The dramatic and unexpected fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been a cause for great celebration for many people in Syria and beyond. But there is also much uncertainty regarding the country’s new leaders, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and what their rule will mean for minorities in the country.
Over the last week, SAT-7 has heard from church leaders in Syria on flagship live programs Different Angle and You Are Not Alone about their hopes and fears for the country’s future.
Pastor Adon Nabih Noaman, President of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Homs, told Different Angle that this was “one of the most difficult times” for Christians in the country because they are “entering a new era that is unknown.” But he encouraged viewers with the message that “God is good and loving. He is alive and present in our lives, especially in the hard times and when we need to feel His presence.”
Expressing his hope for positive change in Syria, Pastor Noaman said that there was much rebuilding to be done after years of damage to the country’s infrastructure and also to people’s lives, saying that many “need time to heal.”
Fears
Comparisons are being drawn by some with the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, after which the country became very fragmented and Christians suffered intense persecution, forcing many to flee the country. Originally from Iraq, one church leader recounted his experiences of those dark times, explaining how the archbishop who was meant to ordain him was killed, Christians were displaced, and churches destroyed.
“When we were displaced from Mosul, our neighbors, who had always lived peacefully with us, were the first to loot our house,” he said. “They told us we could take our home back if we renounced our faith. During the reign of Saddam Hussein, there was security and rights for Christians. But after the fall of Baghdad, there was chaos.”
He is concerned that the same could now happen in Syria, saying that the large Chaldean congregation in Aleppo are “struggling” with the uncertainty of the situation.
Forgiveness
After years of civil war, which has torn Syria apart and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, Pastor Yacoub Sabbagh from Homs stressed the importance of forgiveness in this new phase for the country and emphasized the role of the Church in serving society.
“We as Syrians have learned a lesson that killing brings killing,” he said. “We want to live as witnesses to the works of God in our lives and live in the peace of the Lord and give a hand to the other in love and peace. Revenge has never been rewarding. Forgiving is the answer. This is our Christian faith.”
Pastor Yacoub also shared how his church in Homs is open and young people in particular have been coming in to pray. He invited others in Syria to join them, stressing the importance of “solidarity in prayer.” He added, “Like the name of your program, You are Not Alone, we must have fellowship to encourage one another. Being among others relieves a little of the pressure and worry about the situation.”
Call to Prayer
Amid all the uncertainty about Syria’s future and concern for what this could mean for Christians and other minorities, Pastor Harout Youssef of the Evangelical Nazarene Church in Latakia called for prayer as the country goes through “a very critical time”:
Prayer can change events and can have an effect on authority. It is known that bent knees are stronger than armies. We pray for safety and for those in authority, so the hand of God is over everything that happens in this country. We pray for peace in this country and for hope and stability. We pray for the authority who took over recently, for justice and freedom. We believe that God is the head of all authority and kings’ hearts are in God’s hands.”
It has been reported that churches in Syria were open for services on Sunday, so let us pray for further positive news as Christians in the country navigate this period of transition and uncertainty.
