SYRIA/ Is the death of Father Nassar a sign of the fate of Christians?

venerdì 27 gennaio 2012

A Christian priest, Bassilius Nassar, was killed yesterday in Syria while he was giving first aid to a wounded man near Hama. The news was confirmed both by the authorities and the rebels, who as usual blame each other for what happened. According to the Sana news agency of government, "another armed terrorist group assassinated father Bassilius Nassar, a priest of the village of Kafrbuhum, while he was giving first aid to a wounded man in the neighborhood of al-Jarajmeh in the city of Hama". According to the rebels, instead, the priest "was martyred during a military campaign conducted by the forces of the regime in the city". Yesterday, Abdul Razzaq Jbeiro, the local president of the Red Crescent, like our Red Cross was also murdered in Idlib. Ilsussidiario.net interviewed Luigi Geninazzi, columnist and correspondent for "Avvenire", to ask what the prospects for Christians in Syria are in the light of what happened.

Geninazzi, what does the killing of Father Nassar in Hama mean for Syria?
Hama is the city that is the symbol of mass protest against Bashar Assad’s regime. 30 years ago, a protest began there against Bashar’s father Hafez Assad, which ended in a bloodbath and 20 thousand deaths. In recent months too, Hama has always been at the center of the massive protests and equally massive repression. It is not yet known how the priest was killed. The official news agency Sana blames insurgents, who in turn claim that Father Nassar died in a fire fight between the opposition and the army. This murder is a sign that Christians are now in the forefront, crushed in a civil war between the Sunni majority, 80% of Syrians, and the Alawites loyal to Assad. Some continue to say that Syria is heading toward civil war, when in fact it is already in the midst of a civil war and episodes such as the one yesterday confirmed this.

How much is the infiltration of terrorists, who according to Sana are responsible for the killing of the priest, rooted in Syria?
The word "terrorists" can be used in a very generic sense. The opposition is no longer only that of the classical Arab Spring, composed of young people who protest against a regime. It is now increasingly clear that in Syria there is armed opposition, first of all made up of deserters from the Army, but also people from outside, namely from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Sunni countries. It is also likely that there are some groups that are inspired by Al Qaeda. The most disturbing aspect that emerges from the killing of Father Bassilius Nassar in Hama is that the armed opposition is hand and glove with fundamentalist ideology, if not the Salafis. During some protests in the streets of Syria, many people even used the slogan: "Assad to the tomb, Christians to Beirut".

What is the meaning of this slogan, which is quite different from those shouted in Tahrir Square a year ago?

In Syria too there is a non-violent opposition, which at the beginning of the Arab Spring was inspired by the values of dignity and democracy like in Tahrir Square, though we know what happened in the elections in Egypt and Tunisia. In Syria, however, the liberal component coexists with difficulty with the other armed and fundamentalist elements. The slogan "Assad to the tomb, Christians to Beirut" means that Alawites and Christians are the ones who support the regime and so if the first are done away with, the latter must be driven to the only country where it is believed that they can be accommodated, that is, in Lebanon.

Why, then, does the Syrian National Council claim that the Christians are on their side? Is it just propaganda?
There is propaganda on both sides. The fact is that many Christians fight in the opposition and the rebels are in contact with some Christians in the West. In general, however, Church leaders in Syria have always been very conservative and close to Assad’s regime. Just think of the statement that Patriarch Gregory III Laham made a year ago, saying that Christians should trust Assad. Lately, the bishops call for social dialogue, but in fact, they have always defended the president and turned a kindly eye towards him. Assad in turn has always defended the freedom of worship for Christians and protected the Churches in Syria.

A few months ago, in an interview with Ilsussidiario.net, Camille Eid called on Christians to give up Assad. After what has happened, do you believe that invitation is still valid?
The situation of the Syrian Christians is worsening by the hour. Assad is destined to fall because he is now surrounded by many enemies, other Arab countries and especially Turkey. I do not think he can hold out for much longer, but the more he resists, the more these clashes aggravate the civil war that is already in progress. The situation for Christians is getting worse both in terms of personal safety, which applies to all of other citizens of Syria as well, and because they have become a possible target. The most fundamentalist and fanatical elements will try to do away with them, but to the extent that Christians will go over to the opposition, the regime will also try to do away with them, and the more Assad feels endangered and abandoned by the minorities themselves, the more he will become violent. Camille Eid’s analysis is therefore still valid, but what we have before our eyes is the day by day deterioration of the situation. The news of the killing of Father Nassar simply confirms this.



(Pietro Vernizzi)
(translation by Maria Bond)

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