war in recent years. Today she recalls that, despite violence and critical issues, the community plays a ‘fundamental role’ in spreading ‘the spirit of forgiveness’ and ‘healing sectarian divisions.’ She launches an appeal: ‘Free yourselves from the chains of fear.’

Damascus (AsiaNews) - Christians and churches play a ‘fundamental role’ in this ‘critical phase’ of the country's life and, just as they ‘guided humanitarian work’ during the years of war, so now they must ‘spread the spirit of forgiveness and love’ to heal the sectarian divisions that are tearing ‘the body of Syria’ apart.

This is what Sandra Awad, now part of UNICEF's communications office and former communications officer for Caritas Syria, writes in a testimony entrusted to AsiaNews on the situation of Christians and the country in a phase of profound instability.

‘Free yourselves from the chains of fear, Christians of my country. Rise up, because today we have more work than ever.’

From the attack on the church of Mar Elias to the attacks on activists, to the massacres in Suwayda marked by divisions - and armed clashes - between Druze, Bedouins and government forces, this is a turbulent and troubled phase in Syria's recent history.

The promises made by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the country's new leaders following the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in recent months, seem to be fading in the face of endemic problems: sectarian violence, divisions, corruption and instability fuelled by regional powers, from Israel to Turkey.

In recent days, the heads of diplomacy of Syria and Jordan, together with a US official, met to discuss the situation. The parties reportedly agreed to set up a “working group” to help Syria preserve the ceasefire in the province, which has been the scene of clashes and sectarian violence.

Meanwhile, the Sana news agency reports that a government soldier was killed on 12 August during clashes between the army and the pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the northern governorate of Aleppo.

Below is the full testimony of the Christian activist:

We all feel that a storm of evil is hitting Syria these days, scorching our faces and hearts with its burning fire. Crimes of murder, theft, and kidnapping — a person killing his brother in the name of religion, power, revenge, or even robbery. A daily scene that shakes us from within, making us dream of escape if we can, or confining our movement and that of our children at home out of fear, or sinking into a silent depression that pushes us to addiction to social media to follow the latest flood of death news. But what I notice is that many people deal with this dark energy as if it suddenly fell on us from space, assigning all responsibility to one party. Yet my long closeness to this land, to its details, to its people, their homes, and their pains, has made me realize that what we see today is not born of the moment...

We are facing a long-term collapse, and tomorrow will be even harsher if we continue with this collective blindness. Unfortunately, what happened after liberation — the rampant chaos, the weakness of state institutions, the absence of law, the hunger that has now peaked, and the decision-makers’ preoccupation with external scenes while turning a blind eye to the rot eating the inside... all this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, causing the filth to surface.

There are millions of ordinary people whose hearts are still good...

Fathers and mothers who wake up at dawn to secure a decent life for their children.

Young people who work together despite their differences.

Students who fight for knowledge under inhumane conditions.

People who risk their lives to send aid to the afflicted areas.

Musicians who still try to spread joy despite all the sorrow.

There are those who have tasted oppression... yet did not take revenge, but chose to forgive and reconcile.

When the soldiers and priests came to arrest Jesus in the garden where He was praying, His disciple Peter rose up, drew a sword, and cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

Then He reached out His hand and healed the man’s ear, concluding His earthly ministry with one last miracle of mercy before being led to His death.

When I think of the Christians in this East, to whose faith I belong, I find that the essence of their role in the ongoing conflict shaking our country is reflected here, in this story from the Gospel.

Generally speaking, they have not been a party to the armed conflict over the past years; on the contrary, their churches and charitable organizations opened their doors to the poor—all the poor without discrimination. Their youth worked amidst the rubble, rebuilding the homes of displaced families, aiding the afflicted, and supporting the marginalized.

I firmly believe that Christians, along with our clergy and churches, have a pivotal role in this critical phase of Syria’s life. Just as they led humanitarian work throughout the years of war, so too must they now dedicate all their efforts to spreading the spirit of forgiveness and love amidst the sectarian fractures that are tearing the body of Syria apart.

It saddens me to see my brothers, relatives, and friends dreaming of fleeing this country on the first available plane. I understand this amid the fear and anticipation we all live through, but what I cannot understand is surrendering to this fear, retreating, and passively waiting for a miracle to descend and heal the wounds of our land.

Break free from the chains of fear, Christians of my country...

Rise up, for today we have more work than ever before:

Turn the desire to flee into action on the ground, and into activities that rebuild broken bridges.

Open the doors of our churches to diverse community gatherings and heartfelt dialogues.

Seek funding and external support for our charitable organizations—not for our protection, but to empower Syrian youth of all denominations and train them in peacebuilding programs.

Support, merchants, industrialists, and our diaspora abroad, peace projects with your money and your hearts.

Step out, our scouting groups, from your closed boxes and spread the love and goodwill we know among your members towards the outside world.

Let us join hands with our brothers in citizenship; we are all children of one homeland, and only together can we rise.

In this land that gave us birth and needs us today more than ever, let us be as our Teacher commanded, who said:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Sandra

 

 

 

• Syria
• Christians
• Muslims
• peace
• war
• religious freedom
• fundamentalism
• HTS
• attacks
• church
• Kurds
• Islam