SYRIA: HOW ARE CHRISTIANS FEELING?

the new authorities in Syria HAVE TAKEN CONTROL AFTER president Bashar al-Assad left the country on 8 December 2024. nobody CURRENTLY knows IN what direction the country is heading. Four Christians, share what they’re experiencing and their hopes for the future.

“We don’t feel safe”

“The situation has changed in many aspects for us,” one of the women shares. “We don’t walk in the streets when the streets are empty. So we don’t go out very early in the morning or in the evening, because we don’t feel safe. We’re afraid of what may happen. We need to be cautious.”

Schools, shops and banks are open, and life has – in a way – returned to normal. “But we hear of some parents keeping their children at home from school, as they are worried because there is no police in the streets,” says a young woman.

Mixed feelings

An important change for the Syrians is that banks are restricting how much cash a person can withdraw. “Everyone has lack of cash,” the woman adds. “Besides that, the government is having difficulty paying salaries and pensions for the elderly.” But since the takeover of power in Syria, there is no lack of goods in the shops.

For them, as Christians, the situation turned ‘very foggy’. “We went through mixed feelings, from ‘Yes, this is an opportunity for the future’ to ‘Oh Lord, where are we going?’ I believe Christians now tend more towards leaving the country than before, but where can we go?”

Until now, what the new authorities are saying is good, according to these Christians. “But will they do it? When there are incidents now in the country, they always say it isn’t them doing it.”

Fears of civil war

One of the fears many Syrians, including the Christians, have is that the different factions will start fighting each other.

Another fear is the lack of good medical care at the moment. “I don’t want to get ill now, with a health system that isn’t working as it was before,” says one of the believers.

There are also positive things to mention in Syria under the new regime. “An example is that I just filled my car with fuel again,” says one of the Christians. “I didn’t need to wait for hours for fuel; it is now available for everyone.” Another positive is that prices of several important products have gone down significantly.

“My faith is carrying me”

When asked what keeps them going, one of the four just smiles and says: “My faith –  without that we wouldn’t be alive anymore. My faith is carrying me through this phase.”

Thinking of a perfect scenario for the future, they say: “Christians will be actively involved in every part of society; they will be involved in writing the new constitution, involved in all levels of the government and in all other high positions in the country.”

The future of the country

Minorities, including the Christians, have been worried about the future of the country since the former president fled. After more than 50 years Assad rule, no one knew what to expect of the new leaders. Although their talk is moderate and tolerant, time will tell what these words are worth in practice.

A sudden change in power has created a transitional period in Syria, with uncertainty about its long-term implications for Christians. In such a situation, there is potential that people and groups with bad intentions might take advantage of the power vacuum.

There have been some reports of incidents involving Christians, but not all of them seem directly related to religious persecution, but more to broader criminal activity at a time when their is little coordinated law-enforcement.

Meetings with church leaders

Since the takeover, there have been meetings between church leaders and the new authorities in the country. Church leaders expressed their willingness to be involved in building the new Syria. After a big meeting between the new leaders of Syria and leaders of most of the Christian denominations in Damascus two weeks ago, the Christian leaders expressed being ‘cautiously optimistic’.