Syria: ‘The situation is intolerable’
Syria: ‘The situation is intolerable’
On the first anniversary of the 2023 earthquake, a bishop in Aleppo calls for an end to sanctions and for people to remember Syria.
The Armenian Orthodox Bishop of Aleppo, Syria, Magar Ashkarian, has called for an end to the sanctions imposed on Syria, saying that “most people are leaving the country in response to [them], which has created major challenges for minority groups, including Christians.” Among his greatest concerns right now are unemployment rates and power and gas shortages.
“The future is bleak. We don’t know what we’re going to do,” said the bishop in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). At present, the Armenian Orthodox community is trying to provide young couples with housing and financial support, so that they might stay in the country.
The bishop has been the leader of Aleppo’s Armenian Orthodox community since 2022, having previously served in Lebanon and Iran, among other places. He appealed to the international community “to make every effort, morally and financially, to help strengthen the presence of Christians in the Middle East, and in Syria in particular,” describing their situation as “intolerable.” He says that the earthquake that hit the country on February 6th, 2023, made their conditions significantly worse.
“We don’t talk about ecumenism; we put it into practice.”
Ashkarian believes that the continuing migration of Christians will present the region with additional problems. “In order to protect Christian values, Christians must remain here in the Middle East, where these values are more deeply appreciated,” he said. “In the Western world, with its secularism and globalization, the current is sweeping everything away.”
The bishop thanked organizations like ACN for using “open windows and doors” to help the people of Syria. Ashkarian said that the civil war, which began in 2011, and the country’s ongoing crisis have brought the Christian denominations closer together: “We have a very close relationship and try to help without discrimination.”
According to the bishop, Aleppo is home to eleven denominations, whose representatives have met to coordinate aid: “The war, and the earthquake in particular, have brought us together. Organizations like ACN have played an instrumental role in this context.” In Aleppo, he said, ecumenism isn’t talked about, but “put it into practice.”
Hoping for support
Ashkarian also expressed hope for the coexistence of Christians and Muslims, who have lived side by side in Syria for centuries. “Everyone has the same rights. We live in this country as brothers and sisters.”
Assistance is crucial for all people in Syria. “Whoever reads these words, in governments or institutions, or in a private capacity, please do whatever you can to help us out of this plight,” he pleaded.
—Tobias Lehner
